The “Christoph 45” EMS helicopter base at Friedrichshafen celebrates its 30th birthday today. From its launch in October 1980 and based at the Hospital of Friedrichshafen, the base as worked over 23,000 missions and its service area takes in a wide variety of challenging terrain. As the southernmost station of the DRF Air Rescue, including over-water rescues on Lake Constance involving inflatable raft and rescue swimmer, to mountain rescue situations such as avalanches. The coverage area has a radius of 60km and takes in the towns of Konstanz, Tuttlingen, Villingen, Sigmaringen, Ravensburg, Biberach, Krumbach and Kempten

To mark the 30th anniversary on Saturday 13th November, an emergency medical training session is being run at Klinkum Friedrichshafen, followed by a party in the helicopter hangar.

Christoph 45 is currently operated by DRF using a Eurocopter EC135, which superceded a Bo105.