Bird problem at Sydney Airport

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33434, 16 January 1974, Page 13

Bird problem at Sydney Airport

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, January 15.

The British Airline Pilots’ Association today called for increased action by the Sydney Airport authorities to combat the bird problem there.

Mr Gordon Hurley, official spokesman and public relations officer for the association, said: ‘‘The bird problem at Sydney had been criticised in the past, and is still a serious one.

“The worst time is when landing — during take-off the birds do receive some warning of an airliner roaring down the runway, but on landing an aircraft literally comes out of the blue. "We are aware that airport officials are working on the problem, and that it is nowhere near as bad at

Sydney as it is in some other parts of the world. In South Africa, for instance, pilots have to watch closely for condor eagles which sleep with their wings open at between 6000 and 8000 feet. These birds could take the wing off an aircraft. “But Sydney’s problems are mainly with seagulls, because of its proximity to Botany Bay. “There’s no suggestion that pilots will refuse to use Sydney — it is just a problem that has to be watched closely.”