Protecting planes from bird strikes

In January, Captain Chesley Sullenberger was forced to ditch flight U.S. Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River moments after experiencing a bird strike. This week, New York City officials announced they would round up as many as 2,000 Canadian geese near the city’s airports and euthanize them. In Florida, where a similar scenario could happen, the plan is different. Friday, Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill that protects airport employees from fines or charges if they kill a rare species while trying to scare birds from the runway. While the bill aims to protect humans, some say it does little for species like the bald eagle. Eric Draper from the Audobon Society of Florida says the bill goes too far. “The thing that’s most disturbing to us is it gives them the authority to use lethal power to kill things like bald eagles that might be found around airport sites,” Draper says. At Tampa International Airport, they already keep

a close eye on the birds. There is an owl constantly near the runway to scare away the animals, but workers will also send firecracker shells into the air to scatter birds. If the birds are stubborn and still won’t move, workers have the right to aim and fire with real guns. Many people, like Andy Hutchinson, think the bill is for our safety and that workers will do everything they can to avoid unnecessary death. “I mean let’s give them a little credit you know, I’m sure they have the conscience to do the right thing when the time comes,” Hutchinson said while waiting for a plane to arrive at TIA. Normally, bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Act, a federal law. The maximum penalty for violating that act is a year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine.

Read the original here:
Protecting planes from bird strikes

Leave a comment

Name (required)

E-mail (required)

URI

Your Message