Flights in May

Austrian Armed Forces test Eurofighter in supersonic range

The army wants to test its pilots under real operating conditions.

(Bild: Bundesheer)

During two weeks in May, the pilots of the Austrian Armed Forces will carry out supersonic training with their Eurofighter fighter jets over the whole of Austria - with the exception of the federal states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and the metropolitan areas. This was announced by the air force on Thursday. 

Interception maneuvers will be trained from 6 to 10 May and from 21 to 24 May. Two supersonic flights are planned each day between 8 am and 4 pm. The maneuvers will be flown under real physical stress, which cannot be simulated in a simulator.

The close and extremely time-critical coordination between military pilots, radar control officers and military and civilian air traffic control is also an essential purpose of the training. The flight areas are determined in cooperation with civil air traffic control. In order to keep the noise level as low as possible, the aircraft are flown at high altitudes.

Flight at an altitude of 12,500 meters
There will be no training flights at supersonic speed between 12 noon and 1 p.m. or on weekends or public holidays. Flights are made above 12,500 metres in order to minimize any sonic boom on the ground.

The supersonic speed starts at around 1200 km/h. If a Eurofighter approaches this speed, shock waves are generated on the aircraft. These shock waves can be perceived on the ground as a sonic boom. The (loud) strength of the sonic boom depends on the flight altitude, the terrain structure and the weather conditions, among other things.

In the event of noise complaints and cases of damage, the army asks that you contact the public relations department of the Styrian military command (0664 622 3304).