Following US Airways flight 1549, some airports have decided to start testing a new type of radar – bird radar. Aviation officials believe that the new technology will help pilots fly clear of bird strikes. The radar is able to monitor birds from 6 miles away from an airport. It is unknown whether the new technology will become available as a TCAS-like (Traffic Collision & Avoidance System) platform for aircraft, but the airport based version of the radar will certainly help airport managers and air traffic controllers detect when large flocks of birds are flying near the airport.
What is there to say about this? I think the public is overly concerned with birds in the sky. We’ve been sharing the airspace with them since aviation’s existence. It is arguable that since the bird population is expanding, we should make efforts like these to prevent further bird strikes. So, I think it’d be wrong to say that the new technology is bad, but I just think it may be too much. Feel free to share your thoughts on the issue – I’m very eager to hear what some of you think.
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