Abstract
Security work in and around airports and wildlife control is a critical component in the aviation industry. The penetration of birds and animals into the airport territory can lead to undesirable and dangerous consequences. To avoid them, relevant scientific materials and articles of scientists were studied. Articles contained information that could be useful. The topic of wildlife control and security in airports is quite relevant and justified.
Statement of the Project
The main purpose of the paper is to describe possible ways to protect and control the airport area from wild animals and birds that are potentially dangerous to the safety of passengers and can disrupt the flight regime. The type of project is a research work, the essence of which is to analyze the available literature and to critically evaluate the information found in the process of work. The paper will describe eleven Program Outcomes of the course and present relevant information. The degree is the Bachelors of Science in Aeronautics.
Introduction
The topic of the research paper is as follows: “Wildlife Control in and Around Airports.” Research in this area is quite important and relevant. The safety of passengers and all the equipment in airports largely depends on how well the security services are coping with their duties and can restrict access of wild animals to the zone of the runway territory. Procedures for the paper development will be using data collection, analysis, as well as critical thinking, will be utilized. The project will cover the scope of all civil aviation airports, regardless of size or importance, and will describe the ways of improving wildlife control around airports.
Program Outcomes to be Addressed
Critical Thinking
“The student will show evidence of knowledge at a synthesis level to define and solve problems within professional and personal environments” (ERAU, 2015, p. 12). Due to such an analysis, recommendations on how to minimize the effect of these incursions will be made. The data and information to be analyzed will come from the general sources by Dolbeer and Franklin (2013), Scheideman et al. (2017), Sheridan et al. (2015).
Quantitative Reasoning
“The student will show evidence of the use of digitally-enabled technology & analysis techniques to interpret data for the purpose of drawing valid conclusions and solving associated problems” (ERAU, 2015, p. 14). The source of the data will be the article written by Sheridan et al. (2015). As one of the fundamental sources of control, the radar tracking system is still considered one of the most effective (Sheridan et al., 2015). According to Sheridan et al. (2015), modern systems can reach “reliability of 95%,” which means that they are efficient enough (p. 244).
Information Literacy
“The student will show evidence of meaningful research, including gathering information from primary and secondary sources and incorporating and documenting source material in their writing” (ERAU, 2015, p. 15). Relevant information will be obtained from the general sources by Atwell, Hilterbrand, Kaffka, Lauber, and Shore (2015), and Biondi, Belant, Martin, DeVault, and Wang (2014). For example, Atwell et al. (2015) disclose the priority areas for the development of protection and describe all the possible risks that airport security can face. The article by Biondi et al. (2014) can help to find optimal solutions and determine which of the methods to protect airports from wildlife incursions are the most efficient.
Communication
“The student will show evidence of communicating concepts in written, digital, and oral forms to present technical and non-technical information” (ERAU, 2015, p. 16). Desoky (2014) describes the system of protecting airports from the possible penetration of animals into runway areas. To achieve a detailed deepening in the topic, it can be necessary to contact an instructor, make a written report, and create an oral presentation. Thorough work will help to find out which threats are most likely to happen if no appropriate measures are taken.
Scientific Literacy
“The student will show evidence of analyzing scientific evidence as it relates to the physical world and its interrelationship with human values and interests” (ERAU, 2015, p. 18). Biondi et al. (2014) claim that mammals are more likely to damage aircraft than any other wildlife. Scheideman et al. (2017) prove that “wildlife incidents with aircraft cost airports and operators worldwide an average of US $1.28 billion annually” (p. 408). Therefore, the risk fully justifies the relevance of the topic, and the skill of Scientific Literacy should be demonstrated.
Cultural Literacy
“The student will show evidence of the analysis of historical events, cultural artifacts, and philosophical concepts” (ERAU, 2015, p. 19). The article by Dolbeer and Franklin (2013) will be analyzed; the authors note that almost 90% of all the birds struck by civil aircraft in the US are the species that are protected by the national laws (p. 67). Both passengers and flight crews will be able to know about the danger of wildlife incursions, and the results of the research will help to increase the awareness of airport staff concerning the existing issue.
