BASH works to reduce hazards

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zachary Perras
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Eielson's Bird-Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard program has been in place for many years and has always maintained one mission: to keep constant watch for wildlife near Air Force assets.

Birds in particular pose a significant threat to aircraft operations here, and BASH's primary job is to ensure birds, or any other wildlife, are not deterring the mission here.

There are four ways that BASH goes about carrying out this task: habitat modification; exclusion, such as the use of anti-perching devices; removal efforts, such as trapping and relocation; and repulsion, such as the use of pyrotechnics.

Of those four, habitat modification is BASH's primary defense and focuses on forcing wildlife to seek other places to inhabit by reducing wildlife attractants, said Patrick Gray, United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services wildlife biologist.

"You're not only trying to prevent strikes to aircraft, but you're also kind of looking at it as being beneficial to wildlife," Gray explained. "If you can manage them properly, you're not having birds being killed by colliding into aircraft and it becomes beneficial to both entities."

Maj. John Wolinski, 354th Fighter Wing flight safety officer, said that multiple lives and millions of dollars are potentially being saved by successfully accomplishing BASH goals.

"It's all wildlife that we're trying to prevent from causing an issue," Wolinski said. "But ultimately it's all about saving lives by providing a safe environment - that's what we're all about."

Although Eielson's Aggressors are currently grounded, BASH is still fully operation and is now able to focus its efforts on the whole base environment as opposed to just the runway.

"It allows us more time to manage wildlife off the flight line," Gray said. "This is an opportunity to better address wildlife that we haven't been able to manage as well in years past."

Due to an increase in efforts being focused off of the flight line and because wildlife activity tends to rise due to migrations between April and May as well as August and September, firearms and pyrotechnics are being used more frequently.

"It's all about safety and awareness for the base populace," Wolinski said. If people know that BASH is out on different areas of base and that there may be increased activity of repulsion, it helps the program tremendously, he explained.

Other issues BASH seeks to address include proper trash storage and removal. Because birds and other wildlife seek out food, trash stored in a truck bed or in an open container makes for a perfect target.

No matter how extreme a hazard may be, BASH's dedicated hotline, 377-BIRD, allows individuals on Eielson to assist spotting potential risks. By immediately reporting threats to aircraft or other assets, safety mishaps can be prevented and Eielson can continue to operate unhindered.