Keeping The Birds At Bay

Worldwide interest has been created by the airfield bird dispersal  system “Sappho,” being developed by The Trix Electrical Co.Ltd  in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation.

The system utilizes specially recorded bird alarm and  distress calls.

So, 56 years ago, started a story in EW’s edition of September 14th 1960

The story continues:

Recordings of about twelve different birds have so far been made with the assistance of a Ministry ornithologist and many other organisations. The system is believed to be the most

advanced of its kind in the world.

If the system is proved effective it will  add greatly to air safety. At the present time there is some possibility of engine failure due to birds being drawn into the engine air intake

of jet aircraft or damage to airframes due to direct impact

In an interview with Electronics Weekly Mr. Gordon R. E. Brown, sales manager of the company, said: “Most interest has, of course from airports and airline operating companies. But we have also received inquiries from Africa about the possibility of using the system for dispersing birds from rice fields.”

“Similarly the Germans have hopes that the system might be used to clear birds away from vineyards. Its use on fruit farms is also creating considerable interest.

But before we can market the quipment we must await the results on the evaluation tests being carried out by the Ministry of Aviation. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries are being consulted about the wider fields of application.”

Previous methods t of dispersal have included the use of  peregrine falcons, naplhalene spread over air field runways, electrical and audio pulses, and a type of oil which destroys insects on which birds feed. But none of these  methods has proved really effective.

In the Sappho system, six to nine 8ft sound column radiators are used to cover two-mile strips.

The total power output is about 200W.