Apr02
Airport Honored for Humanely Preventing Bird Strikes
Posted at 12:56 PM | Permalink
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When thinking airplane safety, most airports don't do a whole lot to take into consideration all the birds who are forced to share their airspace with us—which results in 7,000 to 8,000 bird strikes (i.e., dead birds) reported to the Federal Aviation Administration every year. Seattle-Tacoma airport is doing its part to reduce those numbers. And, no, this isn't because of that famous splash-down on the Hudson.
Seattle-Tacoma uses several techniques in its fight to keep birds (and humans) safe. A staff wildlife biologist, who has been there for 30 years, uses radar to detect birds who may intercept flights. Once birds are detected, the airport uses lasers to try to scare them away, and if the lasers don't work, it uses "thunderclap" fireworks. With an animal-friendly lightshow like that, it's no wonder that we're awarding Sea-Tac our Most Progressive Airport Proggy.
This has me thinking about other ways that airports can save animals. Don't you think that they should take PETA up on some of our ideas?
Posted by Shawna Flavell
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Comments
Yay, way to go SeaTac!
Posted by: Canaduck | April 2, 2009 01:12 PM
Cool, SeaTac is my local airport. That's great to hear! :)
Posted by: Kae-Leah | April 2, 2009 04:26 PM
How wonderful! I was actually thinking about this after that Hudson landing all I could think about was that poor flock of birds. Other airports should really follow suit.
Posted by: Elizabeth | April 3, 2009 01:06 AM
Wow, more airports should do the same~!
Posted by: patrizia | April 3, 2009 06:57 AM
After the Hudson crash (it was not a landing) were the people on the plane who came very close to being killed...they have families at home who need them. I am all for humane ways to keep birds out of the flight paths of airports, but it is for the safety of the people on the planes as well as the birds.
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | April 3, 2009 11:07 AM