Airports

GMI has worldwide experience in the specialized field of analysis and management of bird and wildlife hazards to aircraft. Our scientists conduct bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH), wildlife hazard assessments, and wildlife hazard management plan programs as required under FAA regulation (14 CFR Part 139). This FAA regulation requires an airport to conduct a wildlife hazard assessment when an aircraft has a bird or wildlife strike.

Commercial and military aviation suffers more than 8,000 bird strikes per year with an annual cost of over $1.2 billion due to damage, delays, and lost service time. Bird and wildlife aircraft strikes pose a serious threat to aircraft crew and passengers and have resulted in over 400 human fatalities worldwide.

GMI’s Wildlife Remote Sensing and Technology program was established to develop bird remote sensing systems to reduce bird strikes to aircraft and to collect data for environmental applications. GMI has many landmark achievements in the BASH industry.

GMI scientists specialize in radar-based remote sensing for bird detection and data collection for environmental applications. GMI’s ground-breaking bird remote sensing program came online in 1994. Since then, staff members have developed many innovative technologies and processes to meet the diverse needs of its clients.

• Biological target detection algorithms using NEXRAD weather radar (2000)
• Real-time, on-airport bird detection and warning system (2003)
• Predictive algorithms to track loitering, foraging, and migrating birds (2005)
• Post-processing analysis tools library
• Enhanced data visualization

GMI continues to develop and refine systems to detect, quantify, and track bird activity. GMI continues to innovate and increase capabilities of its Mobile Avian Radar System® technology.

Service Areas

GMI offers a full line of advanced BASH services, products, and technologies (e.g. MARS® for wildlife and bird studies, assessments, and management at airports. Our bird detection systems support a wide range of safety and environmental protection applications.

BASH services include:

• Bird hazard risk modeling
• Bird and wildlife management training
• Bird and wildlife hazard assessments and management plans
• Remote sensing of bird and wildlife movements
• Radar-based bird hazard advisories
• BASH assessments of new construction projects or existing facilities
• Public presentation and expert testimony

GMI has conducted several bird and wildlife related projects at or near airports worldwide.

• BASH management plans
• Wildlife and bird strike hazard assessments and evaluations
• Wildlife management training sessions
• Wildlife surveys
• Reviews of landscape management plans
• Real-time wildlife hazard avian radar monitoring

GMI has conducted several avian monitoring studies and avian risk assessments for commercial clients intending to site and permit wind power projects. These studies are similar to airport wildlife hazard assessments, collecting wildlife activity data over extended lengths of time.

A typical GMI BASH management plan prepared for an airport incorporates a combination of radar data collected by GMI’s custom-designed MARS® bird detection system with regular field observations to identify avian activity relative to airport and/or proposed and existing developments (e.g., wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, golf courses) nearby. The MARS® bird detection system plays a critical role in these assessments, automatically archiving and monitoring activity (24/7), speed, headings, and altitudes of birds that cross a project site. GMI’s visual survey protocols provide a quantifiable assessment of detection performance while assessing species composition. Radar surveys are ongoing and provide data to construct resident activity baselines and identify occurrence and duration of bird and wildlife hazard such as migratory and resident events.

GMI has developed advanced tracking and improved bird classification algorithms to provide the most accurate and defensible radar assessments for different types of birds (small neotropical songbird migrants, soaring migrant raptors, and other typical BASH species such as geese, vultures, and blackbirds). GMI further developed advanced statistical analysis methods to identify daily, weekly, and long-term trends with respect to land use and regional weather. In addition, GMI offers consultations and provides mitigation and management plans for airport and nearby development projects, such as:

• Military and commercial aviation – BASH and wildlife hazard assessments and management plans
• Wind turbine generator – siting studies, surveys, and operations
• Cellular towers – siting studies, surveys, and operations
• Biological habitat assessments and migratory studies and surveys