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In the past, the effect on the environment and its living creatures wasn't a top issue when building military bases. Unquestionably, it has been a concern though. Since flying first became a reality, documented safety reports go back as far as eighty-eighty years. As a result of not making it a number one priority, today we have problems with environmental organizations under the Endangered Species Act and millions of dollars are spent on scientific systems and even more lost to accidents and fines. There was no way obviously when airfields were being constructed that the significance of this matter could have been predicted. However, with a little more effort years ago and not just within the last twenty, many hazards could have been avoided.
Because of the numerous wildlife strikes to aircraft, literally millions of dollars in damaged parts are spent and millions are lost to complete destruction to aircraft. On the average, 3, 126 strikes are reported each year by the military at nearly an average cost of $ 12, 000 per case. This has led to over $ 700 million dollars lost or spent on aircraft over the past 20 years. Over all, the United States alone has lost $ 300 million annually, so you can tell the problem is not a small matter. Equally important are the fines handed out. Such as the case involving an international airport in France, where a flock of birds that was feasting on a carcass was neither reported nor removed before a jetliner was to depart.
The plane received damage when it attempted to take-off but avoided serious consequences by shutting down just before the end of the runway. The airport was fined $ 3, 000, 000. Along with the financial losses, there have been several injuries and, more importantly, human fatalities. Possibly the most dramatic military incident was one in which several birds flew into a plane cruising at a high altitude. Damage was done to the engines and cockpit windows, causing the plane to crash and kill all 24 passengers. Over the past 30 years, a total of 37 Air Force aircraft have been completely destroyed, bringing along with it 35 fatalities.
One positive aspect to look at is when a strike occurs on a fighter jet. The fighter jet pilot has the option to eject if he or she cannot land the plane. The money factor and human loss is definitely a major concern. But the environmental laws and compassion of many groups towards the surrounding habitat and the death of many birds, especially those that are extremely rare or on the endangered list are equally important. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Federal Aviation Administration, the U. S.
Air Force, the U. S. Army, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U. S. Department acknowledges each agency's mission. The agencies use this MOA to establish procedures to effectively coordinate existing and future environmental conditions contributing to aircraft strikes. These efforts are intended to minimize wildlife risks to aircraft and human safety and protect the environment. There are many factors effecting wildlife and overall safety, which include the following: First, slower piston-powered aircraft that were more noisy than today's jets increase the chances of these jets colliding with wildlife.
Second, there has been a large increase of air travel worldwide, both military and commercial. Lastly, modern bases and airports are surrounded by natural habitat. This habitat provides shelter, nesting areas, and feeding areas for wildlife that are not found around the city in which the airfields are located. Because the deliberate killing of birds is a last resort, reasonable effort must be made to use non-lethal means to solve problems prior to taking lethal action.
The activity trends and migration of every type of bird is studied and flying patterns are watched and reported giving scientists more extensive knowledge to pass on to airports. This knowledge has affected aircraft flight patterns and altitude as well. Modern technical systems have been created to monitor live bird activity and with this incidents have been reduced because flights can be redirected or halted. Some of the systems used are actually developed for weather tracking radars. These systems actually take the weather out of the picture leaving biological targets, therefore keeping the planes away from danger. The use of thermal imagery is more popular due to the prices on devices going down and the quality increasing.
The imagery cameras can now detect birds about 3 kilometers in any condition. Despite the efforts of modern technology and countless man-hours put into the study of wildlife and the safety of aircraft, strikes still occur at a high rate. But as long as man has the continual need to fly and try to preserve the world around him conflicts will always be there.
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Research essay sample on Millions Of Dollars Equally Important
