Falcons patrol skies to keep jets flying

Published Nov. 28, 2012
By 1st Lt. Angela Martin
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 60th Air Mobility Wing safety office takes vigilant actions to ensure the safety of personnel and aircraft by utilizing trained falcons to patrol the skies and prevent bird strikes.

According to Master Sgt. Aaron Trudeau, 60th AMW Flight Safety NCO, one bird strike is strong enough to take out an entire engine and cripple the aircraft.

More than 15 years ago, a C-141 Starlifter belonging to Travis flew into a flock of seagulls, taking out three of the four engines. While the pilot was skilled enough to land the without any injured passengers, the aircraft was no longer usable.

"Sometimes bird strikes happen so fast, you're moving so fast and the birds are so small you don't even know you hit them until you hear the clunk on the plane," said Maj. John Florko, 60 AMW C-5 Galaxy pilot and chief of flight safety. "That's where we rely on the (Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard) program and managers to make sure the environment we're operating in is safe and clear of the birds to the max extent possible."

Through the use of trained falcons belonging to BASH and an aggressive approach to habitat management, bird strikes were reduced by more than 48 percent in the last five years, accounting for savings in aircraft maintenance.

"We've taken away the bird's food source by keeping the grass and vegetation limited along the flight line," Trudeau said. "We also work closely with local landowners along the Travis fence line to ensure off-base areas are well managed to prevent attracting birds."

Along with habitat management, falcons such as 12-year-old Columbia have changed the patterns of migrant birds by creating a territory surrounding the flight line.

"Birds of prey are territorial," said Brian Goodrich Camp, BASH abatement specialist. "When looking at sharks and fish, the little fish get out of the way when a shark enters the water. Columbia is like the shark of the sky. Flying her out here causes the little birds to seek cover."

Migrant birds are conditioned to know when the vehicle carrying falcons is around and when the falcon is going to be released, Trudeau said. During the last 12 years, they have learned that Travis is not a comfortable place to be and flocks of geese will fly around the base rather than flying through it.

"It's maintenance and we have to keep it up. If we stop for one season, everything is forgotten. That's why it's imperative to keep up what we're doing," Trudeau said.