Cloud seeding

Hail flyers are specially equipped aircraft that a silver iodide - acetone mixture sprayed under special weather conditions over an additional device in the clouds, to achieve the formation of very small hailstones. The formation of large and dangerous hailstones is counteracted. In this way agriculture should be preserved to some extent against the damage caused by hail. Another method uses special hail rockets for the same purpose.

Use in Germany

In Germany, the Bavarian districts Rosenheim, Traunstein and Miesbach together hail airmen who are stationed at airfield Vogtareuth. The annual cost of 200,000 euros to be shared, however, the relay is operated by the district of Rosenheim. The squadron consists of two twin-engine aircraft, which operate with a solution of silver iodide and acetone. The Rems -Murr-Kreis and the Schwarzwald- Baar-Kreis in Baden- Württemberg also maintain two appropriately equipped aircraft.

Also at Stuttgart Airport hail flyers are stationed, which are used not only in agriculture, but also to protect against hail damage to the waiting for delivery of cars Mercedes -Benz works serve.

Comparable applications

Such a technique can also be used to bring some rain clouds to the " raining out" of the water content (artificial rain), either to make certain major events rainproof, as the 9 -May- parades in Moscow in 2005 and 2008, or the arrival of the Olympic fire to provide in Beijing in 2008, or dry areas with more moisture.

Scientific proof

However, the effectiveness of the method has not yet been clearly demonstrated. However, a long-term study was conducted by the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics 1981-2000. The analyzes show a hail damage reduction by up to 40 %. Investigations in South Dakota, USA, gave similar results.