Over 80 percent of all bird strikes


happen in a height lower than 1000ft. So it is useful to use a higher cruising altitude, although it should be men- tioned that there are reports about swans and goose flying at heights of 30, 000 ft and higher. Furthermore, pilots should know some facts about the behavior of birds. Most birds have a natural reflex when being approached by a bird of prey or a hel-


32 August 2012


icopter. They will start a sudden climb and they will slow down. This is because birds have learned that most raptors try to catch them by diving down on them from a greater height. Only pigeons will speed up. Compared to airplanes, helicopters are much more maneuverable and pilots should take advantage of this fact and try to avoid a bird strike by evading. If pilots see a bird on colli-


sion course they should try to dive away. While these measures will help to avoid collisions with most birds, there are some species which are much more aggressive and might mis- take a helicopter or plane for a rival. Hawks as well as lapwings have been reported to attack aircraft. Areas where these birds are sighted should be avoided. Depending on your geographic


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