Feeding birds 'puts lives of RAF Benson pilots at risk' (From Oxford Mail)

Feeding birds 'puts lives of RAF Benson pilots at risk'

6:10am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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BIRD lovers could be putting pilots’ lives at risk by feeding red kites near RAF Benson.

The birds of prey hover around the airbase because villagers are giving them food – but the RAF is worried this is increasing the chances of a collision with a helicopter.

Station flight safety officer Flt Lt Steve Bishop urged people to consider the risks to pilots.

He said: “Birds are an inherent danger to military and civilian aircraft flying below 2,000 feet.

“A helicopter or aeroplane impacting with a large bird such as a red kite at over 100mph can shatter windscreens, injure aircrew and seriously damage aircraft.

“The red kite is a beautiful bird and we're very lucky to see it living in the Oxfordshire countryside.

“However, people leaving out scraps to encourage the birds mean we have seen unprecedented numbers of not only kites but also other scavenge feeders, such as rooks, close to a busy airfield.

“In order to minimise the risk of any incident occurring we need to actively discourage these birds around Benson and ask people to stop feeding them.”

Four squadrons operate from the airbase and fly Merlin and Puma helicopters.

In addition, the RAF Benson Flying Club has a fleet of light aircraft, including two Cessna 152s, a Slingsby T67C Firefly, and a Robin DR400.

The county’s air ambulance and police helicopter are also based at Benson.

RAF Benson bird control manager Graham Dennis said: “It's clear from the local activity of the red kites that some locals are handing out free food to the kites and, as a result, are keeping these birds in and around the perimeter of the airfield, which is helping to create an air flight safety risk.

“Although I cannot ask people directly to refrain from this practice, I am hoping by making people aware of their actions, and possible consequences to pilots at Benson, they might reconsider handing titbits to these birds.”

“Red kites should be hunting in open land and clearing carrion or engaged at landfill sites and discouraged from making their homes on or around the perimeter of an air field and putting possible lives at risk caused by a bird strike on an aircraft.”

Bird strikes cause an estimated £800m damage a year to commercial aircraft worldwide, and are responsible for several accidents.

The United States’ Federal Aviation Administration estimates bird strikes have resulted in more than 200 deaths around the world since 1988.

RSPB spokesman Andy Waters encouraged people not to feed red kites.

He said: “There's always the worry that food left out could be processed or too salty, so we would urge people to just enjoy red kites in their natural environment.”

Adult birds have a wingspan of up to two metres and can weigh more than 1kg.

• Red kites were driven to extinction in England by the end of the 19th century because of man, according to the Chilterns Conservation Board.

Some survived in Wales, but there was little chance of these birds re-populating other areas.

Between 1989 and 1994, kites from Spain were imported and released around the Chilterns by the RSPB and English Nature.

There are more than 500 breeding pairs in the area.