DRF Luftrettung operates helicopters for emergency rescue and transporting intensive care patients between clinics at 31 HEMS bases in Germany and Austria, with eight of these HEMS bases running 24/7. In addition, DRF Luftrettung operates ambulance aircraft with specialized crews for worldwide repatriations.

DRF Luftrettung was called out to rescue missions 19,558 times from January to June 2017. The organization was very frequently alerted after traffic and leisure accidents. The experienced emergency physicians and paramedics regularly took care of patients with acute coronary syndromes and strokes. After a serious accident or a heart attack, it is essential for the survival of the patient that he or she receives optimal medical treatment as quickly as possible. “Due to our state-ofthe-art medical equipment, we are able to diagnose and to provide medical care for a wide range of diseases and injuries immediately on-site”, says Dr. Peter Huber, a member of the executive board of DRF Luftrettung. Apart from the medical treatment, patients depend on transportation by DRF Luftrettung. In the first half of the year, every third emergency patient had to be flown to a specialised hospital. “The main reason for this is the specialisation of hospitals”, explains Dr. Peter Huber.

Rescue missions in mountainous areas were frequent occurrences at its two HEMS bases in Austria. The helicopters based in Tyrol and Carinthia are equipped with a cable winch, which is essential for rescue operations in alpine terrain. A specially equipped offshore-helicopter is additionally based at Güttin (isle of Rügen) to provide a fast emergency service for offshore-operations in the Baltic Sea.

The ambulance aircraft of DRF Luftrettung (German Air Rescue) bring people who have had an accident or have fallen seriously ill abroad quickly and safely back to a hospital in their respective home countries. The experienced crews and flying ICUs allow for optimal patient care from hospital bed to hospital bed. These worldwide patient transports are coordinated in the Operation-Center at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport around the clock, 365 days a year.

The Operation-Center of DRF Luftrettung also ensures the airworthiness of its own ambulance aircraft and helicopter fleet 365 days a year. About 120 engineers are on duty for DRF Luftrettung. The Sales Department offers the whole range of services of DRF Luftrettung to private, commercial and official aviation operators. National and international clients benefit not only from the extensive expertise in air rescue and from the performance of the technical service center of DRF Luftrettung with its own design organization, but also from flight operation training courses.

Within Germany DRF Luftrettung is most experienced in 24-hour flight operation. The air-rescue organization uses high-tech night vision goggles and modern helicopters such as the new H 145. This helicopter is perfectly suited for 24-hour air rescue missions due to its excellent performance and the Fenestron protected tail rotor