AirPower

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Opening parade: Army helicopters, June 24, 2005

AirPower is the name of an air show organized by the Austrian Armed Forces , Red Bull and the Province of Styria , which takes place every two years at the Hinterstoisser Air Base in Zeltweg with free entry. The first such event took place on June 20 and 21, 1997, at that time still under the name International Air Day, at the military airfield in Zeltweg.

The air show has been called AirPower since 2000 and was held every two years from 2003 to 2013, but was canceled in 2007 due to renovation work at the air base due to the introduction of the Eurofighters . AirPower is the largest air show in Europe.

In June 2014, the 2015 event was canceled by the Office of Defense Minister Gerald Klug (SPÖ) due to the tight budget situation. On October 19, 2015, Defense Minister Klug presented the concept of Airpower 2016 at a press conference at the Hinterstoisser air base , which took place on September 2 and 3, 2016 in Zeltweg.

Airpower 2019 took place on September 6th and 7th.

AirPower03

AirPower03 took place on June 27th and 28th, 2003. Among the approximately 250,000 visitors there were also many foreign guests who had come to the region and Styria for the first time. The 20-hour flight program was completed by pilots from 19 nations and consisted, among other things, of a performance show by the Austrian Armed Forces and the world premiere of the Red Bull Air Race .

The Italian aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori 2011

Aircraft from a hundred years of flight history were presented, including the Fokker Dr.I , the F4U “Corsair” , the F-16 “Falcon” , the UH-60 “Black Hawk” transport helicopter and the Eurofighter Typhoon . A rare specialty was the meeting of the six best aerobatic teams in the world: Frecce Tricolori from Italy, Patrouille de France , Patrouille Suisse , Turkish Stars , the British Red Arrows and the Spanish Patrulla Águila .

accident

During a canopy jump - a jumper stands on the open parachute of another during the jump - a 31-year-old jumper from the Red Bull Demo Team was seriously injured after he got caught in the lines of his parachute and the emergency parachute only opened halfway.

AirPower05

Chance-Vought F4U of the Flying Bulls
A Saab 105 OE
Peggy Krainz before her aerobatics

AirPower05 took place on June 24th and 25th, 2005. With more than 250,000 visitors, AirPower05 was the largest event of the year in Styria. 230 aircraft from 20 nations, 160 of them dynamic, were presented.

The AirPower05 was the third stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship this year. In addition to the five aerobatic teams Frecce Tricolori, Red Arrows, Patrouille de France, Patrouille Suisse and Patrulla Águila , the Swedish team 60 was the sixth.

The F-15 “Eagle” (up to Mach 2.5) and the MiG-29 “Fulcrum” (Mach 2.3) were presented as the fastest (possible) jets at the air show .

With a wingspan of 44.84 meters and a maximum take-off weight of 155 tons, the Airbus A300-600ST “Beluga” was the largest and heaviest aircraft. The oldest aircraft were a Boeing Stearman and a Bücker Jungmann - both from 1934.

Anniversary year of the Austrian Air Force

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the presented Austrian Armed with the Jak-11 , the first plane of the newly established 1955 Austrian air forces . In addition to the Saab "Safir" in service from 1964 and the Saab 105 , which has been in use as a training aircraft since 1970 , the "Black Hawk" and Bell 212 helicopters were also on display.

On the second day of the air show, the Saab 35 Draken , which served the Austrian Air Force from 1988 to 2005, performed their last formation flight . Then the Eurofighter Typhoon , which has been used since 2007 to secure the Austrian airspace, was presented.

The parking fee for cars was € 5.

Trivia

During AirPower05 the more than 600 employees of the 31 Styrian innkeepers sold around 80,000 schnitzel , 40,000 chickens , 100,000 house sausages , 500 kg mustard , 220,000 rolls and 100,000 bottles of beer to the visitors. Overall, the indirect return was estimated at 15 million euros.

AirPower09

AirPower09 took place on June 26th and 27th, 2009. Around 280,000 visitors represented a new visitor record.

The armed forces put the kerosene consumption for 2009 at 150,000 liters, although insiders estimate the number to be far higher.

criticism

In addition to the risk of an accident caused by a plane crash, the high costs (two-thirds of which are financed with tax revenues), the high environmental pollution caused by cars and planes and the advertising for the military are criticized. Especially the local Greens , the KPÖ and the socialist youth criticize the AirPower publicly. Renate Pacher, member of the state parliament of the KPÖ from Knittelfeld , asked at AirPower 2009 whether the money that is spent on AirPower and only brings "short-term increases in sales" would not be more sensibly invested in "soft tourism" in the region, while it does fears that the Aichfeld could acquire the image of a "military region".

