A perfect match - DRF Luftrettung and the Airbus H145

 German helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operator DRF Luftrettung flies one of the largest H145 fleets in the world. Now the company has taken delivery of its 40th H145, from the Airbus Helicopters site in Donauwörth.

It seems that since the very beginning, the H145 and DRF Luftrettung have been a match made in heaven. The German HEMS operator took delivery of the first ever four-bladed H145 in 2014 and the helicopter soon became the backbone of its operations. Impressed by its performance DRF Luftrettung then became the first customer to upgrade a four-bladed H145 to the five-bladed version. 

As a HEMS operator, how a helicopter’s performance positively impacts patient care is a key factor. As a user from the very onset, they have a wealth of examples of the difference the H145 can make. "I remember one mission where I was particularly impressed by the performance of the five-bladed H145," recalls pilot Franz Ahollinger, who has accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours in his career. "It was a typical mission for us, flying from Zwiesel in the Bavarian Forest to Regensburg with a patient requiring treatment with a mobile heart-lung machine (ECMO). We had our usual crew on board, plus a cardiologist. Together with the patient, there were six people on this flight, plus all the specialist equipment. With the five-bladed H145 we were able to carry out this mission without any problems.”

The helicopter that has it all 

Ahollinger has been involved in H145 operations from the start. As project manager for the introduction of the H145 into the DRF fleet, as H145 flight instructor for the DRF Luftrettung and as HEMS pilot at the DRF base in Regensburg, he has significant experience with this helicopter type. 

"The five-bladed H145 is the ideal helicopter for our missions," says Ahollinger, who's been with the DRF Luftrettung for more than 20 years and began his flying career in the German Armed Forces 32 years ago. "The cabin is large, so we can carry all the equipment we need for interhospital transfer missions, but the helicopter itself is still compact enough to land close to accident sites," he continues. "Helionix and the five-blade rotor make the helicopter the perfect tool for our missions. From my point of view, Helionix is the best avionics system on the market, it's very intuitive and self-explanatory, it gives the pilot the right information at the right time. The five-blade rotor makes the helicopter as smooth as a fixed-wing aircraft, which is very important for the treatment of patients in the helicopter, but also for the crew as we sometimes fly non-stop during our 12-hour shifts, especially in the summer".

Any time, any place - the H145 is ready to save lives

The DRF Luftrettung has been relying on the five-bladed H145 in Regensburg since 2021 and flew more than 1700 missions day and night in 2024 alone. The station in Regensburg is a dual-use station (primary and secondary missions), which operates 24 hours a day. 

Due to its proximity to the Danube and the Bavarian Forest, water and mountain rescue operations are also carried out in the area of emergency rescue.

Since 2011, the base in Regensburg has been the second air rescue station in Germany to be authorised to use night vision goggles for night rescue operations. It also provides specialised transport for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome or cardiovascular failure, while maintaining intensive care therapy. DRF Luftrettung is one of the largest HEMS operators in Europe. DRF Luftrettung operates more than 50 Airbus helicopters at 29 bases in Germany for emergency rescue and intensive care transport, including rescue winch operations and day and night missions. In 2024, the German HEMS operator flew a total of 35,850 missions.