Prairie grass for safer aviation

Flying has just become even safer, thanks to prairie grass. To bring down the number of bird collisions, Dayton International Airport in Ohio (US) is converting a large part of its non-operational areas into tall prairie grass. According to scientists, this is the kind of grass that geese and other birds are likely to avoid.

By the end of 2014 the grass will cover areas directly under aircraft taking off from or landing at Dayton, Ohio's third-busiest airport. The anti-bird strike grass planting effort is believed to be more effective than the bird deterrent programmes that most major airports have in place.

Geese and other heavier types of birds prefer to stay away from tall prairie grass, as it offers potential predators a hiding place. Most bird strikes are caused by these larger birds.

Bird strikes are common in aviation, especially in the July-to-October period, the peak season for bird migrations. In the US alone bird strikes have caused some 229 aircraft write-offs and more than 250 deaths in the past 25 years.