At Helitech International 2018, Airbus Helicopters and DRF Luftrettung have signed a contract for the delivery of three H145s in 2019. This will bring the H145 fleet of the German helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operator to 17, making them one of the biggest H145 operators worldwide.
“The performance of the H145, especially the added value which Helionix brings to our operation, helps us to fulfill our mission every day – saving the lives of severely injured or ill patients,” said Dr. Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung.
“We thank DRF Luftrettung for their continued trust in Airbus Helicopters,” said Thomas Hein, head of sales, Western Europe at Airbus Helicopters. “After being launch customer of the H145 in 2014, this is a strong signal of our mutual cooperation.”
DRF Luftrettung is one of the biggest HEMS operators in Germany. The organisation operates more than 50 Airbus helicopters at 31 bases throughout Germany and Austria for emergency rescue and intensive care transports including rescue winch operations.
By starting night time missions more than 20 years ago and operating nine 24/7 sites (2019: 10), the DRF Luftrettung has the broadest experience in HEMS night operations throughout Europe.
In addition, the ambulance jet aircraft of DRF Luftrettung repatriate people who have experienced an accident or have fallen seriously ill while abroad quickly and safely back to a hospital in their respective home countries. DRF Luftrettung was launch customer of the H145 in 2014, having to date 14 H145s in operation.
More than 200 H145s have been delivered since entry into service in 2015, clocking up more than 110,000 flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite, which includes a high-performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.
