Recent Developments in the Use of Flight Control to Repel Birds from Airports

Birds found at or near airport flight operations pose a threat to aircraft. There were 2843 reported bird strikes in the United States in 1997 and 837 reported bird strikes in Canada for the year 1998. Potential for loss of life and economic losses due to aircraft damage have driven the need for research into effective techniques in lowering the risk of bird strike in the immediate area of flight operations. Flight ControlÔ is a documented bird repellent. Flight ControlÔ was released commercially in January 1999 in the United States for use on turf, ornamental trees and bushes, building surfaces and roof structures. Full scale testing was performed with the cooperation of Reagan National Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C., from September 1998 through the end of December 1998. Ground maintenance personnel from the airport applied Flight ControlÔ and USDA Wildlife Services employees made bird surveys. A reduction in certain birds was observed where Flight ControlÔ was applied. During the three months of the trial, a total reduction of 82% was recorded for five abundant bird species on the grassy surfaces that were treated. Total bird count at the airport remained unchanged during the period. Shifting of bird populations away from treated areas was observed