Avisure CEO, Jeff Follett, is proud to serve as the new volunteer Communications Chair on the Bird Strike Committee USA (BSC USA).
The committee just had their mid-winter meeting in Washington, DC. ‘It was such a great opportunity to be in the room with industry professionals from a variety of agencies, organizations, and branches of Defence. Overall, they’re an amazing group to work with, and I am looking forward to catching up the team more over the next couple of years,’ he says. Jeff’s communications role is for an initial two-year term.
He reports that his initial meeting was very engaging, covering topics such as advanced air mobility, airline perspectives on strikes and strike costs, and research on specific topics such as bird vision. ‘We received excellent updates on initiatives in the industry from the Federal Aviation Administration, the US Department of Agriculture, the National Wildlife Research Center, the US Navy, Space Force, Alaska Airlines, the Smithsonian and from our standing committees regarding specific BSC USA initiatives.’
Jeff’s committee membership follows the Avisure belief in the importance of volunteer contribution to such committees, sharing knowledge and helping to raise industry standards. In Australia, Avisure founding director, Phil Shaw, has attended every Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group (AAWHG) conference from the beginning, and presented at many of its biennial conferences. He also served on the International Bird Strike Committee (IBSC) from 2009–2012, when it became the World Birdstrike Association (WBA). Avisure hosted the IBSC in Cairns during this time for two days of international industry workshops. Jeff Follett also served on the AAWHG committee from 2015–2018, and Avisure wildlife and ecology specialists have presented at most, if not all, AAWHG workshops and forums.
Avisure general manager, Jill Brix, has been a part of the AAWHG for many years, in fact from the get-go. She was an airport representative when the group was formed and held various executive positions in different tenures. Jill was integral to the group’s original wildlife hazard management plan template, recommended practices, and in organising successful workshops and conferences. She also represented the group at other industry forums, presenting at the IBSC conference in 2012, and was on the WBA communications team from 2012-2015. After joining Avisure, she served as AAWHG’s event coordinator for the Group from 2018–22, when Kylie Patrick, Avisure principal consultant, took up an executive committee position.
The scope of the AAWHG’ s work as Australia’s national committee is recognised internationally, Jeff says. ‘The Canadian and USA committees regularly reference the amazing work that comes out of the AAWHG.’ Avisure is committed to providing its expertise to the Group and continuing its contribution through the ongoing development of the recommended practices, conference organisation and sponsoring the ‘Maggies’ – the AAWHG’s awards recognising wildlife hazard management excellence.
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