Geese in Flight

    I could say Colgate is known for many things. The academics are challenging, the professors are top-notch, and we have some of the best sports teams in the Patriot League. I could also say with certainty that Colgate is one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. One of our gems is Taylor Lake: a true stunner, but one that I would not recommend a swim in.

    I walked by it the other day on my way to Physics lecture, and I noticed just how quiet it can be around this time of the year. The characteristic honking of Hamilton's noisy seasonal geese population was missing. It's always sad to see them go, even if they have been known to attack the curious first year. Their disappearance is a grim reminder of the months of snow and ice to come. As I was imagining all of the bruises and bumps certain to join me on my walks around campus this winter, I heard a single honk in the distance. Looking up, I noticed a group of about twelve geese gliding in their famous V-shaped flight pattern. I could not help but think that there must be some sort of physics involved in this flight, and as it turns out, there is.

    During the solo flight of any bird, there are four main forces at play. On the x-axis, a bird must overcome the drag force due to air resistance by using its wings to apply some force, or thrust, forward. At the same time, the bird must counteract the force of gravity through a lift force that is provided by rising air beneath its wings. Balancing all of these forces to retain straight flight consumes a great deal of energy quickly. One way to reduce the amount of energy lost during flight can be observed in the geese's V-shaped formation.

    When a bird flaps its wings' downward, the displacement of particles toward the ground causes a the formation of a vortex of air directly behind its body. This movement of air can also be observed trailing the wings of airplanes, as seen in the diagram above, but just at a much larger scale. The force of the wings displacing the air downward causes air to rise in the column adjacent to it. The V-shaped formation of the geese's flight allows one bird behind another to align itself with this increased lift force. Experiencing the "upwash" during a flap of the wings creates an instant in which the magnitude of the lift force exceeds the force of gravity by a larger margin than before. This results in a momentary increase in altitude. Over long periods of time, this sensation reduces the amount of energy exerted in flight and can allow a flock of geese to reach their destination with fewer stops.

Further information can be found here: https://www.youtube/come/watch?v=pB6XSixrCC8

Also here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2014/01/15/birds-that-fly-in-a-v-formation-use-an-amazing-trick/