1. FlySafe
A tool to increase flight safety of
Belgian Air Force operations
Capt Serge Sorbi
(Belgian Air Force – Aviation Safety Directorate )
Conference - June 19, 2014
Palais des Académies - Brussels

2. CONTENT
- Aircraft > < Birds = Birdstrike.
- Birdstrike reduction policy at BAF.
- Bird radar detection.
- ESA – FlySafe project.
- Outcomes of the Flysafe.
- Benefit of the FlySafe for BAF.

3. FLIGHT SAFETY CHALLENGE
Aircraft > < Birds

5. HUMAN & FINANCIAL COST
for Air Forces and Civilian Aviation

6. WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT at BAF
• Birdstrike prevention « en route »
– No other way than avoiding the birds…
• Wildlife Hazard Management « on base »
– Environment management, Bird Control Unit,
birdscaring, local bird intensity, lethal …

7. USE OF MPR RADAR TO DETECT BIRDS
Robin System : extract bird echoes from the raw radar
signal and distinguished it from rain,
clouds, ground…
= > Warning Message to all pilots = BIRDTAM

8. Bird migration above Belgium
08 march 2011 – 1625z 08 march 2011 – 1655z 08 march 2011 – 1725z
08 march 2011 – 1755z 08 march 2011 – 1825z 08 march 2011 – 1855z
D
U
S
K

9. European Space Agency (ESA)
CONCEPT & TARGETS

10. • In partnership with : RNLAF, BAF, FAF, GAF
• FlySafe objectives:
 To develop a bird warning system of systems to improve flight safety &
increase flight operation time in northwest Europe by:
- Improving existing en route bird detection systems
- Reducing human dependency
- Developing bird forecast models
- Developing tools for bird flight activity detection at and near airports
- BIRDTAM Cross border harmonization
ESA FLYSAFE PROJECT

11. - Earth Observation
satellites data &
meteorology
- Long Range Military
Surveillance Radars
(150km radius, migration)
- Weather radars for
migration (altitude
distributions migration)
- Short Range
Specialized Radars on
air fields (local bird
behaviour 5-10 km range)
-Individual birds
Tracking (species specific
information)
FLYSAFE SENSORS

12. BRINGING PARTNERS TOGETHER
Implementation of a service to provide
Full automatic BIRDTAM nowcast and forecast

13. OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
FlySafe services: www.flysafe-birdtam.eu

14. OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT

15. OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
Weather radars: An alternative approach
for bird detection
Bird density measured by dedicated bird radar (blue), air defence
radar (yellow) and weather radar (red).

16. OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
Weather radars data : accuracy of detection
and altitude.

17. OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
Information from 5 weather radars (BE & NL)

18. SAVING LIFE BUT ALSO MONEY…
BIRDTAM forecast avoid night flight last
minute cancellation and save the man/hours
involved in supporting air operations.

19. THE FUTURE…

20. QUESTIONS ?