2008 Bird Strike Committee USA/Canada Meeting

Hosted by Orlando-Sanford International Airport

BSC-USA and AAAE partner in highly successful meeting
New BSC-USA Chairperson selected

Hurricane Fay could not dampen the enthusiasm and success of the 10^th Bird Strike Committee USA/Canada meeting in Lake Mary, Florida, 18-21 August. In spite of over 10 inches of rain and high winds, the 400+ attendees were treated to an outstanding technical program that included 3 featured speakers, an array of 34 technical presentations, and 16 technical posters. The conference was rounded off with a highly instructive field trip to view wildlife risk mitigation efforts at Orlando-Sanford International Airport, an early-bird training session in safe use of pyrotechnics, and various social events (including two hurricane parties)!

During the annual meeting, the Steering Committee of BSC-USA elected John Ostrom, Manager, Airside Operations at Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport, as the new Chairperson of BSC-USA. John replaces Richard Dolbeer who had served in that capacity since 1997.

Featured speakers at the 2008 conference were:

Honorable John Mica Ranking Republican, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Stephen J. Payne NASA Shuttle Test Director, Launch and Landing Division, Kennedy Space Center

Larry Dale President/CEO, Sanford Airport Authority, Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB)

Click here for agenda of the 34 technical papers and 16 posters that covered a wide array of topics for mitigating the risks of wildlife hazards to aviation. Click here for abstracts of all technical presentations and posters.

*Conference included the Fourth Annual DeTect Bird Strike BBQ and Jamfest and Educational Exhibits during Field Trip to SFB by Audubon of Florida, Center for Birds of Prey (Maitland) & Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens (Sanford)

Bird Strike Committee USA/Canada meetings have grown in popularity over the past decade. Because of the growth in attendance and increased emphasis on training and interaction with other organizations in the aviation industry, BSC-USA partnered with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) for the 2006 meeting in St. Louis (390 attendees) and the 2008 meeting in Lake Mary – Sanford, FL (over 400 attendees).

We anticipate that this partnership between AAAE and BSC-USA will continue to enhance the quality of meetings in the future and further the integration of BSC-USA and wildlife hazard management into the mainstream of the aviation industry.