12-05-2025
Sheppard AFB tackles aviation safety with bird control measures
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — To ensure aviation safety, Sheppard Air Force Base (SAFB), in collaboration with the City of Wichita Falls and the United States Department of Agriculture, will soon implement non-lethal methods to disperse a large flock of birds.
According to a release from SAFB, the Cattle Egrets have begun roosting on private land just west of the base, but their flights passing over the SAFB airfield present strike threats to aviation safety.
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SAFB said that while strikes are usually rare, in July 2013, a single Cattle egret strike over the AFB airfield resulted in the ejection of two pilots and complete loss of a T-38 Aircraft, valued at $8,000,000.
The dispersal methods are pyrotechnics and propane cannons, which will sound similar to gunfire and will take place during daylight hours, ending at sunset.
For any questions, contact the 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs Office at (940) 676-1500.
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