CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Hercules and Ned enjoy ample workspace in their offices at West Virginia’s most active airport.
Each day, the border collies and their handlers conduct routine inspections across the mile-long airfield to prevent birds and other animals from approaching airplanes, thereby safeguarding both passengers and crew members.
Hercules serves as the main ambassador, basking in the warmth of passenger greetings within the terminal while soothing those who are anxiously awaiting their departure at West Virginia International Yeager Airport.
Chris Keyser, who serves as both the dogs’ handler and the airport’s wildlife specialist, stated that stopping a bird from colliding with an airplane “could change someone’s life.”
How it started
Crashes involving animals and aircraft
occur frequently across airports throughout the country. Considering this, in 2018, Yeager’s management purchased Hercules based on the advice of a wildlife biologist.
During the initial 18 months of his life, Hercules trained to graze geese and sheep around his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Flyaway Geese
, which instructs border collies on assisting businesses with managing issues related to nuisance wildlife.
When Hercules arrived at Charleston’s airfield for the initial time, “I held my breath,” recounted Rebecca Gibson, who owns Flyaway Geese. “However, he quickly took control. It became his domain.”
He has performed remarkably well and has been such a wonderful pet for them. We are extremely proud of him.
Along the way, Hercules turned into a local celeb. He gained his own
Instagram
and
TikTok
Accounts and frequently welcomes clusters of schoolchildren.
At eight years old, Hercules now receives assistance from Ned. When Ned joined the group last year at two years of age, he came from another facility where he had been taught to herd goats and geese. Since then, Ned has closely followed Hercules, obeying instructions from Keyser and acquiring knowledge about safety protocols like staying off the runway.
Ned is set to head out,” Keyser stated. “He has grasped everything. He’s performing exceptionally well, scaring away birds.
Within the airport operations center, Hercules remains relaxed until informed that it’s time for duty, then starts barking excitedly at the door. In contrast, Ned is constantly active. Whenever he isn’t outdoors, he carries his blue bounce ball to anyone ready to join him in a game of fetch.
A mountaintop menagerie
The airport in Charleston sits atop a mountain and is home to a variety of wildlife such as Canada geese, hawks, ducks, songbirds, and bats. Following rainfall, worms often emerge from the ground, leading to heightened bird activity, according to Keyser.
Aside from walking the dogs during routine patrols, Keyser maintains continuous communication with the airport tower. This ensures they can detect birds on the runway or get updates from planes spotting wildlife in the vicinity.
We get lots of physical activity,” Keyser stated. “This work doesn’t cause anyone to put on weight. It’s a full-day job. You constantly keep your sights on the field and your ears tuned to the radio.
Border Collies are one of the most high-energy dog breeds. For many years, they have been employed to drive Canadian geese away from golf courses. Additionally, these dogs have been utilized to scare off birds at various locations such as additional airports, military installations, and lock-and-dam facilities.
Dogs have an instinct to gather rather than to hunt down and kill. However, birds perceive these dogs as similar to predators like coyotes or foxes, which are natural threats to them, according to Gibson.
Bird strikes cause delays
In 2023, approximately 19,000 incidents of plane-wildlife encounters were recorded at U.S. airports, with 95% of these events involving birds, as per data from the Federal Aviation Administration. Between 1988 and 2023, such collisions resulted in 76 fatalities and led to the destruction of 126 aircraft across the nation.
One of the most well-known bird-plane collisions took place in January 2009 when an aircraft departing from New York’s LaGuardia Airport encountered a group of Canada geese shortly after takeoff, causing both engines to fail. The pilot was then faced with the challenge.
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger
directed the helpless plane toward the cold waters of the Hudson River. Everyone aboard—the total being 155 individuals—survived this event, which was documented in the 2016 film “Sully,” featuring Tom Hanks.
In the Charleston airport, occurrences of wildlife collisions with planes fluctuate annually from just a handful up to around two dozen.
Whenever an aircraft collides with a bird, it must undergo inspection, leading to delays in departure,” explained Keyser. “This can result in missed layovers. Hence, maintaining seamless operations is crucial.
In 2022, the airport experienced five incidents where airplanes struck bats. Back in December 2000, another aircraft hit two deer upon touchdown. This caused the outer part of one of the plane’s right engine blades to break off and pierce through the cabin wall, critically harming a traveler, as reported by the FAA.
A comforting paw
Inside the terminal, Hercules wags his tail as he moves about greeting passengers. Among them was Janet Spry, a Scott Depot, West Virginia, resident waiting to board a flight to visit her daughter and grandchildren in San Antonio.
Spry required some uplifting attention. Besides having a phobia about air travel, Spry’s 15-year-old feline had been put down the day before due to an untreatable illness.
A surprise appearance by Hercules not only lit up his face but also brought additional joy. With a gentle touch of his paw on Spry’s arm, Hercules showered him with numerous slobbery kisses.
“He’s improving my day,” Spry stated.
She jokingly wondered if the airport would consider letting Hercules remain with her for a bit longer.
“I believe there was an vacant spot next to me on the airplane,” Spry stated.
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