RSAF AWCU Visit

Royal Saudi Air Force Director of Safety Aerodrome Wildlife Control Visit – 1 December 2022

On 1 December 2022 RAF Benson was privileged to host a visit by the Royal Saudi Air Force Director of Safety, Major General Ahmed Aldubaib. The UK and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoy a longstanding strategic bilateral relationship, which includes the sharing of knowledge and experience on defence and security

Whilst joint fourth generation fighter aircraft exercises often steal the headlines, the purpose of their visit was comparatively niche but nevertheless crucial from the perspective of safe aerodrome operations. As part of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision a green initiative will see billions of trees planted across the country. With more than 500 million birds migrating through Saudi Arabia every year, there is concern about increased risk of aircraft wildlife strikes. RAF Benson was asked to brief and demonstrate its aerodrome wildlife control programme to the visiting Royal Saudi Air Force delegation to share lessons on the management of the wildlife strike risk.

Simply put a wildlife strike is a collision between an aircraft and wildlife, with birds being the greatest wildlife risk according to historical UK Civil Aviation Authority data. Most bird strikes occur below 2000ft in the vicinity of an aerodrome during take-off or landing. Effort is therefore focused on responding to and preventing wildlife presence on aerodromes.

On average around seven bird strikes occur each day in the UK, although the likelihood of these strikes causing damage is dependent on the size and number of birds present. For starling size birds weighing less than 100g only 1.5% of strikes result in damage whereas for gull size birds weighing more than 1kg, 10.5% of strikes result in damage. Only 6% of strikes with single birds cause damage whereas 25% of strikes with flocks of 10 birds or more cause damage. Medium to large and/ or flocking bird species therefore constitute the greatest risk to aircraft damage.

As dramatised in the motion picture ‘Sully’, an Airbus A320 aircraft struck a flock of birds on departure from LaGuardia airport, New York, damaging both engines before being miraculously and skilfully landed safely on the Hudson River. In August 2022 a Red Arrows aircraft was conducting the second half of a display at Rhyl when a large bird struck the right-hand side of the aircraft’s canopy, shattering it immediately. Extensive emergency scenario training and wellrehearsed procedures ensured the aircraft was safely recovered to Hawarden aerodrome.

The outcome of both events could have been much worse.

In order to manage the aircraft wildlife strike risk all UK Ministry of Defence aerodromes are mandated to employ aerodrome wildlife control management plans. There are two key areas; first and foremost is proactive habitat management to eliminate or prevent the establishment of attractants to wildlife on, or in the vicinity of, an aerodrome. The second is active wildlife control to ensure that when a wildlife strike hazard is identified at an aerodrome, action is taken to decrease the numbers of wildlife constituting a potential hazard to aircraft operations.

Baines Simmons deliver the contracted active Aerodrome Wildlife Control services at RAF Benson during daylight flying hours. Starting at the most critical point, the active runway, they create the largest buffer zone possible moving wildlife away from known aircraft flight paths. There are a variety of different methods, principally non-lethal, that are tailored according to species. The ultimate objective is to educate hazardous bird species that the risk of remaining in the aerodrome environment outweighs the potential rewards that the environment may offer.

Whilst active wildlife control is vital, effective habitat management is the priority for proactive management of the wildlife strike risk. The aspiration is to create a wildlife free area by establishing a sterile environment that is unattractive to hazardous wildlife, particularly birds. This is a significant challenge at RAF

Benson with plentiful access to the three things wildlife needs to survive: food and water, security and breeding areas.

Everyone working and living at RAF Benson, and also those residing in neighbouring communities have a role to play in effective habitat management. Whilst it is impossible to eliminate all wildlife attractants, minor actions such as securing food waste will help. Red Kites flying overhead the Domestic Site in close proximity to the aircraft visual circuit are a particular concern; whilst beautiful birds, providing them with food sources boosts their population and increases the wildlife strike risk.

Taking proactive steps to improve habitat management will reduce the need for active wildlife control and ultimately reduce the wildlife strike risk to aircraft operating at RAF Benson.