Lifelong Personal Growth
“The student will show evidence of the skills needed to enrich the quality of life through activities, which enhance and promote lifetime learning” (ERAU, 2015, p. 20). The information will be retrieved and analyzed from the research by Biondi et al. (2014). The authors remark that people involved in working to eliminate the consequences of the wildlife incursions and ensuring security will have to constantly look for ways to provide for security at airports. Aircraft designers are to constantly pay attention to the construction of their planes and, if possible, make certain improvements. People who deal with the issue of wildlife control will use more modern techniques to reduce the risk of animals’ incursions, for example, implement modern means of tracking.
Aeronautical Science
“The student will show evidence of advanced concepts of aviation, aerospace, and aeronautics to solve problems commonly found in their respective industries” (ERAU, 2015, p. 22). In the process of working and finding appropriate measures to counter the penetration of wildlife on the territory of airports, it can be useful. For instance, according to Desoky (2014), the shape, sound, and color of any aircraft model do not affect how birds perceive it. Also, as the author notes, a plane can be equipped with mirror elements to drive away birds (Desoky, 2014). Thus, depending on the peculiarities of a specific model structure, specific protective measures can be taken.
Aviation Legislation and Law
“The student will show evidence of the basic concepts in national and international legislation and law as they pertain to the aviation, aerospace, and aeronautics industries” (ERAU, 2015, p. 23). The topic under investigation will be studied in the Wildlife Hazard Management Program (Atwell et al., 2015). Many provisions of this program tell how to accurately protect airport equipment and passengers from danger. Also, FAA Airport Grant Assurances is another state act that also provides support for some improvements in aviation (Atwell et al., 2015). These laws deserve close attention when discussing wildlife control.
Aviation Safety
“The student will show evidence of basic concepts in aviation safety as they pertain to the aviation, aerospace, and aeronautics industry” (ERAU, 2015, p. 24). According to Sheridan et al. (2015), recurrent incidents with animals and birds that occur accidentally cause significant losses and violate the safety of passengers (Sheridan et al, 2015). Therefore, the search for optimal methods of protection and controls is urgent and necessary for both passengers and transport companies.
Aviation Management and Operations
“The student will show evidence of sound, ethical, management principles within standard aviation, aerospace, and aeronautics operations” (ERAU, 2015, p. 25). According to Biondi et al. (2014), specific leadership practices that modern managers use to aim at reducing risks and controlling the activities of all subordinate structures. Therefore, certain operations can be beneficial in providing comprehensive protection.
References
Atwell, N., Hilterbrand, J., Kaffka, C., Lauber, A., & Shore, E. (2015). Hillsboro Airport wildlife hazard management plan. Portland, OR: Port of Portland.
Biondi, K. M., Belant, J. L., Martin, J. A., DeVault, T. L., & Wang, G. (2014). Integrating mammalian hazards with management at US civil airports: A case study. Human-Wildlife Interactions, 8(1), 31-38.
Desoky, A. S. S. (2014). A review of bird control methods at airports. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: E Interdiciplinary, 14(2), 40-50.
Dolbeer, R. A., & Franklin, A. B. (2013). Population management to reduce the risk of wildlife–aircraft collisions. In T. L. DeVault, B. F. Blackwell, and J. L. Belant (Eds.), Wildlife in airport environments: Preventing animal–aircraft collisions through science-based management (pp. 67-78). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). (2015). College of aeronautics: Undergraduate capstone policy guide. Web.
Scheideman, M., Rea, R., Hesse, G., Soong, L., Green, C., Sample, C., & Booth, A. (2017). Use of wildlife camera traps to aid in wildlife management planning at airports. Journal of Airport Management, 11(4), 408-419.
Sheridan, E., Randolet, J., DeVault, T. L., Seamans, T. W., Blackwell, B. F., & Fernández-Juricic, E. (2015). The effects of radar on avian behavior: Implications for wildlife management at airports. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 171, 241-252.