I am planning to conduct a mixed methods design research proposal on the topic of
wildlife strikes at general aviation (GA) airports along the coast. I would like to
particularly focus my efforts on how GA coastal airports can best work to eliminate
wildlife strikes throughout the year with limited budgeting. My research will be
conducted utilizing data from the FAA Wildlife Strike Database along with responses to
a survey conducted with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) wildlife
biologists. Discussed below are the three reasons why my proposed study will
contribute to the scholarly research and literature in the field:
While there has been a large amount of wildlife strike research conducted on Part 139
airports, there has not been a large amount of research placed towards GA airports and
their wildlife strike data. Some of this may be due to a lack of an emphasis on
completing wildlife strike reports for GA aircraft at GA airports, but this research can
help continue to shed the light on the importance of both reporting wildlife strikes for GA
aircraft, as well as working to help decrease them.
Conducting surveys with USDA wildlife biologists who have worked at both civilian and
military airfields can help highlight different techniques that have worked for them with
wildlife hazards and can possibly help spark new and cheaper ideas for how to best
decrease wildlife strike issues at GA airports.
Raising the concern for GA airport wildlife can possibly allow for increased funding
towards wildlife control at GA airports. While it is ridiculous to think the funding could be
as large as the funding Part 139 airports receive, any small bit of funding or grants can
help. Opening up new options could possibly bring quarterly or annual visits to GA
airports by wildlife biologists.