Wildlife Aircraft strikes are a threat to human life and kill millions of animals every year. Most of these collisions occur at altitudes of up to 3,000 ft (1,000 m). Conventional high-capacity fixed-wing transport aircraft are most vulnerable during take-off, initial climb, approach and landing. Currently, most preventive measures focus on keeping animals away from airport perimeters. To achieve a higher level of safety, it is proposed that air traffic controllers be brought into the loop by being provided with information on the risk of wildlife strikes. This would enable them to warn pilots, advise avoidance manoeuvres or delay take-offs to avoid collisions with animals. A prerequisite for the feasibility of such a system is reliable information on the presence of critical wildlife around flight paths.
The aim of this PhD project is to develop a model for predicting wildlife tracks and assessing their risk to aviation, based on several years of avian radar data. The model will be validated in fast- time simulations. In a second step, a workflow to adapt the model to different sites will be established and tested in fast-time simulations. Finally, the model output will be made applicable to operational air traffic control via an appropriate visualisation.
If successful, this project will enable air traffic controllers to take into account the current risk of collision for aircraft under their control to a much greater extent than is currently the case. This, in turn, will help take bird strike prevention to the next level, making a fundamental contribution to bird and aviation safety.
To apply, please find the DAAD portal on www.funding-guide.de. After searching for DLR, you will find a link to the DLR-DAAD Research Fellowship Programme.
You can find more information on the application requirements here.
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