Proponents of the air show defend the economic importance of AirPower for the region and emphasize that there were around 50,000 additional overnight stays in the region during AirPower 2005 and around 15 million euros were spent in the region. Opponents doubt these figures and counter that, according to the tourism statistics of the Province of Styria, only 13,773 beds were available in the entire Murtal in the summer half of 2005 and there were only around 8,000 more overnight stays in June 2005 compared to 2004.

AirPower11

Fokker DR.1 over F16 at AirPower11

AirPower11 took place on July 1st and 2nd, 2011. This time around 290,000 spectators came.

In the month before the air show, an attempt was made to drive away white storks that had visited the area around the Hinterstoisser air base to eat. By and large, the measures had the desired effect, but in one case the flight program had to be briefly interrupted because one of the animals showed up on the premises.

accident

During a jump from a Hercules transport plane , the parachutes of two parachutists got tangled. Both soldiers hit the ground hard and were flown to the hospital.

AirPower13

AirPower13 took place on June 28 and 29, 2013. With Blanix and the Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team, 6 aerobatic teams are flying again. Again, helicopters, combat and transport, historical and special aircraft are shown. Critics of the event stated in advance that up to 300,000 liters of kerosene would be consumed and around half a million kilograms of CO 2 would be emitted. The event cost 3.4 million euros, showed 200 aircraft and - with free entry - attracted 300,000 visitors.

AirPower16

View over the AirPower16 area
The Swiss PC-7 team at AirPower16

Airpower16 took place on September 2nd and 3rd, 2016 and, according to official information, attracted 300,000 visitors. Around 240 aircraft from 20 nations were presented in the air and on the ground. Around 1,000 civilians and the Austrian Armed Forces with around 4,000 soldiers and 756 vehicles provided food and security.

The event organizer, the Bundesheer, Red Bull and the state of Styria, will cost 3.75 million euros for the event. After an emotional discussion in March 2016 in the Styrian state parliament about the financing of a third of the total expenditure, the SPÖ, ÖVP and FPÖ voted in favor, which results in a majority, and the Greens and KPÖ against.

30,000 parking spaces were offered around the event site. The parking fees were: motorcycle € 5, car € 10, bus € 60. Free train shuttles were offered from Fisching and Kraubath. The regional trains between Bruck / Mur and Unzmarkt will run on the two days of the event with twice the number of seats.

AirPower19

leader

In July 2018, the date of September 6th and 7th, 2019 was announced.

Defense Minister (until May 22, 2019) Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) reckoned with "great international influx". Flight teams and air forces from 29 countries have been written to and the first response is expected in March 2019. It is calculated with 50 aircraft of the armed forces and 200 other machines, nationally and internationally, including the Flying Red Bulls. With 60 flight demonstrations, eight to nine hours of program should be offered daily. The event is an exhibition of the armed forces in the air and on the ground. The armed forces are introducing themselves as an employer and doing a large-scale exercise. Militiamen were and are used to check persons (especially for dangerous objects) at 225 entrances - in 2016 from the Styrian militia battalion, 800 from the Burgenland militia battalion and the Deutschlandsberg militia hunter company in 2019. The Airpower project manager of the Armed Forces, Brigadier Arnold Staudacher from the Air Force, mentioned that in 2016 teams from countries with recent crisis developments, such as the "Turkish Stars" or the "Saudi Hawks", were guests. 4,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed, and the organizers are expected to spend 3.6 million euros - one third each financed by the federal government, the state and Red Bull.

Parking fees are charged for parking vehicles.

criticism

The event generates a high level of motor vehicle, in particular car and shuttle bus traffic, and emissions from aircraft movements. Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) mentions added value for Styria of around 8 euros per funded euro and the worldwide advertising value for the state.

Due to the high level of noise and pollution, environmental and climate protectors have started the petition “Against the AirPower air show on September 6th and 7th, 2019”, which is supported by activists of the “ Fridays for Future ” movement from Graz.

After the dismissal of Defense Minister Mario Kunasek was Johann Luif in the government short-I or the injunction Federal Government Löger Defense. This was in the federal government Bierlein of Thomas Starlinger replaced. Starlinger put around 80 projects to the test, including Airpower. After the end had already been rumored, Starlinger decided that the air show would take place as planned. The review showed that the recommendations of the Court of Auditors had been sufficiently addressed. The Court of Auditors had criticized that the expenses for the previously held air power shows were each a quarter higher than planned. In view of the well-advanced planning, the far-reaching effects on the regional economy and Austria's international reputation, the minister decided to carry out the Airpower.

Only a few Austrian politicians had announced that they would visit Airpower this year, such as the Styrian Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) and Defense Minister Thomas Starlinger . Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen (since January 2017) stayed away from the event , unlike in 2016, the then presidential candidate Norbert Hofer .

procedure

Airpower 2019 took place with low-hanging clouds, temperatures around and below 15 ° C and sometimes drizzling to rainy weather.

