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Varying Bird Hazard At Six Airports

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 3.

A threat of closure to flying—including scheduled passenger services—exists in varying degrees for six New Zealand airfields because of the dangers of bird hazard and the accompanying risk of serious accidents.

The airfields concerned are Dunedin, Invercargill (at both of which the problem is described as “extremely serious”), Nelson, Napier, Gisborne and Tauranga.

A committee studying the problem has unanimously recommended that the director of operations and technical services. Civil Aviation Department (Mr L. F. P. Taylor), consider restricting or cancelling the licenses of aerodromes where the bird hazard reaches dangerous proportions. The committee is made up of representatives of airport authorities, airline operators, the Airline Pilots’ Association, R.N.Z.A.F., Canterbury University, Internal Affairs Department and Civil Aviation Department. Its chairman is Mr F. J. Steel, divisional controller of operations, Civil Aviation Department. “Survey teams investigating bird hazards at various airfields have reported that the danger of serious damage to aircraft is becoming worse at some places,” said Mr Steel today. “The evidence before the committee made it plain that urgent, stronger measures are needed to deal with the menace,” he said. At the committee’s request the Civil Aviation Regulations were being amended to give the director of operations and technical services power to require the closing, or the removal, of rubbish tips near aerodromes.

Airport staffs were being given orders to do everything possible to prevent birds roosting on aerodromes and to clear runways before aircraft took off or landed. “The whole problem and its causes will need study and then action over a long period, but much of the danger can be removed quickly,” said Mr Steel.

“The larger sea birds are the biggest menace- The reason they are so common on and around some airfields is the presence of food—insect or animal life, on the airfield itself or on nearby rubbish tips. “The obvious thing to do is to remove the main sources of food —the rubbish tips.” Reports on Airports

Survey teams’ reports considered by the committee last week included the following: Tauranga. Surveys in January and February recorded up to 6000 gulls at one time, mainly on the runway threshold adjoining the local rubbish dump. Black-beetle concentration is estimated to be 250,000 an acre for the whole airfield. Gisborne. Surveys in January, February and March showed bird incidence increasing steadily each time The airfield is very rich in insects, mainly black beetle and white-fringed weevil, and attracts many species of birds.

Napier:—A nesting colony of 2000 black-backed gulls a few hundred yards north of runway 17 has dispersed until next season. The city dump 1| miles north is attracting upwards of 5000 gulls close to the airfield. Five bird strikes

have been recorded in the last five month:. Nelson:— Each dawn large flocks of gulls fly south from roosting grounds across the airfield to mudflats adjacent to a pig farm and rubbish dump, returning at dusk. Since November, -1964, seven bird strikes have been reported. Momona (Dunedin):— Of 37 birds killed by aircraft in a five-week period 35 were black or red-billed gulls. The airfield supports a considerable earthworm and grass-grub population. Invercargill:—Oyster - cat chers, black and red-billed gulls, black-backed gulls, starlings, spur-winged plovers and dotterels are among the great variety of birds attracted to the airfield, which is in a wildlife refuge of long standing. The citj rubbish dump, three-quarters of a mile from the airfield, is a daily feeding ground for several hundred gulls. Earthworms and grass grub are abuhdant all over the field. Groups of birds numbering 2000 are present on the airfield most days. Five bird strikes have been reported since December. Pilots Warned For several years “bird strikes had been a concern to pilots, and the Airline Pilot’s Association had, after amassing data of actual strikes and near misses, endeavoured to impress upon local authorities of a number of centres the seriousness of action, or lack of action, which might add to the danger," said the president (Captain A. G. Vette) today. Some authorities were cooperative, others poopoohed the whole thing, and the association itself had some time ago considered recommending its members not to fly into certain airports. It was most gratifying that the views of the pilots had now been completely upheld by scientific field investigation and carried the support of the Department of Civil Aviation, N.A.C., the Wildlife Division of the Internal Affairs Department and others.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19650504.2.237

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30741, 4 May 1965, Page 22

Word Count
741

Varying Bird Hazard At Six Airports Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30741, 4 May 1965, Page 22

Varying Bird Hazard At Six Airports Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30741, 4 May 1965, Page 22