New authorization

Air rescuers may also land “flying blind”

The fog cover in Klagenfurt has usually been a problem in the past.(Bild: Fatlum KURTAJ)

The new permit from the aviation authority ensures a better rescue chain. The next air rescue company will be allowed to fly to Klagenfurt Hospital even in fog. And state-of-the-art technology will be used.

Last year, there were a total of 106 foggy days in Klagenfurt. And this not only put the people of Klagenfurt in a bad mood, but also the pilots of ARA Flugrettung, which operates the two rescue helicopters RK1 and ARA3 in Carinthia. On the foggy days, the two helicopters had to repeatedly stop in front of the thick blanket of fog on Magdalensberg, land and transfer the patient to an ambulance, which then set off in the direction of the hospital. But those days are now over.

New approval from Austro Control
The aviation authority Austro Control has granted the company permission to fly to the Klagenfurt regional hospital in a "blind flight". "In future, this will be done purely via an instrument flight. This is a milestone in the history of ARA," explains flight operations manager Herbert Graf.

With this authorization for instrument flights, we can really cover the entire range of operations currently offered by modern inland rescue aviation.

Herbert Graf, Flugbetriebsleiter der ARA Flugrettung

This "blind flight" is made possible by the ultra-modern flight instruments in the rescue aircraft. "We don't need another pilot for this," says Managing Director Thomas Jank in an interview with the "Kärntner Krone" newspaper. All ARA Flugrettung pilots already have the necessary license and experience for instrument flying. "This allows us to ensure that the instrument flight option is really used to the full for the benefit of the patients," says Graf.

But the hospital cannot be approached immediately. The emergency aircraft first automatically head for the airport and from there the pilot takes control again and flies manually towards the hospital, where the patients are handed over.

With the new authorization, all rescue helicopters stationed in Carinthia are now allowed to fly to Klagenfurt Hospital even in fog. Incidentally, the C11 rescue helicopter from the ÖAMTC received the permit some time ago.