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2022 Forum

14-15 September, 2022

Rydges Adelaide, South Australia

Full registration: $395.00

Includes 2-day forum, 2 x lunches, 2 x morning and afternoon teas, and evening networking function on 14 September.

Rydges Adelaide special room rates for the guests attending the 2022 AAWHG Forum.

The Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group’s biennial forum was held in Adelaide, South Australia, on 14–15 September 2022 at Rydges South Park Adelaide.

Normally held every two years (alternating with a workshop), the AAWHG forum is a highlight of the aviation wildlife hazard management calendar, attracting industry representatives from around the world to discuss best practice aviation wildlife hazard management and safety.

The forum attracts professionals from across the aviation industry, including airport operators and ground crew, airlines, pilots, service and equipment suppliers, wildlife specialists, trainers, ATC, accident investigators and regulators.

2022 Industry Awards​

Each forum year, the Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group recognises those individuals or organisations that are implementing innovative and effective aviation wildlife management strategies through an Avisure-sponsored award.

Commendations are given to representatives from the industry for their outstanding contribution to reducing wildlife strike risk.

The 2022 awards, will be presented at the AAWHG forum in Adelaide, 14-15 September. 

Keynote Speakers

Carla J. Dove 

Program Manager – Feather Identification Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC USA 

Carla J. Dove is Program Manager of the Feather Identification Lab at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Her expertise is in the specialized field of microscopic identification of feathers. An important application of this research is to the field of aviation safety in determining the identifications of birds that are ingested into aircraft engines (birdstrikes) such as the one that caused US Airways flight 1549 to crash into the Hudson River on 15 January 2009. Current identification methods used include microscopy, museum specimen comparisons, and DNA ‘barcoding’. 

Dr. Dove often collaborates with scientists in the fields of Anthropology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology, and has consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Customs, the USDA Wildlife Services, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and aircraft engine manufacturers. She began at the Smithsonian in 1989 as a Museum Technician and went on to complete her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Public Policy at George Mason University in 1998 under the direction of Roxie Laybourne. She holds a M.S. in Systematics, B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and a M.S. in Evolution and Population Biology from George Mason University. An author of numerous articles for both aviation and science publications, Dr. Dove has gained international media recognition for her work. Carla is an elected fellow of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) and serves as Affiliate Professor at George Mason University. She is Vice President of the Washington Biologist Field Club and recently was awarded the James Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award by the Birdstrike Committee USA. 

John Weller

National Wildlife Biologist – FAA

John has been a National Wildlife Biologist for the FAA since 2009 and is currently the past-Chairman of the Bird Strike Committee USA.  His responsibilities include the development and oversight of national strategies, regulations and guidance regarding wildlife hazards on and within the vicinity of airports, which affect aircraft safety or impact airport development and land use.  He provides oversight to the National Wildlife Strike Database, cooperative partnerships, outreach, and research targeting hazardous wildlife and mitigation techniques. John collaborates with foreign States, and assists ICAO with the development of international guidance and their standards and recommended practices (SARPs).  

Prior experience includes 30 years of wildlife conservation and conflict management, endangered species restoration and research for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and the USDA/ APHIS/ Wildlife Services, as well as state and county conservation agencies, and a nonprofit research center. John has a BS in Forestry from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and an MS of Environmental Biology from the University of Southern Mississippi studying predator/prey relationships.

Forum 2022 Program

as at 13 September 2022

Day One

Wednesday 14 Sep 2022

MEET & GREET

Platinum sponsor / Australian Airports Association 

Moderator: Ash McAlpine AAWHG Chair 

0830-0845 / Welcome ceremony and acknowledgement of country

SPONSOR / Biodiversity

0845-9000 / Forum opening

Pip Spence / CEO Civil Aviation Safety Authority

0900-0915 / Welcome and Overview of AAWHG Activities Forum theme

Ash McAlpine / AAWHG Chair 
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

0915-0945 / Wildlife hazard management – the Smithsonian story [VIRTUAL]

Dr. Rebecca Johnson / Associate Director for Science and Chief Scientist
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
DOWNLOAD PDF (7MB)

0945-1030 / DNA, feather ID and their impact on wildlife strike management [VIRTUAL]

Dr Carla Dove / Program Manager Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
DOWNLOAD PDF (6.9MB)

