Editor’s note: This article is part of a year-long series commemorating the 100th anniversary of Marine aviation, which began on May 22, 1912, when 1st Lt. Alfred A. Cunningham reported to Annapolis, Md., for flight training.
The Bird/Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) program on Marine Corps Air Station New River is helping save the Marine Corps planes, lives and money.
The Federal Aviation Administration estimates the average cost of a damaging Naval aircraft wildlife strike is more than $300,000. Robbie Withington, a wildlife biologist who oversees the BASH program on New River, said BASH aims to reduce the threat of aircraft striking birds and animals, which saves the Marine Corps plenty of money, especially when one V-22 Osprey is valued at nearly $80 million.
Withington is an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, which implemented the program on New River five years ago — just before the “Miracle on the Hudson” crash, when a US Airways jetliner crashed into the Hudson River after striking a flock of birds during takeoff.
The Hudson crash brought national attention to the bird strike problem facing both civilian and military aviators. Withington’s job on New River is to inform pilots of the hazards in the air, encourage them to report all birds that strike the plane — even if the strike does not cause damage, and to control the habitat and harass the birds in a way that makes them not to want to live on or near New River Air Station.
Withington said the bird that poses the largest threat to aircraft at New River is the ring-billed gull, which roosts on the New River every evening and flies to the Onslow County Landfill to feed during the day. The bird flies back to the river in the evening, meaning its flight pattern crosses almost directly over New River Air Station. Withington said 10 to 12,000 of the gulls fly back and forth every day.
“Our biggest threat is those gulls because it’s a daily pattern that they do every day,” Withington said, adding that because the air station is surrounded by water on three sides, the gulls are naturally attracted toward the base.
Withington said that the birds will also “stop and hang out the runways” while they’re making their way over to the landfill for breakfast. When the birds stop on the flightline, Withington’s primary job becomes harassing the birds to the point where they no longer find the flightline a comfortable place to catch some sun.
To do that, Withington will chase the birds, shoot firework-like pyrotechnics at them or unleash his playful chocolate Labrador retriever, which enjoys chasing the birds for sport.
Withington also takes preventative measures to keep the birds away by altering the base’s surrounding habitat and managing the types of vegetation planted around the flightline to make sure none of it is enticing to the birds.
“Vegetation management is the first and easiest step we can take to not have birds here,” Withington said. “But birds are very adaptable to their changing environments...and there’s always going to be something that makes the birds want to come.”
While birds are the main wildlife threat to the aircraft on New River, the BASH program also monitors mammals on the ground that have caused fatal aircraft crashes in the past — specifically deer and coyotes. Withington said they apply the same vegetation management techniques to deer and coyote habitats to deter them from coming near the base.
When preventative measures don’t work and the birds become unavoidable, the pilots learn various techniques to avoid hitting them while flying. One such technique involves knowing that birds dive down when the plane approaches, so pilots can anticipate the movement and avoid the bird accordingly.
New River spokesman 1st Lt. Rob Martins said that because of the type of aircraft used on New River, the pilots also face the challenge of constantly being in a bird strike threat zone when they fly.
“We’re unique here because the major proponent of our inventory are rotor wings,” Martins said. “Due to that, the nature of a helicopter or rotor wing is that their flight level is a lot lower than, say, a (Boeing) 737.”
Withington said the rotor aircraft at New River typically fly at 3,000 feet or lower, and the birds fly no higher than 4,000 feet.
“The fact that our pilots are always flying in those areas where the birds are — it kind of makes a deadly combination,” Withington said.
Last year, New River had around 30 reported air strikes — both minor and damaging strikes. Withington said the numbers have increased over the past few years, but added that’s likely because pilots are becoming more aware of the importance of reporting even minor air strikes that do not cause damage.