On March 8, 2021, DRF Luftrettung puts the first H145 helicopter with a five-blade rotor in Germany in the rescue service at the Stuttgart station; today the machine was transferred to the station. Compared to its predecessor, the helicopter is lighter and therefore offers a higher possible payload with the same performance. In addition, the fifth rotor blade makes it even quieter in the air, which benefits patients and crew. With the commissioning as part of the fleet renewal, DRF Luftrettung is pursuing its goal of constantly advancing the development of air rescue.

The first helicopter of the type H145 with a five-blade rotor arrived at the DRF Luftrettung shipyard in December and was equipped there for station operations. Now it is certain: The machine will be used in the Stuttgart region as “Christoph 51″ in the future.
Dr. Krystian Pracz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DRF Luftrettung, is delighted with the start of the new machine: “The commissioning of the new H145 with five-blade rotor represents a milestone in air rescue in Germany , and we are very proud of that. We made the very conscious decision to use the system as soon as it is available and to go this route first. Because it was and is part of our self-image as DRF Luftrettung, the further developmentto constantly promote air rescue. We always have one goal in mind: To continuously improve the care of our patients in all areas relevant to air rescue – people, medicine and technology. ”

Start in the home region
The decision to put the first machine of its kind into service at the Stuttgart station is justified by Dr. Pracz says: “Here in Baden-Württemberg, DRF Luftrettung performed its first mission in 1973 and we feel very connected to the state and the region . It is therefore a particular pleasure for us to take over the first H145 with a five-blade rotor, which represents another big step into the future of air rescue, in the vicinity of our founding location and our current headquarters in Filderstadt. ”

The increase in the possible payload of the new machine makes it possible, for example, to react better to spontaneous requirements at the place of use, among other things by taking on additional medical personnel. If necessary, the air rescuers can also fill up with more fuel and thus fly even longer distances. Another technical innovation , in addition to the new rotor, is WiFi integrated into the cockpit or … through which the pilots can transfer important data directly from the tablet to the on-board computer.

Own retrofitting – as the first customer worldwide
In the coming months, DRF Luftrettung will add two more H145s with five-blade rotors to their fleet. During the same period, DRF Luftrettung will also be working with Airbus for the first time to convert an existing aircraft to the five-rotor blade system – as the world’s first Airbus customer. Within the next two years, DRF Luftrettung plans to convert all of its H145 helicopters from four to five rotor blades. In the future, DRF Luftrettung can also offer this conversion to external customers .