Keeping the Skies Friendly
Airports work at maintaining an environment safe for both wildlife and planes
Remember the famed “Miracle on the Hudson”? On January 15, 2009, Captain “Sully” Sullenberger successfully landed a powerless jetliner in the Hudson River and all 155 on board were safe. The plane had run into a flock of Canada geese, and both jet engines quit. Even before this, airports across the country were taking steps to avert the problems caused when airplanes and wildlife meet up.
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers has been a leader in implementing innovative approaches to solve this problem. “Southwest Florida International Airport has a proactive wildlife management program utilizing technology and other mitigation deterrents to enhance the safety of aircraft and the traveling public at the airport,” says Victoria B. Moreland, Public Affairs Department director for the Lee County Port Authority at RSW. No easy task considering the abundance of birds and other wildlife in this tropical paradise. And RSW is a busy airport serving between 7 and 8 million passengers per year.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) takes this problem very seriously. Every time an aircraft strikes some form of wildlife, the pilot is required to fill out a report detailing the exact time and location of the encounter, the type of bird or animal involved, and the extent of damage if any. If identification of a struck bird is impossible on site, the remains can be sent to the Smithsonian Institute’s Feather Identification Lab. Here experts can determine the type of bird involved.
Since 2004, the FAA has required every airport that meets or exceeds a certain size to conduct a Wildlife Hazard Assessment (WHA). Then the airport must produce a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan and submit it to the FAA for its approval. The first thing an airport must do is to take a survey of the birds and wildlife on the property and what dangers they present. In 2005, with the help of a consulting firm, RSW completed a preliminary WHA.
The Hazardous Wildlife Working Group was also formed in 2005 to coordinate the activities of the various entities involved and is overseen by the Environmental Compliance manager, Renee Kwiat, who was instrumental in creating the group. The goal is to get the planners, those who know about birds and wildlife, working together with the implementers, the operations and maintenance staff at RSW.
Several steps have been taken at RSW to reduce the birds and wildlife threat. First, to make the area less hospitable or inviting,
EVERY TIME AN AIRCRAFT STRIKES SOME FORM OF WILDLIFE, THE PILOT IS REQUIRED TO FILL OUT A REPORT DETAILING THE EXACT TIME AND LOCATION OF THE ENCOUNTER, THE TYPE OF BIRD OR ANIMAL INVOLVED, AND THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE IF ANY.
trees have been removed and grass is mowed short. Ponds that remain on the grounds have been modified to have steep banks. This makes them less attractive to wading birds. A perimeter fence helps keep many terrestrial animals such as deer out. RSW also uses computers in their hazard reduction program. Bird and wildlife encounters are detailed in a computer database. Geographic information system (GIS) technology is used to produce graphical displays of wildlife risk areas.
The grounds, some 6,000 acres, are constantly patrolled by airport personnel specifically trained in wildlife management. Their Ford Explorers are equipped with loud sirens, which can be used to scare birds and wildlife away. Agents also use pyrotechnics for the same purpose. In terms of innovation, Moreland notes, “RSW was the first commercial airport in the U.S. to use a border collie as one of its key methods to deter birds from roosting and nesting near runways and taxiways.” Today,
an 8-year-old border collie named Sky routinely accompanies operations agent James Hess on rounds and is especially useful in scaring off larger birds. According to Tom Nichols, director of airport operations at RSW, “Sky, our border collie, is a working dog and an integral part of our wildlife management program to keep RSW as free of birds as possible.” Although the Port Authority technically owns Sky and pays for her care, she stays with James Hess and is part of his family when she’s not working.
Only as a last resort are birds and wildlife killed, depredation as it is officially called. With the exception of endangered species, the government does allow this. Only about 200 birds a year are killed at RSW, far fewer than at some airports. And being that this is Southwest Florida, alligators do occasionally get on to airport grounds. Trappers are called in to remove the beasts.
According to Moreland, “There have been no aircraft accidents or injuries due to bird strikes at RSW. In the past 11 years, there has been an average of 36 strikes annually, 63 percent of these by small birds. Strikes causing any kind of damage are three annually. To put this into perspective, an average of 82,000 flights operated annually at RSW during that time period.”
So you can fly in and out of RSW knowing that everything possible is being done to ensure your safety. As Moreland puts it, “Wildlife at airports is serious business.”
n Freelance writer Ed Brotak is a retired meteorology professor turned stay-at-home dad. He and his family live in western North Carolina but frequently vacation in Florida.
RSW WAS THE FIRST COMMERCIAL AIRPORT IN THE U.S. TO USE A BORDER COLLIE AS ONE OF ITS KEY METHODS TO DETER BIRDS FROM ROOSTING AND NESTING NEAR RUNWAYS AND TAXIWAYS.”
—VICTORIA B. MORELAND, LEE COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY AT RSW