Austria: Federal Army trains in the high mountains

From February 12th to 23rd, 2024, the Austrian Air Force will be conducting the winter high mountain landing course from the Fiala-Fernbrugg air base in Aigen im Ennstal. The high mountain landing training takes place in the federal states of Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria and Tyrol.

Training content includes learning and practicing take-offs and landings with helicopters, even at high altitudes, as well as flights under difficult conditions.

“This training is a central and indispensable part of maintaining the operational readiness of our air force. With the first participation of our new helicopter AW169, another milestone has been reached within this project,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.

It is essential to get to know the performance parameters and flight characteristics of the respective helicopter types at high altitudes as well as to really feel the physical and psychological stress when flying in high mountains and to apply the appropriate countermeasures to maintain flight safety.

Since natural disasters or accidents know no borders, flights are also carried out within national park areas. Detailed knowledge of the geographical and topographical conditions in high mountains is essential for military transport operations. Training these training objectives without operational pressure is essential for the air force in order to be able to meet all the required requirements in an operational situation day or night.

Up to 14 air force helicopters are used in the winter high mountain landing course. The new AW169 “Lion” helicopter is in use for the first time. Up to four helicopters of this type will take part. They have started regular operations in Austria since the beginning of 2024 and are now used for general training.

The focus of this new helicopter's participation in the high mountain landing course is on testing the snow skids as well as testing real performance parameters and exploring suitable landing sites for this type of helicopter. The experiences gained are then incorporated into the training program for the AW169.