Environmental survey keeps jets in air, birds at bay

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  After completing a mission essential flight supporting the Wolf Pack mission, a pilot with the 35th Fighter Squadron, comes in on his final approach to land his F-16 Fighting Falcon on Kunsan's legendary runway.

As he extends the landing gear and completes his necessary safety checks, he hears a thump, and another, and another.

Upon inspection of the jet after landing, the pilot and jet's crew chief find several birds had impacted the plane during the landing. Cost to the Air Force? Relatively minimal. Could it have been worse? Yes.

An initiative to help limit these situations called the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard program is managed by the 8th Fighter Wing safety office and works in conjunction with Darrell Davis, an environmental scientist from the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron, who is currently conducting a study that analyzes current procedures and techniques.

"Basically what we have here is an intrusion on nature," Davis said. "But there's no way to avoid it. So the best thing we can do is make the area as inhospitable as possible to as many species as possible."

"We do this by keeping the grass short and making sure the ditches are well drained," added Davis.

These actions ensure the birds that go after frogs, snakes and insects, don't have any place for their food to hide.

"We're adjusting the mitigating procedures to ensure the habitat is lessened so we can eliminate the niches for the foods and things of the sort," Davis said.

Davis said he is conducting the study with a company, Environmental Resources Management, contracted to perform this migratory avian survey.

"I'm heading the survey with Korean consultants," said Francesca Zino, an ERM consultant and United Kingdom native. "My experience here has been absolutely brilliant. This is the second year I've worked out here and have really enjoyed the time. Our team is an international partnership with offices worldwide."

Zino's Korean consultants are biologists from Kunsan National University in Gunsan City.

"We're very excited to have this opportunity to work with the base," said Jung Gil Na, a biology professor at Kunsan National University. "What we're doing helps a lot in many ways."

And helping mitigate an issue that has been ongoing since the base came under American control in 1951 is not only important to the survey, but to the pilots as well.

"If we get any birds into the intake of the F-16, a single intake jet, or crash into our canopy obstructing sight, this could spell trouble," said Capt. Richard Owens, 35th FS pilot and bravo flight commander. "Limiting the amount of birds with this potential seriously enhances our mission capabilities."

With the BASH program working in conjunction with the ERM survey, these potentials are predicted to decrease which, according to the safety office, would save lives.

"Without the BASH program, our pilots would be at a greater risk for bird strikes, which could result in the loss of an aircraft, or even worse -- one of our pilots," said Tech. Sgt. Chad Calahan, 8th FW NCO in charge of flight safety.

According to Davis, this quarterly survey is part of a three-year study. The first visit was conducted in January 2010, with follow up visits every three months. This year the team started in February.

Doing two studies in each season, Davis said, ERM and BASH are able to get a pretty good idea of which species of birds are flocking to Kunsan.

"I'm fairly confident we've got a good snapshot of what's going to be expected on the airfield and around the area," said Davis. "With this study we're working to find out if we're going to need to change the techniques of the BASH program to keep the birds and critters away.

"As long as the program [BASH] continues to be managed effectively and the information from this survey is incorporated into future plans, there won't be any harm to the environment and the Wolf Pack mission will continue," he added.