The planes therefore stood out optically from the bright cloud background. Some program items without bad weather variants were canceled on Saturday, the 2nd day of the event, due to rain or lack of visual flight conditions ; there were program interruptions.

incident

In the final phase of the landing on a wet grass runway, a Swedish double-decker ( FVM Ö1 Tummelisa - swed. F. Thumbelina ) from the interwar period rolled against a boundary with the right tire of the landing gear after an aerial battle, rolled over and lay on its back. The rescue chain started. The pilot himself climbed out of the cockpit unharmed. Viewers were not at risk.

Others

In the summer of 2016, the Court of Auditors published a critical audit report on the events from 2009 to 2013.

Web links

Commons : AirPower  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Steirische Tourismus GmbH: Airpower 13. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014 ; Retrieved February 11, 2013 .
  2. ↑ http://steiermark.orf.at/news/stories/2651354/ No “Airpower 2015”, ORF.at from June 6, 2014
  3. ↑ The Federal Army organizes “Airpower 2016” in Zeltweg. Federal Ministry of Defense and Sport , October 19, 2015, accessed on January 16, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b Austria's Armed Forces - Airpower03 (accessed on July 1, 2009)
  5. ↑ a b c Austria's Armed Forces - Airpower05 - a success in numbers (accessed on July 1, 2009)
  6. ↑ Austria's Armed Forces - Live history lessons for 80,000 visitors (accessed on July 1, 2009)
  7. ↑ Airpower Zeltweg 2005 airshow-world.de, accessed on December 15, 2018.
  8. ↑ Wilfred Rombold & Josef Fröhlich: AirPower09 breaks all records ( memento of August 30, 2009 in the Internet Archive ). In: Small newspaper . June 27, 2009
  9. ↑ Colette M. Schmidt: Criticism of AirPower in the Aichfeld . In: The Standard . June 24, 2009
  10. ↑ Bettina Oberrainer: kleinezeitung.at: Greens, KPÖ and Socialist Youth criticize AirPower ( memento from June 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ). In: Small newspaper . June 4, 2009
  11. ↑ The world as a guest in the Murtal ( Memento from July 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive ). In: Small newspaper . June 21, 2009
  12. ↑ Styrian tourism statistics (accessed on June 26, 2009)
  13. ↑ Klaus Höfler: Air Base: Soldiers in the Stork War . In: The press . June 20, 2011
  14. ↑ Soldiers drive away storks with their eyes ( memento of the original from July 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / steiermark.orf.at archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: ORF . June 20, 2011
  15. ↑ Airpower: Two parachutists injured ( memento of the original from July 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / steiermark.orf.at archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: ORF . July 1, 2011
  16. ↑ http://www.bmlv.gv.at/archiv/a2013/airpower13/teilnehmer.shtml Who flies on AIRPOWER13? BLMV Archive 2013
  17. ↑ Criticism of Airpower: 300,000 liters of kerosene orf.at, accessed on June 19, 2013
  18. ↑ http://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/bundesheer-airpower-findet-2015-nicht-statt/69.170.530 Airpower will not take place in 2015, kurier.at from June 6, 2014
  19. ↑ 300,000 visitors to Airpower. Kleine Zeitung, September 3, 2016, accessed September 4, 2016 .
  20. ↑ Thank you for being there! (No longer available online.) Http://www.airpower.gv.at/ , September 3, 2016, archived from the original on September 6, 2016 ; accessed on September 4, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.airpower.gv.at
  21. ↑ Airpower: State Parliament for State Financing orf.at, March 15, 2016, accessed on August 2, 2016.
  22. ↑ ÖAMTC: Travel tips for Airpower in Zeltweg ÖAMTC, APA, ots.at, August 31, 2016, accessed on December 15, 2018.
  23. ↑ Airpower appointment keeps tourism professionals busy kleinezeitung.at, July 18, 2018, accessed on December 15, 2018.
  24. ↑ 250 planes! It will be so spectacular at Airpower 2019 krone.at, December 6, 2018, accessed on December 15, 2018.
  25. ↑ Airpower will take off again in 2019 orf.at, December 6, 2018, accessed on December 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ Chronicle: Climate protectors harshly criticize Airpower. August 6, 2019, accessed August 7, 2019 .
  27. ↑ Eike-Clemens Kullmann: Despite the need to save: Airpower takes place. In: Upper Austrian news . June 8, 2019, accessed September 9, 2019 .
  28. ^ Defense Minister Starlinger: Airpower is carried out. In: Federal Army . June 7, 2019, accessed September 9, 2019 .
  29. ↑ Despite the election campaign, few political celebrities at Airpower19. In: Salzburger Nachrichten . September 4, 2019, accessed September 9, 2019 .
  30. ↑ Airpower: Aircraft accident went off lightly orf.at, September 7, 2019, accessed September 7, 2019.
  31. ↑ Massive Court of Auditors criticism of Airpower air show diepresse.com; AirPower short version ( memento from August 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) rechnungshof.gv.at, accessed on August 19, 2016