Playing Defense At OKV

Monday, September 25, 2023 at 07:06 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Winchester Regional Airport (KOKV) has successfully eradicated its deer population through a partnership with APHIS, significantly enhancing safety and encouraging pilots to increase situational awareness regarding wildlife threats.
A recent close go-around at KDCA, likely due to slow departing traffic, illustrates that go-arounds are normal, critical safety maneuvers that pilots are trained to execute when conditions demand.
The FAA's Flight Service remains a valuable 24/7 resource for professional aviation weather interpretations, despite the prevalence of EFBs and automation, and pilots are encouraged to utilize it.

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This email is in response to Matt Johnson’s article, “Playing Defense At Non-Towered Airports,” in the September 2023 issue. I am the airport manager for the Winchester Regional Airport (KOKV) referenced in the article.

We share Mr. Johnson’s concerns and fears regarding wildlife strikes. Managing ground-based threats is a role that airports fulfill in the risk management of the total aviation system, and deer are among the most hazardous wildlife species to aircraft operations. Because of this, OKV has contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) since 2021 for wildlife management services, including the permitted depredation of deer. While efforts to mitigate wildlife risks are continuous, I am happy to report that OKV has essentially eradicated its deer population and significantly enhanced the safety of our facility.