Request to politicians

Another stumbling block is to vanish into thin air

Provincial Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl, Governor Christopher Drexler and Managing Director of the Öamtc air rescue service(Bild: Jürgen Radspieler)

It has worked: The night landing ban for emergency helicopters at Graz Airport is now officially history. But there are other hurdles: The crews could actually fly in fog, but are not allowed to.

After the first "Krone" stories two years ago, many Styrians shook their heads in disbelief: an ancient law prevented emergency helicopters from landing at Graz Airport, where the Öamtc's Christophorus base is located. Reason: The tower is no longer manned after 11.30 pm. After months of blockade, ÖVP state governor Christopher Drexler repeatedly raised the wind in Vienna - and so the incomprehensible landing ban vanished into thin air in February.

Now the official green light
A few days ago, the Öamtc also received the official green light from the Ministry of Transport. This good news was delivered by the managing director of the air rescue service, Marco Trefanitz, to Karlheinz Kornhäusl, the head of the province and regional health councillor. During the local inspection with the "Krone" directly at the base of the C 12, which is managed by the experienced pilot Helmut Holler, the rescue pilots also had another request in their luggage.

Currently only flights "on sight" allowed
Because the helicopters are already as technically well equipped as airliners and can therefore take off at any time of day or night and in any weather conditions, there is a desire for further expansion of expertise for the benefit of patients. The problem is that rescue flights are currently only permitted "by sight", but the instruments on board now also allow take-offs in dense fog. Another outdated stumbling block.

A new amendment to the law would therefore be needed - only then would the Christophorus crews be allowed to start the rotor blades even in restricted visibility. "In the USA and other European countries, this has long been standard practice," reports Trefanitz. There are also exceptions in military air traffic. "If there are new technical possibilities, they must be used for the safety of Styrians," says Drexler to "Krone". He now wants to lobby the federal government again for a new regulation. It has already worked once.