[electronic translation] On February 20, 1975, Christoph 42 took off on its first mission. Since then, the DRF Air Rescue station, which has been located at Schachtholm airfield near Rendsburg since 2020, has developed into an important part of emergency care in Schleswig-Holstein. When caring for the islands and Halligen in the tidal North Sea, air rescue is often the only way to get patients with serious illnesses to the mainland as quickly as possible. To date, the crews have carried out more than 61,000 missions.

Over the years, the Rendsburg air rescue station has used various helicopter models, including the Alouette III, BO105 and BK 117. The H145 was put into service in 2020, and in July 2021 the switch to an H145 with a five-blade rotor took place. The red and white machine is alerted both for rescue missions, for example in the event of cardiovascular emergencies or serious accidents, and for transport from clinic to clinic. The air rescuers have been there for people in Schleswig-Holstein for five decades: from the youngest patients in the incubator to the seriously ill on the portable heart-lung machine. The most modern equipment such as a mobile blood gas analyzer, ultrasound and digital data transmission to the clinics are available for this purpose.

“We are particularly pleased about the great support from the population that we have felt for many decades,” says Sebastian Hilliger, station manager of the DRF Air Rescue in Rendsburg, adding: “Emergency care is a joint effort, so we would like to thank our partners in the region for five decades of trusting and highly professional cooperation: hospitals, colleagues from the ground-based rescue service, fire departments, police. Because we are all united by our focus on the essential: rapid help for people in need.”

Alarming even in the dark for more than 20 years

But it was not just the aviation and medical developments in terms of equipment and the care options available to the crew that shaped the development of the Rendsburg station over time. Another important milestone was the conversion of Christoph 42 to 24-hour operation in 2004 as a result of the restructuring of air rescue in Schleswig-Holstein at the time. DRF Air Rescue is the European leader in night flying, and people in the Rendsburg region have also benefited from this expertise for more than 20 years. The non-profit organization has developed special procedures for approaching emergency sites at night. The concept includes the use of two pilots with instrument flight ratings (IFR), a satellite navigation system with a digital map, compliance with special approach profiles, helicopters equipped for instrument flight with high-performance spotlights and the use of night vision goggles (NVGs). The H145 with a five-blade rotor used at the station is ideal for operations in the dark and with night vision devices.

Until May 2024, when the DRF Air Rescue station in Niebüll also went into 24-hour operation, Christoph 42 was the only air rescue vehicle in Schleswig-Holstein available during the dark. With currently thirteen helicopter stations, DRF Air Rescue operates the most stations in Germany that are in operation 24 hours a day, and two more operate with extended off-peak times.