Simple Flying
Mark Finlay
Always innovative when it comes to looking at problems from another angle, the operators of Brussels Airport (BRU) are testing drones to scare away birds. Located 7.5 miles northeast of the Belgian capital, Brussels Airport and its three runways are surrounded by farms.
Currently, Brussels Airport has a special Bird Control Unit that drives around the runways and surrounding area to scare away birds from runways where a plane is landing or taking off.
Last Thursday, Brussels Airport teamed up with telecom service provider Citymesh to see if scaring the birds away by flying a drone would work. One of the advantages the drone has over the car is that it can access areas where the vehicle can’t go. It can also be used to monitor the gathering of birds and disperse them if necessary.