At the turn of the year, DRF Luftrettung put its Bautzen, Germany, station into operation, marking its 10th night flight station nationwide. No other air rescue organization in Germany operates so many 24-hour stations. Throughout Europe, DRF air rescue is among the civil operators of the night-flight expert, with the most flying hours in the dark. It has state-of-the-art helicopters that are particularly suitable for night flight and employs highly qualified personnel.
“Air rescue at dusk and darkness — in this we are the expert. Since Jan. 1, we have been using our know-how at 10 wards to help patients who are seriously injured or ill be quickly provided with emergency medical care at night or transported to the clinic that is most suitable for them,” said CEO Dr. Krystian Pracz. “The location of Bautzen also benefits from the fact that we are highly specialized in the requirements of night-time rescue operations.”
The non-profit organization developed special procedures for approaching locations at night years ago. The concept includes the use of two IFR pilots, a digital map satellite navigation system, compliance with specific approach profiles, the use of night vision goggles (NVGs) and instrument-equipped helicopters with high performance headlamps. Their nightly usage profile ranges from the islands of the North Sea to the mountain ranges of the Alps.
In DRB the DRF Luftrettung starts operation with an H145 rescue helicopter. The red and white machine is particularly suitable for nightly rescue operations thanks to its night vision equipment and specially configured cabin lighting.
In addition, it has a permanently installed rescue winch. “Our crews also benefit from the organization’s many years of experience in winching operations,” said Dr. Pracz. The first use of the DRF Luftrettung with rescue winch was already more than 20 years ago.
Nationwide, DRF Luftrettung uses helicopters at 29 air rescue stations in Germany and at two stations in Austria for rapid emergency rescue and for urgent transport of intensive care patients between clinics. Every year, it provides around 38,000 missions.
