Norwich airport looks to innovative ways to stem rise in bird-strikes

Wood Pigeon. (Image: Archant)

Given that thousands of flights take place every single day across the United Kingdom, it is extremely rare for a so-called bird strike to occur.

If one does take place, it is even rarer for it to cause a major problem as modern aeroplanes are built to withstand the force of hitting a bird.

However, large flocks of birds can be dangerous to aircraft, especially if they are sucked into the engine.

In one of the most high-profile cases, in January 2009, the US Airways flight 1549 crash landed on the Hudson River in New York after a flock of Canada geese were sucked in to the engines.

A seagull at Lowestoft. (Image: Archant)

Fortunately the pilot was able to make an unpowered, emergency water landing and all passengers and crew were evacuated safely.

Due to this risk, and of course the fact that airlines clearly don't want to have the deaths of birds on their hands, airport staff are constantly looking at ways to monitor the number and types of birds on and around their airfields and stop them from becoming a potential danger.

And figures released following a freedom of information request to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reveal such work is needed as there has been an increase in bird strike reports at both Norwich International Airport (NIA) and Stansted Airport in recent years.

At the NIA, 24 reports were made in 2011, which rose to 36 in 2013 and 48 in 2014. At Stansted reports have also risen from 98 in 2011 to 114 last year.

Skylark (Image: (C)2014 Steve Plume, all rights reserved)

One explanation could be that only very recently was it an obligation for airlines to report bird strikes.

However, experts also suggest that an increased number of flights and quieter engines on aircraft may also be factors.

Phil Gadd, regional and city airports group estates manager at NIA, said: 'Bird management is dealt with very actively in a number of ways.

'Our techniques are varied, but they all deter birds from wanting to be here or stay here.

'We maintain grass length to deter ground nesting birds and we cover any bare earth to stop birds from looking for food.

'We also deploy bird scaring tactics, including broadcasting bird distress calls across the airfield.'

As well as tackling the problem on the runway, the team at NIA works closely with nearby landowners to prevent large numbers of birds flying across the airfield.

Pilots also have their part to play in deterring birds. Retired professional pilot Malcolm Purvis, from Sloley in north Norfolk, said:

'Birds can do an awful lot of damage, which is why as airline pilots, when we are below 10,000 feet, we keep the speed down and have the lights on to deter them.

'If a bird was to hit the windscreen the consequences would be dire.'

Aircraft windscreens are made with strengthened glass and the durability of the glass is rigorously tested with a 'chicken gun', so-called because of its unusual ammunition. During testing, a high pressure air cannon fires a whole, dead chicken at aircraft windscreens to simulate the impact of a birdstrike.

The wildlife management team at Stansted Airport have 110 hectares of airfield to patrol and with 500 flights a day at the airport, it is vital that birds are kept away from the runway.

Jon Barber, an airside operations duty manager who heads up a team of rangers who patrol the airfield every 30 minutes, said: 'Our rangers are kept very well informed about the different species of birds we see and their characteristics.

'We can then look at a species in terms of their risk and their ability to be controlled. Different birds react to different things.'

Do you have an issue for the Investigations Unit to look at? Contact David Powles on 01603 772478 or email david.powles@archant.co.uk

BIZARRE BIRD CONTROL METHODS

Airports across the world are having to use increasingly ingenious ways to keep birds clear of the flight paths of air traffic.

Elliot the eagle owl has helped scare away pigeons and other small birds at East Midlands airport in Leicestershire.

A border collie called Sky helped teams at Southwest Florida International airport. Being a natural predator, she was able to chase away birds such as herons and moorhens.

At Salt Lake City airport, wildlife teams enlisted a group of pigs to help disperse a group of California gulls who had an island habitat close to the airport and flew across the airfield on a daily basis. The pigs invaded their habitat, eating their eggs and before long the migrating birds moved on.

LASER INTERFERENCE

Airports are increasingly having to tackle another problem that could potentially affect pilots, laser interference.

Lasers are a serious threat to pilots as they can cause temporary blindness and eye damage. They can also obscure a pilot's vision which is especially dangerous on approach to the runway.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shows reported occurrences of people deliberately pointing lasers at aircraft are on the rise.

At NIA there were eight reported cases last year, compared to three in 2011.

Stansted Airport had 39 reported incidents last year, compared to 20 in 2011.

A spokesman from the CAA said: 'It is something we and the police are very keen to tackle. It is a very dangerous thing to do.'

Shining a laser at an aircraft is a criminal offence and can fall under 'endangering an aircraft in flight' which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Phil Gadd, Regional and City Airports Group estates manager at NIA, said: 'It really is crass stupidity. I think people do not always fully understand the impact of actions like that. It is a very serious issue.'

Types of birds most frequently involved in a confirmed bird strike at Norwich Airport...

1 - Woodpigeon

2 - Black-headed gull

3 - Skylark

4 - Swallow

5 - Lesser black-backed gull