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| Photo: Hugh O’Brien |
Birdstrikes – collisions between an aircraft and birds – occur more than 1300 times a year in Australia, causing millions of dollars worth of damage and lost flying time, according to the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Even worse, they have caused accidents that resulted in injury and death.
Vigilance Technologies is working to develop the world’s first microwave radar BirdDeter system for airports. Last year the company received a $35000 grant from the Queensland Industry Development Scheme to help it forge alliances with similarly focused European companies.
As a result, Vigilance has entered into an alliance with Air-Parts BV of The Netherlands and the partners have been short-listed to supply Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport with BirdDeter. If the tender succeeds, the system could be installed by October this year.
“More than 90 per cent of birdstrikes at airports occur at an altitude of less than 50 metres,” John Muehlebach, technical manager of Southern Downs-based Vigilance Technologies, said.
“Our radar monitors the runway and we can tailor the system to deal with a particular species that might be a local problem, like cockatoos or ibis in western Queensland or seagulls at coastal airports.”
One strike alone can destroy an engine which may cost more than $1 million to replace, according to Mr Muehlebach.
Birds are detected within 0.4 of a second and BirdDeter is then activated.
Research has shown that birds are most effectively deterred by certain natural sounds called “bio-acoustics”. For most species, their own distress, alarm and alert calls are the best deterrents, mixed together with calls of likely predators, such as hawks or cats.
The unique combination of radar and computer technology already has commercial applications and is used throughout Queensland and the rest of Australia to deter birds and flying foxes from crops like fruit and birds from mines.
Mr Muehlebach said the company hoped to achieve export sales of $4 million a year in the short term.
“The potential for export is huge, because losses suffered by airlines due to birdstrike run into millions,” he said.
Last reviewed 15 March 2006