Plastic balls ward off bird strikes

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christie Putz
  • 92nd ARW Public Affairs
The 92nd Flight Safety Office dropped approximately 7,500 small, plastic balls into a drainage ditch on the south side of the runway April 28.
This is in addition to the more than 20,000 balls that were already there.
No, it wasn’t an accident, it’s actually a part of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing’s bird aircraft strike hazard avoidance program. This portion, dubbed “bird balls,” began in 2003.
The long-term idea behind the balls is that they will block the ultraviolet rays and prevent growth of algae and weeds, making it a less desirable place for the birds to roost, said Master Sgt. Stacy Maier, 92nd Flight Safety Office superintendent.
Since the installation of the first set of 10,500 balls in 2003, there has been a slight drop in the number of bird strikes, but it’s hard to attribute it solely to the use of the bird balls, he said.
“There are so many other factors that influence the numbers, like the weather and even how we fly,” he said, “which make it really hard to pinpoint one specific thing as the cause.”
Still, visual reference lets them know that their plan is working.
“The water fowl avoid that area, they’re always on the other uncovered end of the ditch,” he said.
The goal of the safety office is to fill the entire ditch, spanning a length of 1,610 feet, as well as replace some of their other less effective methods with this new alternative.
One thing stands in their way: funding.
“So, until we receive funding, we will just keep filling the ditch, box by box,” Sergeant Maier said.
Other methods used include layers of netting over nearby skimming ponds, propane cannons on timers, as well as a wildlife control officer who travels the runway with both his falcons and personal hunting dogs.
The netting is what they hope to eventually replace.
“There’s quite a bit of maintenance required with the netting,” Sergeant Maier said. “Every once in a while you’ll have to go out and pull it tighter, and it easily tears then needs to be sewn back together again.”
The netting maintenance has to be contracted out to a local company.
“The nice thing about the bird balls is the lack of maintenance required,” he said.
Once the balls are in place, there is virtually nothing that needs to be done. The balls adjust with the fluctuating water levels and will naturally assume equal distribution, forming a “blanket of balls.”
According to the manufacturer’s Web site, if the water level should fall, causing the surface area to shrink, the balls will simply stack in a double layer. They will automatically spread themselves into a single layer again as the level rises.
Other positive factors include the ease of installation, which includes simply dumping them into the ditch, and the relatively inexpensive cost.
The initial installation covered a 50-yard section with 10,500 balls for the price of $2,000.
Fairchild was the first Air Force Base to employ this technique, but has been used as a benchmark for other bases who are considering using them. In addition, shortly after Fairchild’s installation, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport came to see the progress and began using bird balls as a part of their own strike avoidance program.