The Airport That Used Tina Turner to Scare Off Birds

Between 2002 and 2005, pilots landing at Gloucestershire Airport were treated to an unexpected in-flight experience: the unmistakable voice of Tina Turner belting out Simply the Best across the runways. This wasn't a bizarre welcome ceremony—it was an official bird-scaring tactic.

Why Tina Turner?

Bird strikes are a serious aviation hazard. Every year, wildlife collisions cause millions of dollars in damage and pose genuine safety risks. Airports typically use gas cannons, falconry, or distress calls to keep birds at bay.

Gloucestershire Airport decided to try something different. After noticing that sudden, unpredictable sounds seemed to startle birds more effectively than repetitive bangs, staff began experimenting with music. Tina Turner emerged as the champion bird-repeller.

The Science (Sort Of)

The theory was that birds would be confused and frightened by the complex, variable sounds of rock music—particularly the powerful vocals and dramatic crescendos Turner was known for. Unlike monotonous alarm sounds that birds eventually ignore, music kept them guessing.

Airport staff reported success with the approach, claiming bird activity near runways decreased during the musical intervention. Though no peer-reviewed studies confirmed the method, the anecdotal results were enough to keep the speakers blasting for three years.

Not Just Tina

While Simply the Best became the star of the program, the airport experimented with other artists too:

• Cliff Richard tracks were tested but found less effective
• Classical music barely fazed the local bird population
• Heavy bass and sudden dynamic changes worked best

Turner's combination of powerful vocals, dramatic pauses, and soaring choruses apparently hit the sweet spot for avian terror.

Why It Stopped

By 2005, the airport phased out the musical approach. The official reason was never clearly stated, but likely factors included the expense of the speaker system, questions about long-term effectiveness as birds potentially adapted, and perhaps complaints from nearby residents who didn't share the birds' distaste for Turner's greatest hits.

The airport returned to more conventional methods: gas cannons, vehicle patrols, and the occasional falcon deployment.

A Legacy of Weirdness

The Tina Turner experiment became one of those delightfully strange pieces of aviation trivia that resurfaces every few years. It's a reminder that sometimes the most creative solutions to serious problems are the ones that sound absolutely ridiculous.

Whether the birds were genuinely frightened or simply had terrible taste in music remains one of Gloucestershire's enduring mysteries. Either way, for three glorious years, landing at this small English airport meant touching down to the sound of one of rock's greatest voices declaring that you were, indeed, simply the best.