![]() Though one imagines that once you get close enough to see the goggles and safety vest, you realize you’re not dealing with a typical animal. “He’s been mistaken for a seeing-eye dog, a bear cub and a coyote, because not everyone knows him,” Edwards says. Not every pilot in every plane that touches down there knows to expect Piper on the runway. However, not all visitors to Cherry Capital Airport are as clued in as the vermin on the runway. They know what it means, who lurks inside, and that they’d better get out of Dodge before his paws hit the pavement. “The summer usually brings ducks, geese and gulls.”īut Piper makes sure none of them stand a chance, often sending critters scattering the moment they see Edwards’ vehicle heading out toward the runway. “And when the warmer weather comes, the night shift starts to heat up with activity,” Edwards says. “But not every day is a busy day for Piper, but he’s ready when you are,” Edwards says. Also on Piper’s hit-list: foxes, deer and plenty of waterfowl. They tend to stick around no matter how many times Piper chases them away.” Cue Piper, running down the airstrip with the conviction of a decorated soldier, chasing away the danger to incoming aircraft. They tend to congregate on runways at many airports, but here in the winter snowy owls are the big problem. “We get all kinds of birds depending on the time of year. “Wildlife is unpredictable,” Edwards says. During his four weekly 10-hour shifts, Piper chases away whatever troublemaker finds its way into the path of incoming planes. ![]() “He’s pawing at the door to the truck, ready to go as soon as we’re out on the runway.” “And he’s always ready to work,” Edwards says. Before long, Edwards had turned a loyal pet into an effective partner. “Piper works exclusively with me, in part because I carry his insurance, but we also make a good team.”Įdwards read up on dog training and quickly dove into training Piper and teaching him the tricks of the trade. “I’d read about canine wildlife control and thought that’s something can do, and it’s something he turned out to be great at,” Edwards says. Piper is the airport’s official wildlife control K-9 (and unofficial mascot) - one of only a handful in the United States.Ī 9-year-old border collie, Piper has been in charge of clearing the runways at Cherry Capital since August, 2014, when his handler, Brian Edwards, the airport’s operations supervisor, decided he could make good use of his canine companion on the job. He’s tasked with chasing any would-be pestiferous obstacles from the runways at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Mich. Piper, however, is a dog, and one with a job as important as just about any at an airport. You see adventure and bravery in that face - you almost see Tom Cruise in Top Gun. He’s the picture of dignity and diligence. He was a viral online sensation, when a (still unknown) photographer snapped a short video of him, standing on a snow-dusted runway, wearing his ultra-cool UV snow goggles as a helicopter takes off in the near background.
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