The small single engine airplane in plastic noises and rolls in the airspace above Kalmar. At the lowest permitted altitude of 150 meters, you have to be disciplined and stay alert.
- The big TV mast in Algutsrum is about 150 meters, and then we have the wind turbines to watch out for. Then it must be that both the pilot and the map reader are aware, says Torbjörn Almqvist of the Voluntary Air Force.
He and his comrade Per-Olof Sahlström practiced on Friday to take pictures of infrastructure, such as road adapters and various rail rails. This is to be able, for example, to document what damage a possible storm would cause to society's infrastructure.
Several mission areas
- We can set up and help with searching, for example taking pictures after storms, working together with the sea rescue but also sea surveillance, says Hans Gerremo, county flight manager in Voluntary Air Force Kalmar County.
Last year was a year when major forest fires ravaged Kalmar County. Something that became a kind of fire test for the pilots.
- For the last three years, we have worked very intensively with the County Administrative Board. The big ordeal was 2018 and then we flew every day for three and a half months. This year it was not as intense but we have flown about half of the time we did then. This year we have discovered and assisted in 32 fires, says Hans Gerremo.