 Seems like every week something new is being released to the public replacing the way we used to do things. In this ever so demanding world for new technology nearly every industry or profession has gone through an upgrade in recent years. Airport wildlife control is no different. Lately we have been utilizing new methods and new equipment to not only better serve our clients but also become more efficient in the field. Let us look at a few tools we have implemented that have really improved our ability to manage wildlife on airports. Infrared Cameras and Scopes – A lot of wildlife activity occurs during the night. The use of infrared equipment allows our Airport Wildlife Biologists as well as tower personnel to scan the airfield before the arrival or departure of planes. This also is a huge aid when doing surveys required for Wildlife Hazard Assessments. The ability to see the animal’s activity on or near the airfield at night is a game changer. Cellular Game Cameras – Game cameras or trail cameras have been around for years! They keep evolving and now most cameras can send pictures directly to your phone in real time. Knowing when and what species of wildlife is entering the airfield and tracking their activity in real time allows our staff to react and execute mitigation strategies more thoroughly. Drones – Using drones in the field is both fun and efficient. Drones used to be a complete headache and nuisance to some airports but now they serve a purpose in wildlife control. We use drones to harass wildlife like deer, coyotes, geese, and foxes. Being able to chase after them with a drone from anywhere on the airfield makes it faster and more efficient. Its also great for hazing raptors and other birds that pose as a hazard. Drones also are a huge advantage for arial surveys of potential habitat attractants outside of the airfield which allows our staff to make real time changes to potential hazards. Avian Radar Systems – This technology that is used by the USAF, NASA and airports worldwide to detect and monitor hazardous bird activity on and around airfields for bird-aircraft strike hazard management. This is extremely useful during waterfowl migration season especially at night or at dawn and dusk when visibility is low. By seeing flocks of birds on the radar system before they fly over or near the airfield this reduces the risk of a bird strike immensely. Its crazy to compare technology from ten to twenty years ago and the use of it in our daily tasks. For more information or if you have an interesting technique for managing wildlife, please CLICK HERE and contact us and we would be glad to share notes.  The avian radar in position at Launch Complex 39 offers the ability to monitor either of the two shuttle launch pads during a countdown. Technicians adjust the system's two customized marine radars that provide both horizontal and vertical scanning. Image credit: NASA
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Sales & Marketing
|
RSS Feed