One would assume the obvious that interaction between wildlife and airplanes can be a dangerous thing. But you wouldn’t know that in Longmont, Colorado where they are about to try something that from all reports no other airport has attempted. A fenced in area for prairie dogs that really amounts to a smorgasbord, or “buffet” as it was called by a local aviation expert, for birds of prey near and far.
One would also assume after the USAir 1549 incident (an Airbus taken down by geese) the danger birds are to airplanes is obvious. The Federal Aviation Administration was asked to release bird strike data after that incident through a Freedom of Information Act, and after some hesitation it has indeed released that information. It shows hundreds of reports (the ones that were actually reported, that is) of airplane on wildlife incidents. Who “leads the way”? Denver International Airport, of all places, (DIA: High bird strike numbers no cause for concern) when it comes to bird and wildlife strikes.
(here's a video of the worst case scenario for an engine when a bird strikes)
And now an airport within the Denver region, Longmont, wants to “lead the way” in fostering better animal relations with what they consider a more humane way to deal with their ongoing prairie dog problem. Outright extermination, or “genocide” as the activists call it, or complete removal is out. What was approved by the city council instead is a picket fence lined with barbed wire with the intention of not having any of the animals escape. Those that do get outside of this area will be dealt with using “fumigants”, in other words, gassed to death.
But what about those penned in the pen? Land based predators will not be able to get to them, what does that leave? Birds of prey. Easy pickings, how is that humane? But of bigger importance is where the Prairie Dog Golden Corral Buffet will sit: right under the downwind leg in close proximity to a high school, several neighborhoods, and an industrial complex (Amgen).
In the arguments leading up to city council’s vote were some fairly uneducated opinions about airplanes and wildlife encounters. For instance, comments that made it sound like bird and wildlife strikes weren’t really an issue, it must not happen very often as these people never heard of it. The pilots who spoke about actual incidents, some fairly graphically, did help in painting a more realistic picture of things, and this FAA report should open even more eyes.
This situation is real, the damage a squished prairie dog on a runway can do is real, the increased odds of striking an eagle or hawk near Longmont is real, and making an airplane almost unflyable after a strike like that over a populated area is real. The FAA gave Longmont six months to fix this situation, this idea of a fix isn’t one.
(here's a video of an actual airliner taking in some birds, shooting out flames, and making an emergency landing)
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