BENGALURU: They are the birdwatchers. A special team of 17 men, the Bird Watcher Men, from the Indian Air Force, scan the skies all day long, through the five-day Aero India, to ensure there are no untoward incidents mid-air during the aerial display.
They belong to the behind-the-scenes team, busy on walkie-talkies, standing at strategic locations at the Yelahanka Air Base and Air Traffic Control of Yelahanka Air Force Station. They are constantly scanning the skies, coordinating with and relaying information to the ATC team on the location of birds and other threats, if any. They play a crucial role in ATC giving clearance to aircraft to take off, manoeuvre and land safely.
An Air Force officer handling Yelahanka ATC told TNIE: “The bird menace has increased this season because of increasing garbage menace. It is the mindset of people that needs to change. People take garbage management very lightly. We don’t kill the birds, but scare them, they are dangerous for pilots and aircraft.”
The ATC is the pivot of the Air Force -- it not just controls air traffic, but plays a crucial role in providing alerts. For Aero Show 2025, the ATC team is handling around 70 aircraft at its base that include the ones on static display and those flying sorties. The ATC also handles 40-50 flights used for services, including carrying military equipment, cargo and customer flights.
Explaining how ATC functions, the officer said: “We work round the clock, in shifts, to ensure flight operations and manoeuvres go off smoothly. During the five days of the air show, our work starts at 5am, the crew takes note of the day’s activities, new arrivals and take-offs. The plan looks simple but is not, as many changes keep happening, including late arrivals and cancellations.”
Apart from ensuring proper coordination with Kempegowda International Airport and HAL Airport, the ATC team also has to constantly keep an eye on the runway and manoeuvring area to ensure they are free of any foreign objects, it is here that the bird watcher men play a crucial role. A separate frequency is assigned for aircraft flying for air show is maintained, and the pilots are communicated with for issuing alerts and for pilots to seek permission before take off and landing.
Recollecting a hectic moment this air show, the officer said: “On February 10, in a duration of 10 minutes, we handled 52 aircraft flying in our space. We had to keep a close watch on each of them and ensure all of them were well engaged with to ensure no untoward incidents.”