Styrian hail defense

11 pilots and 5 airmen in the fight against storms

Since April 1, Josef Mündler, chairman of the Styrian Hail Defense, and his team have been ready for action. As hail pilots, they fly into those areas from which others flee. Mündler is expecting more severe conditions for the coming season - thunderstorms up to 17,000 meters high could be heading our way.

The first thunderstorms have already hit Austria this year. Hail has also been involved. Styria at least was largely spared. But it is obvious that this is only a matter of time. 

Josef Mündler, chairman of the Styrian Hail Defense based at the Thalerhof in Graz, has been a hail pilot from the very beginning. He has been on duty since 1987 and ensures that Styria is a little safer in the event of thunderstorms. He has worked hard to build up his team, which now comprises eleven pilots. "Five of them are full-time employees, with freelancers joining them at the weekend," explains the experienced Styrian.

Heroes are out of place here. We had one crash that was due to human error.

Josef Mündler, Obmann der Steirischen Hagelabwehr

As of this year, they are flying with five aircraft. Although the number 5 was a complicated matter. "Because approval is the responsibility of the European aviation authority. And they refused approval. But we have found a solution that is valid for the next three years," says Mündler happily. What does it look like? "We are also carrying out intensive research work with many companies and the Graz University of Technology. The aircraft now functions as a scientific research aircraft," explains Mündler.  

He and his pilots have been ready to take off again for missions since April 1. What this year will bring in terms of missions is of course still written in the stars. However, records point to ever greater challenges in the future. Because: "The Adriatic low has been disappearing since 2000, the thunderstorms first came from the southwest, then increasingly from the west and now mainly from the northwest with towers rising up to 17,000 meters. They used to be thunderstorm towers of 10,000 meters." There's probably no need to explain what that means. But according to Mündler, the fact is: "The worst damage last year was where we weren't."