Too Many Wings?

A surprising message in the news has caught my attention today. Plane had to land because of bird strike.

Now: Bird strike? That’s when birds fly into a plane, right? – Oh, wait! No, it’s the other way around. A plane flies into a bird swarm. Of course! Why in all the world would birds hit a plane?

And that moment, I’m afraid, my twisted brain played jokes on me, and I started to laugh.

‘Why would birds hit a plane?’

On a dare?

Imagine the following scene:
• “Hey there… want to join us?”
• “Yeah, okay.”
• “Cool… see that Airbus over there?”
• “Uhm… yes?”
• “Once through the turbine and you’re in.”

 

Picture courtesy of http://www.google.com

 

Or what about suicide birds? Of course, it made me laugh too; but after all, we don’t know what birds are thinking.
“I don’t want to live anymore… I hate it to be a bird… I suffer from vertigo!”

 

Picture courtesy of http://www.google.com

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I had to learn that indeed bird strike is a sincere problem and can in fact damage an airplane.
Seriously, I have been naïve about it. I just thought: “Hey… that’s an airplane, what can a bird do there? Scratch the windshield?”
I was told: “What do you think happens, if up there, 30,000 feet above the ground that little scratch through pressure and speed causes the windshield to break and fly off?”
I thought: “What? – Hmmm. What would happen, if the windshield of a plane actually does fly off?”
And to be honest, my joking brain, of course, thought about the pilot’s announcement: “Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s your captain speaking with some amazing news: We are now flying a convertible.”
My-oh-my… I know I’m bad.

 

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But honestly: I wish someone could explain to me what bird strike does to an airplane – in particular, a big airplane. I’m almost sure we aren’t talking about a flock of sparrows. How big do the birds have to be to become a danger to an airplane? How many birds would be in a swarm in such a case? If someone knows about it, please, let me know. Thank you.