text: Covering aircraft in blue lights, and only turning them on when beginning to take off, could help stop birds colliding with aircraft. That’s according to a study, which found that birds responded to lights in different ways than a human might. The researchers said runways could be synced with taxiing aircraft, to help capture birds’ attention before an aircraft takes off. The study was conducted by scientists at Purdue University in Indiana. They were investigating how to reduce bird to aircraft collisions by keeping birds away from planes (stock image shown). Research showed that birds responded most to blue lights on planes . The study, by scientists at Purdue University in Indiana and the National Wildlife Research Centre in Ohio, was published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications. They were seeking to find a solution to the problem of birds colliding with aircraft, which causes £480 million ($700 million) worth of damage in the US alone. The FAA estimates that bird strikes have resulted in 200 worldwide deaths since 1988. They are dangerous to aircraft because birds can be sucked into a jet engine and strike an engine fan blade. That impact knocks out a single blade and can trigger a domino effect, resulting in engine failure. Incidents are most common shortly before landing or take-off when the jet engines are at top speed. A 12lb (five kg) goose striking an aircraft going 150 mph (240 km/h) at lift-off generates the force of a 1,000lb (450kg) weight dropped from a height of 10ft (three metres), according to Bird Strike Committee USA. Despite this, the number of accidents involving civil aircraft is low, estimated at one fatal accident in one billion flying hours. Around 65 per cent of bird strikes cause little damage to aircraft, but the blow is usually fatal to the bird. In experiments, they studied how flocks of cowbirds responded to model aircraft. They found that blue light was the most noticeable by birds, so they outfitted the aircraft in this colour. When the plane was stationary, the birds became alert more quickly when the lights were on. But when it approached them with its lights off, their response slowed - and they only became more alert when the lights were turned on. And the birds were also more likely to get out of the way of the aircraft when the lights were pulsing, rather than being continuous. The authors suggest that runways could be synced with aircraft to alert birds to incoming planes and avoid collisions. The lights could be off during taxiing but on during take-off, to help the birds move out of the way of the fast-moving planes. And they say their method could even help birds avoid collisions with buildings and wind turbines by also covering them in blue lights. The authors suggest that runways could be synced with aircraft to alert birds to incoming planes and avoid collisions (stock image shown). The lights could be off during taxiing but on during take-off, to help the birds move out of the way of the fast-moving planes . In the experiments, the researchers studied how flocks of cowbirds (stock image shown) responded to model aircraft. They were seeking to find a solution to the problem of birds colliding with aircraft, which causes £480 million ($700 million) worth of damage in the US alone . ‘In previous studies, we have demonstrated that avian response to vehicle approach can be enhanced by increasing the conspicuousness of the approaching vehicle with white lights,’ explained Dr. Fernández-Juricic, one of the authors of the study. ‘However, in this study, we followed a sensory ecology approach to establish a-priori a light that would be particularly conspicuous to our study species and tested the responses of individuals to this light tuned to their eyes. ‘In addition, we showed that by pulsing the light, we reduced the effects of high speeds on the ability of the animals to become alert to the approaching aircraft. ‘These findings hold implications for how we might enhance bird response to larger, faster aircraft.’
target: Study was conducted by scientists at Purdue University in Indiana .
  They were investigating how to reduce bird to aircraft collisions .
  Research showed that birds responded most to blue lights on planes .
  And turning the lights on while taking off - not before - had the best effect .