When every minute counts 37,811 missions for German air-rescue organization

Shortness of breath, sudden crushing chest pain – heart attack. A typical emergency for DRF Luftrettung,which is alerted every day to provide patients with medical care.In 2014 its crews flew a total of 37,811missions (in 2013: 38,180) from its 30 HEMS bases in Germany and Austria,including worldwide repatriations with its ambulance air-crafts.

Within Germany DRF Luftrettung flew a total of 35,368 HEMS missions. Apart from heart attacks,strokes and accidents were the most frequent reasons for alerts. 14% of the emergency helicopter missions comprised car accidents alone.

In addition to emergency rescue alerts, 23% of German-wide missions involved intensive care transports between clinics, e.g. caring for patients with respiratory distress syndrome or patients suffering from specific heart ill-nesses.

Air rescue in Austria

At its two HEMS bases in Austria, ARA Flugrettung, which belongs to DRF Luftrettung, flew 1,700 missions (2014: 1,858). Especially in the touristic high seasons in summer and winter, operations in mountaineous areas were frequent. The helicopters based in Tyrol and Carinthia are equipped with a cable winch, which is essential for rescue operations in alpine terrain.

Ambulance flights

In the field of world-wide ambulance flights, DRF Luftrettung together with the LAA (Luxembourg Air Ambulance) repatriated 743 injured or seriously ill patients (2014: 677) to their home countriesunder the name of EAA (Euro-pean Air Ambulance).

DRF Luftrettung has resigned from the EAA (European Air Ambulance) at the end of 2014. The EAA was founded as a joint marketing-organization of DRF Luftrettung and Luxembourg Air Ambulance (LAA) in 2008 to offer medical repatriations for insurance companies on the international market. Since January 2015 DRF Luftrettunghas been conducting ambulance flights only for its sponsoring members.

Outlook 2015: New fleet member EC 145 T2

Soon DRF Luftrettung will put the first helicopter of type EC 145 T2 officially into service at its HEMS base in Munich. This represents a milestone in modernizing theDRF Luftrettung fleet, since this type of helicopter will be delivered to further HEMS bases in Bavaria in 2015 as well. The EC 145 T2 is excellently suited for air rescue missions thanks to its performance capa-bility and the Fenestron. Particularly in night rescue missions, the shrouded tail rotor provides a further measure of safety.

DRF Luftrettung was the first operator in the world to take delivery of the first EC 145 T2 last year. The medical-technical equipment was installed at the aircraft maintenance facility of DRF Luftrettung at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport. Bucher Leichtbau AG, ADAC Luftrettung and DRF Luftrettung have createdan innovative interior compartment concept for helicopters of the type EC 145 T2. This new medical interior concept was applied for the first time and provides advantages in patient care and security in the helicopter.It was realized for worldwide HEMS deployment and is also offered to international customers.