2024-01-23 17:17:00
Landed a little over a year ago and is already being serviced: the first two AW169s from Leonardo are currently undergoing annual maintenance lasting several weeks at the air yard in Aigen. This gives interested guests a clear view of areas of the new military helicopter that are otherwise difficult to see. The third “Lion” in the hall, however, is ready to fly and visitors are allowed on board this Tuesday for a short sightseeing flight over the Ennstal. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner doesn’t miss this either; it’s only her second flight in the Leonardo.
Reason for Tanner’s stop in Aigen before she continues on to the night race: The new army helicopter and its crew have reached the first level of operational readiness, which is what IOC calls it in technical language. This is important because the Alouette III stationed in the Ennstal ceased operations at the end of the year (we reported). Tanner speaks of a “big milestone” that has been achieved. In fact, the introduction of the new helicopter has been progressing at a record pace so far. The contract with the Italian government was signed in Rome two years ago, the first Leonardo arrived at the end of 2022, and the helicopter has been able to fly the first simple missions since the beginning of 2024.
On a collision course
The ten fully trained Federal Army pilots have completed 1,000 flight hours with the new equipment since yesterday – without an accident. “Even with a bit of luck,” as “chief pilot” Brigadier Wolfgang Luttenberger admits. Because the AW169 is a new player in domestic airspace, hobby pilots in other aircraft in particular underestimate its flight characteristics such as climb performance, speed and all-weather suitability. Fortunately, the AW169’s on-board radar and sensors warn its pilots in good time of possible collisions, but according to Luttenberger, there were still a few incident reports to the aviation authorities.
Klaudia Tanner with Brigadier Wolfgang Luttenberger (left) and Air Force Commander Gerfried Promberger © KLZ / Wilfried Rombold
Five Leonardos of the AW169B version have landed in the armed forces so far, and by the end of the year there should be nine – including the first AW169-AM, the military multi-purpose helicopter that can also be equipped with an on-board cannon, guided missiles and reconnaissance instruments. At the end of 2024, the Aigen pilots should cover the same range of performance on the new one as before on the Alouette III. In mid-February, intensive training takes place in the high mountains for two weeks; in the summer, the program primarily includes night flights. Luttenberger is already asking the public for understanding: “We will fly more often at night in the future. But the new helicopter is much quieter and also quicker in the air.”
There is an enormous amount of technology under the nose of the AW169 © KLZ / Wilfried Rombold
The first flights will also be carried out with the extinguishing water container in the next few weeks on a trial basis. The AW169 is intended to be a powerful weapon in fighting forest fires. The powerful external winch with the 88 meter long steel cable has already been used, and the snow boards for external landings in the mountains will soon be used. These procedures usually mean new territory for barracks and squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel Udo Koller: “You have to remember that we are the first to do such things with this helicopter. Even the Italians who run the Leonardo themselves haven’t done much of this yet.”
Even bad flying weather cannot harm the AW169 © HBF/CARINA KARLOVITS
More women in the cockpit
Twelve AW169-AMs are stationed at the Fiala-Fernbrugg air host in Aigen. As part of the system introduction and the Armed Forces’ “Mission Forward”, a total of 47 million euros will flow into the location over the next few years. The competition for the major renovation of the tower, crew and technical building is currently ongoing, and the excavators could be deployed as early as this year. “At the end of the 2020s, nothing will be the same here as it is now,” says Brigadier Gerfried Promberger, Commander of the Air Force, outlining the dimensions of the project. The simulator center should be ready by 2026, and with another simulator in Langenlebarn (Lower Austria), the entire pilot training can then take place in Austria. Starting this March, the entire advanced training course will be running domestically. In the end, around 80 pilots will be needed for operational and school operations on the total of 36 Leonardos. “And I definitely want to have more women in the cockpit,” emphasizes Promberger. There are currently only four.
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