Fireworks, fences are RDU's tools against bird strikes
A perimeter fence and pyrotechnics are among the tools of defense used to keep birds and other animals out of the flight paths at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said Friday.
Posted — Updated"Our operations officers examine our property every day, several times a day," she said.
"It was a really loud," said Cristina Cantwell-Holub. "It wasn't like landing gear being retracted at all. And just a few seconds later, there was a really awful smell in the cabin.
"It was quiet for a while, and then they said we’re turning around," she said.
"There could be a bird descending as they’re climbing, wham! You’ve got a bird strike," Wiley said. "It happens all the time. There’s not much we can do about it."
While deaths and injuries are rare, the Federal Aviation Administration estimates that 279 people have been hurt and 25 killed since 1990 as a result of bird strikes.
The most effective deterrent is fireworks.
"A big thing we do is use is pyrotechnics," Hamlin said "You can use them to get the birds to scatter."
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