The new helicopter was already flown to Niebüll at the weekend and then had to be scaffolded: “We have heard so many positive things about the stations that are already flying a five-blade machine that we are very happy,” says Jürgen Voiss, pilot of the DRF Luftrettung in Niebüll, “because the advantages of this pattern will help us, especially in summer. And already after the first day I can say, this helicopter is just great!”

In addition to the advantage of being able to transport higher payloads, the H145 is even quieter in the air thanks to the fifth rotor blade, which benefits patients and crew. With the commissioning of this modern rescue helicopter, the DRF Luftrettung is consistently pursuing its goal of advancing the development of air rescue. “The H145 with five-blade rotor not only has less vibration, the larger payload capacity also means for us: We can take on more fuel with this helicopter, which increases the range. This is a factor, especially when it comes to relocations,” adds Jürgen Voiss.

dr Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung, explains the background to the ongoing modernization of the fleet: “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 a very conscious decision to deploy the system as soon as it is available and to be the first to do so. Because it is part of our self-image to advance the further development of air rescue. We always have one goal in mind: to further improve the care of our patients in all areas relevant to air rescue – people, medicine and technology.”

Modernization of the fleet since 2020

The first H145 helicopter with a five-blade rotor arrived at the DRF Luftrettung shipyard in December 2020 and was converted for station service. Since then, the DRF Luftrettung has continuously added more H145s with five-blade rotors to its fleet. Niebüll is the tenth station to receive a machine of this type.