Reducing bird strikes at California airports

Conflicts between aircraft and wildlife have occurred since the dawn of aviation and are extremely dangerous for the flight crew, passengers and planes. The Caltrans Division of Aeronautics needed wildlife hazard assessments at 10 general aviation airports in southern California and five in the San Francisco Bay area. Our FAA-qualified wildlife biologists conducted monitoring events two times per month at each airport over the course of a year. Using the data collected, we developed recommendations to serve as a foundation for their Wildlife Hazard Management Plans. The plans will layout responsibilities, policies and procedures necessary to reduce wildlife hazards.

The airports are located in diverse locations from the Bay Shore (Palo Alto and San Carlos) to desert areas (Brackett Field and Fox Field) to urban areas (Hawthorne Field and Fullerton Municipal Airport). Our web-based management tools kept the project organized and on schedule, and helped with data management, storage and retrieval.