Local landowners save lives

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Abigail Klein
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  To show appreciation for their unseen supporting efforts McConnell's Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard program, the base hosted 17 neighboring landowners July 9.

For more than three years, the BASH program has utilized humane methods to prevent birdstrikes by keeping birds from aircraft flight paths. Kansas is located in the Central Flyway which is a prime area for migratory northern birds traveling south.

The tour, which provided the landowners with information about McConnell's history and a chance to ask direct questions to the Lauren Caister, base wildlife manager and animal behavior expert, and an orientation flight.

The program includes habitat management and the use of a border collie. At McConnell, the border collie assigned to the base is Vasi.

In addition to discussing Vasi's job, landowners were allowed to interact with the border collie, while Ms. Caister reemphasized the importance of using the dog and the landowners willingness to cooperate with McConnell's BASH program.

"Border collies are effective because they have a natural herding instinct, which chases away the birds," said Ms. Caister. "This prevents both flocks and individual fowl from endangering aircraft engines and the aircraft as well."

Vasi's ability to herd the birds within a five mile radius of the base would not be possible without the cooperation of more than 120 neighboring landowners.

Doug Watson, McConnell neighboring landowner, recognizes the value of assisting McConnell in its mission to reduce bird strikes.

"As a landowner, you see birds on your property and think 'big deal,' while in the meantime you are unwittingly providing sanctuary to these birds," he said. "This attitude can completely disable defense readiness. It's about all us working together for the mission because every mission at McConnell is vital.

The ability to prevent birdstrike incidents such as the dramatic landing of the U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in New York 2009 due to engine failure, and the crash of an E-3B Airborne Warning and Control System plane in 1995 after takeoff from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, which resulted in the death of 24 crewmembers, is also important.

"This program allows us to be proactive and not reactive," said Ms. Caister. "Because we're allowed on their land we can reduce the number of birds from crossing into the flightline," said Ms. Caister.

Before implementing the BASH program, McConnell aircraft averaged more than 200 birdstrikes per year, now the base averages almost 100 per year, and the number is still declining, said Ms. Caister.