Commercial satellite imagery and 3-D mapping software help reduce the dangers to aircraft posed by birds and other hazards.
When US Airways Flight 1549 splashed down in the Hudson River on February 15, the story made headlines worldwide. Fortunately, all passengers and crew survived the crash, believed to have been caused by a flock of birds that disabled both of the jetliner’s engines. The incident brought public attention to a problem all too familiar to both commercial and military pilots. On the positive side, however, geospatial technology is emerging as a major tool for reducing such risks.
As featured in the April 2009 issue of Military Geospatial Technology.