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WHY IS THERE
A BIRD STRIKE COMMITTEE USA?
Bird and other wildlife strikes
to aircraft annually cause well over $600 million in damage to U.S.
civil and military aviation. Furthermore, these strikes put the lives of
aircraft crew members and their passengers at risk: over 219 people have been
killed worldwide as a result of wildlife strikes since 1988. Within the United
States there was no one forum where
information or concerns dealing with this problem could be addressed. Bird
Strike Committee USA was formed in 1991 to facilitate the exchange of
information, promote the collection and analysis of accurate wildlife strike
data, promote the development of new technologies for reducing wildlife
hazards, promote professionalism in wildlife management programs on airports
through training and advocacy of high standards of conduct for airport
biologists and bird patrol personnel, and be a liaison to similar
organizations in other countries.
Bird Strike Committee USA
is a volunteer organization directed by a 10- to 15-person steering committee consisting
of 2-3 members each from the Federal Aviation
Administration, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Department of Defense,
aviation industry/airlines, and airports.
WHEN AND
WHERE DOES BIRD STRIKE COMMITTEE USA
MEET?
The organization meets annually
in conjunction with Bird Strike Committee Canada.
·
The 2005
meeting was in Vancouver,
B.C. Canada
on 15-18 August.
·
The 2006 meeting was 21-24 August in St.
Louis, Missouri, USA.
·
The 2007
meeting was 10-13 September in Kingston, Ontario
Canada.
·
The 2008 meeting was 18-21 August in Orlando,
Florida USA.
·
The 2009
meeting will be 14-17 September in Victoria,
BC Canada
WHAT HAPPENS AT A BIRD STRIKE COMMITTEE USA
MEETING?
There typically are four parts to a Bird Strike
Committee USA
meeting over 3 ½ days. Part 1 is
practical classroom and field training sessions on wildlife control at
airports which cover both civil and military aviation. Part 2 consists of the presentation of technical papers and
posters. Part 3 is exhibits and
demonstrations with vendors. Part 4
is a field trip which generally covers the host airport or a wildlife
management area to observe management programs and habitat issues related to
wildlife and aviation safety.
WHAT SUBJECT AREAS ARE
COVERED DURING THE PAPERS AND
REPORTS PORTION OF THE MEETING?
· wildlife strike reporting/statistics in relation to safety management
systems
· bird management and control techniques
· research on new technologies to reduce wildlife hazards
· training in wildlife management on airports
· military concerns of wildlife hazards
· aircraft engines/components performance and standards related to wildlife
hazards
· policies/ standards for airports and aircraft operations related to
wildlife hazards
· land use and environmental issues concerning airports
· avian migration, behavior and sensory capabilities related to aviation
· remote sensing/modeling to detect and predict bird numbers and movements
ARE
THERE ANY BIRD STRIKE COMMITTEE USA
PUBLICATIONS?
Attendees of the annual meetings receive
abstracts of the technical papers presented and a list of all attendees and
addresses. Click here to
locate abstracts from past meetings.
PDF files of many of the presentations at the 2006 meeting are
available by clicking here. Technical
presentations from the 2008 meeting will be published in the science journal,
Human-Wildlife
Conflicts (Second issue of 2009
Volume).
WHO ATTENDS BIRD STRIKE COMMITTEE USA
MEETINGS?
Participation in the annual meetings is open to
any person interested in reducing wildlife hazards to aviation and in
wildlife and environmental management at airports. As examples, people from
the following organizations have attended recent meetings:
· Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association
· Aircraft and Aircraft Engine Manufacturers
· Air Line Pilots Association
· American Association of Airport Executives
Airports Council International-NA
· Airport management and operations personnel
· Air Transport Association
· Engineering/Environmental Consulting Firms
· FAA Regional Airport Certification Personnel
· Flight Safety Foundation
Humane Society of the United States
· National Bird Strike Committees from over 20 countries
· International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
· National Transportation Safety Board
State Wildlife Agencies
· University and Private Research Facilities
· US Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services
· US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
· US Department of Defense (Air Force, Navy, Army)
· Wildlife Management Companies
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
·
Over 219 people have been killed world-wide as
a result of bird strikes since 1988.
·
Bird and other wildlife strikes cost USA
civil aviation over $650 million/year, 1990-2007.
·
Over 5,000 bird strikes were reported by the
U.S. Air Force in 2007.
·
Over 7,600 bird and other wildlife strikes
were reported for USA
civil aircraft in 2007.
·
Studies indicate only about 20% of bird
strikes to civil aircraft at Part 139-certificated (passenger service)
airports in USA
are reported. Less than 5% of bird
strikes at General Aviation airports are reported.
·
From 1990-2004, USA airlines reported 31
incidents in which pilots had to dump fuel to lighten load during a
precautionary or emergency landing after striking birds on takeoff or
climb. An average of 11,600 gallons of
jet fuel was released in each of these dumps.
·
Waterfowl (31%),
gulls (26%), and raptors (18%) represented 75% of the reported bird strikes
causing damage to USA
civil aircraft, 1990-2007.
·
Over 760 civil aircraft collisions with deer
and 250 collisions with coyotes were reported in the USA,
1990-2007.
·
In 1890, about 60 European starlings were
released in Central Park, New York
City. Starlings are now the second
most abundant bird in North America with a late-summer
population of over 150 million birds.
Starlings are "feathered bullets", having a body density 27%
higher than herring gulls.
·
The North American non-migratory Canada goose
population increased about 4 fold from 1 million birds in 1990 to over 3.9
million in 2008. Over 1,400 Canada
geese strikes with civil aircraft have been reported in USA,
1990-2007. Over 40% of these strike
events involved multiple birds.
·
A 12-lb Canada goose struck by a150-mph
aircraft at lift-off generates the kinetic energy of a 1,000-lb weight
dropped from a height of 10 feet.
·
The North American population of greater snow
geese increased from about 50,000 birds in 1966 to over 1,000,000 birds in
2008.
·
The nesting population of bald eagles in the
contiguous USA
increased from fewer than 400 pairs in 1970 (2 years before DDT and similar
chlorinated-hydrocarbon insecticides were banned) to over 11,000 pairs in
2007. Over 100 bald eagle strikes with
civil aircraft have been reported in USA,
1990-2007. Mean body mass of bald
eagles = 9.1 lbs (male); 11.8 lbs (female).
·
The Great Lakes
cormorant population increased from only about 200 nesting adults in 1970 to
over 240,000 nesting adults in 2008, a 1,000+-fold increase.
·
The North American white and brown pelican
populations grew at average annual rates of 2.3% and 1.9%, respectively,
1966-2007.
·
At least 15,000 gulls were counted nesting on
roofs in USA
cities on the Great Lakes during a survey in 1994.
·
About 90% of all bird strikes in the U.S.
are by species federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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Meeting Information
Useful Links
For further information
contact:
John Ostrom, Chair, BSC-USA
Metropolitan Airports Commission
Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Airport
St. Paul, MN 55111-3010
612-726-5780; 612-726-5074
(fax)
john.ostrom@mspmac.org
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