Eurofighter Pilots Train Supersonic Flights Again in Austria

Two supersonic flights are scheduled to be conducted daily between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The training flights of the Eurofighter pilots will cover almost all of Austria, except for metropolitan areas and the federal states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. According to a statement on Thursday, the flight areas will be determined in coordination with civil air traffic control.

Eurofighter pilots train supersonic flights at high altitudes

To keep noise levels as low as possible, flights will be conducted at high altitudes. "This training is indispensable for our air force. The security policy developments remind us daily of how fragile peace currently is in Europe. Maintaining and protecting air sovereignty is central for a sovereign state and must be continuously practiced and expanded, even in the supersonic range," said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP).

Even in the supersonic range, safe flight operations and flight safety are of the highest priority: "The pilots therefore train under real physical stresses that cannot be simulated. The close and extremely time-critical coordination between military pilots, radar control officers, and both military and civil air traffic control is another essential part of the training," the statement said.

Supersonic speed begins at about 1,200 kilometers per hour. As a Eurofighter approaches this speed, shock waves occur on the aircraft. These shock waves can be perceived on the ground as a sonic boom. The volume of the sonic boom depends, among other things, on the flight altitude, terrain structure, and weather conditions.

(APA/Red)

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