Nature’s aviators arrive, usher in Phase II

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aaron J. Jenne
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Soon, around sunrise and sunset, a familiar honking sound will accompany the v-shaped formation of geese flying over Dover AFB, and soon, farm fields will appear to be covered in snow as hundreds of Snow Geese forage for food.

To some, this sound brings back memories of home, sitting on the house porch, drinking coffee early in the morning. Others may look in the sky in admiration of the natural beauty and structure of these flocks in flight. For members of the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard team, it means a new risk factor that needs to be mitigated.

“The goal of the BASH program is to eliminate as much wildlife and bird activity as we can on and around the airfield,” said Bruce Williams, 436th Operations Support Squadron airfield manager. “We work throughout the year to make the base less attractive to birds and wildlife, mitigating the risk of bird strikes, which can cause hazardous situations for aircraft and aircrews.”

Members from Wing Safety, the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron, Airfield Management and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, work together to accomplish the mission.

“All four agencies work hand-in-hand to help one another ensure the airfield is prepared for BASH conditions,” said Master Sgt. Joshua Stone, 436th Airlift Wing Safety flight safety NCO. “By maximizing the efforts of the BASH program, we are able to minimize damage to our aircraft and prevent potential mishaps from occurring in the future.”

Team members work to achieve this goal year round by maintaining specific landscape parameters, relocating wildlife and recording specific wildlife information.

“During the passive Phase I, we look at the airfield as a whole–at the drainage, edge effects, shrubbery, bushes and trees –all the places where birds might like to hang out,” Williams said. “We then work to remove the features that make the base appealing to birds. In the active Phase II, we try to remove the birds from the airfield as quickly as we can for short-term relief.”

BASH team members declared Phase II on Oct. 15, 2016, indicating a higher risk of bird strikes.

The arrival of snow and Canadian geese ushers in Phase II, which persists for the duration of the migratory birds’ stay, Stone said. Typically, the season starts on the first of the month, but due to the atypically warm weather, the goose migration began later this year than normal.

“We have ponds where geese like to hang out,” Williams said. “Every day, they transition from the ponds to food sources in the morning and back to the water at night. You can see hundreds and hundreds of these geese flying around sunrise and sunset.”

Due to increased bird activity, flight operations are suspended during these times.

Most bird strikes occur on takeoff or approach, Stone said. Therefore, when these migratory birds are present, emphasis is placed on moving the fowl far enough from the airfield that they will not be a threat to aircraft taking off or landing.

BASH members use bioacoustic and pyrotechnic measures to drive birds away from the base. They have permits to fire ‘bangers’ and ‘screamers,’ pyrotechnic charges discharged from shotguns or handguns, to scare away troublesome predatory birds. As a last line of defense, they can use lethal measures when no other measures are effective.

Pushing birds off the installation isn’t enough, William said. Bird strikes don’t occur only on base, so BASH Team members work with nearby community members to remove the birds from their property during flying hours.

Despite the efforts of the BASH program, bird strikes still occur.

Many times aircrews do not notice the impact, so the exact location is often unknown and recorded as occurring at the destination. In fiscal year 2016, the Wing Safety office recorded 59 bird strikes on its aircraft. Of those, only about 25 were recorded as occurring on or near Dover AFB, and nearly 70 percent of those occurred during Phase II. There was no damage resulting in costly repairs.

During fiscal year 2014, a bad year for bird strikes, more than 55 reported strikes produced more than $26,000 in damage.

The BASH program relies on accurate data, such as where and when bird strikes occur, what measures were used to drive birds away and observed avian activity, in order to identify patterns and baselines used in predicting and mitigating risk.

One tool the team uses to monitor birds is the BASH radar, which is currently being upgraded. The installation is expected upon completion of runway construction.

Functioning similarly to aircraft radar, the equipment can monitor vertical and horizontal movement of birds, day or night, up to three miles away. This equipment will allow BASH members to more accurately monitor bird movement patterns, identify troublesome locations and record more detailed historical data. All of this information is used to continually improve the BASH program.

“Ultimately, our goal is to protect our aircraft and our aircrews,” Williams said. “Bird strikes, depending on the type of bird and where they hit aircraft, can really cause a bad day, and we’re trying to prevent that bad day for our aircraft and aircrews .”