Outfall begs birdstrike, say pilots

Press, 18 June 1986, Page 8

Outfall begs birdstrike, say pilots

PA Wellington Airline pilots say they fear it will take a disaster at Wellington Airport to convince the Wellington City Council ,that something urgent' has to be done about the raw sewage outfall at Moa Point. The Airline Pilots’ Association expressed concern yesterday that while political points were being scored in the Moa Point argument, nothing was being done to clean up the outfall and deal with the heightened birdstrike danger that it has created. The association’s president, Mr Tony Dodwell, said it appeared to be human nature not to tackle any problem until after a disaster had happened. “Maybe we will have to wait for an Air New Zealand or a Qantas 767 with 200 people aboard to

crash into the sea off Wellington Airport before all those who have a vested Interest in this problem stop the infighting and do something about,” he said. “But until something graphic happens, it is hard to convince people that there is a problem.” Mr Dodwell said a similar birdstrike . hazard existed at Christchurch Airport until recently because of a rubbish tip near the northern runway. Although the tip had been closed, the birdstrike hazard had not completely disappeared, but pilots felt safer using the airport because action had been taken. “We still get birdstrikes —- and there was one serious one — but we still feel it is better to try to deal with the hazard than to take no action at all,” said Mr Dodwell.