The results are impressive!
In the Kötschach-Mauthen area of Carinthia (Austria), the functionality of the AirMarker was explained and demonstrated live to the alpine police officers and the rescue crew on the ground. These first test specimens, brought along by the start-up's CEO, generated a great deal of excitement. The AirMarker's trigger mechanism was explained and shown in action in front of the assembled audience.
With a hissing sound, the Rescue Balloon inflated in front of the audience, powered by the helium cartridges built into the housing. After being released, the balloon rose up to 45 meters above the heads of those present. The challenge for the flight crew was then to approach the area and find out how effectively and, above all, how quickly the AirMarker could be identified from a distance.
Michael Bachlechner, Regional Training Manager of the Carinthian Alpine Police, drew the following conclusion:
«When searching for people by helicopter, despite known GPS coordinates and an existing telephone connection, there are regularly situations in which the people concerned are very difficult to recognize and locate. The AirMarker can certainly greatly reduce the time required for this ‹pinpointing› and thus shorten the search time considerably.»