SPONSOR: AusALPA
Coffee cart sponsor / Avisure

Moderator: Margo Marchbank AAWHG executive

1100-1130 / The work of the CAA’s Bird Hazard Investigation Unit

Peter Davidson
DOWNLOAD PDF (1.5MB)

1130-1200 / Using historical weather radar data to assess birdstrike risk for potential airport building location

Xiaoyu Wu / Lecturer Griffith University
DOWNLOAD PDF (1.3MB)

1200-1230 / FAA/Regulators: what works and what doesn’t

John Weller / National Wildlife Biologist 
Federal Aviation Administration
DOWNLOAD PDF (5.3MB)

Moderator: Captain Brian Greeves, Deputy chair AAWHG 

The pilot’s perspectivePanel

Anna Wakelin / Regional Vice President, IFALPA
DOWNLOAD PDF (418KB)
Tim Dutta / HEMS Pilot Adelaide, HeliWest
DOWNLOAD PDF (913KB)
Sam Borg / Chief pilot, United Aero Helicopters
DOWNLOAD PDF (576KB)
Peter Docking / Safetywise Aviation
DOWNLOAD PDF (274KB)
Phil Remilton / Senior pilot, RFDS South Australia
DOWNLOAD PDF (724KB)

Brief introduction by each panellist, followed by panel discussion

Coffee cart sponsor / Avisure

Moderator: David Anderson AAWHG Executive

1530-1600 / Considerations for wildlife strike risk mitigation with advanced air mobility  

Ronel Jit / Regional Manager South Australia
Principal Environmental Scientist Avisure

1600-1630 / Emerging technologies – UAVs

Chris Perry / Aviation ecologist
Jasko Airport Services
DOWNLOAD PDF (11.6MB)

1630-1700 / Awards presentation and close of day one (group photo)

Ash Mc Alpine / AAWHG Chair
Phil Shaw / Avisure Board Chairman

Sponsor / Avisure

The Deck, Rydges Adelaide
SPONSOR: Australian Airport Association

Day Two

Thursday 15 Sep 2022

Coffee cart sponsor / Avisure

0835-0905 / Challenges throughout the international aviation/wildlife community 

John Weller / National Wildlife Biologist
Federal Aviation Administration
DOWNLOAD PDF (3.7MB)

0905-0935 / Bringing the puzzle pieces together – the importance of stakeholder collaboration and data-sharing transparency 

Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman / Corporate safety director 
PT Indonesia AirAsia
VIEW PRESENTATION

0935-1005 / The view from New Zealand

Mike Weir / NZ Birdstrike Committee
DOWNLOAD PDF (3.3MB)

1005-1035 / A global view

Gary Cooke / President World Birdstrike Association
DOWNLOAD PDF (1.8MB)

Coffee cart sponsor / Avisure

Moderator: Kylie Patrick AAWHG Executive 

1100-1130 / Darwin International Airport

Nick Bloor / IVM
DOWNLOAD PDF (4MB)

1130-1200 / Ballina Byron Gateway Airport 

Martin Hanley / Coordinator Airport Operations and Compliance
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport
DOWNLOAD PDF (3.2MB)

1200-1230 / Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport

Deanne Frankel / Planning Manager, Western Sydney Airport

Moderator: Ash McAlpine AAWHG Executive 

Squadron Leader Ash Wright / ATC RAAF Edinburgh
Taylor Hick / ATC Airservices Australia, Adelaide
Simon Locke / Qantas Airways 
Chris McKie /
General Manager Safety Systems & Operations, Virgin Australia
Peter Rodda / Regional Flying Manager, Jetstar

Coffee cart sponsor / Avisure

Moderator: Donna Kerr AAWHG Executive

1500-1530  / Using machine learning to estimate wildlife strike costs in Australia

Dan Parsons / PhD Researcher
Central Queensland University
DOWNLOAD PDF (11.2MB)

1530-1600 / A Different Approach to Wildlife Strike Risk Assessments

Ash McAlpine & Brian Greeves / Chair and deputy chair 
Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group
DOWNLOAD PDF (7MB)

1600-1630 / Forum close

Ash Mc Alpine / AAWHG Chair

Sponsors

Platinum

Enhanced Gold

Silver

biodiversity-logo@3x

Supporters

AusALPA-Logo
RAAA-logo-colour@2x

Presentations

2022 Presentations coming

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