San Bernardino International Airport inherited the problem in 1994, when it took over the facility, a former military base. A mixed bag of birds, including hawks and smaller species, sat on top of the globe-like lights with their tails hanging over the front of the lights, and did what comes naturally, Ray describes. And the airport maintenance crew had to clean not only the runway and taxiway lights, but also the airport's directional signs that guide pilots along proper routes before take-off and after landing. The big black and yellow directional signs were streaked and defaced by the bird droppings. Ray thinks he understands why.
Airports are usually flat.
San Bernardino's airport definitely is, and it covers a sprawling expanse of 1,000 acres. For birds to gain any competitive advantage, they need to be elevated so they can spot their prey or enemies. Even an elevation as small as the height of a runway light is better than nothing for birds to see what's what on the vast terrain. The situation was becoming intolerable. Handling an average of 25,000 operations annually, the San Bernardino Airport Authority wanted a reliable solution.