Press Releases
August 03, 2009 | DRF Luftrettung receives extended Design Organisation approval
The DRF Luftrettung is now approved to carry out major technical modifications on all licensed helicopters in Europe. In this way the Design Organisation, according to EASA Part 21J, is approved to acquire Supplement Type Certificates. Advantages include improved flexibility, less costs and shorter down time for its own helicopter fleet. Last but not least, other helicopter operators profit from the know how supplied by the DRF Luftrettung.
The first Supplement Type Certificates for the DRF Luftrettung issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency dealt with the installation of a cockpit voice and flight data recorder system for helicopters of type BK 117. As a consequence, the technicians could carry out these comprehensive installations in the maintenance facilities of the DRF Luftrettung independently. “Since we do not rely on external services anymore, we are in a position to save costs. Repairs for our helicopters can be implemented more rapidly. The extension of our Design Approval also involves major technical modifications for other helicopter operators – assuming free capacities in our maintenance facilities. The profits benefit the DRF Luftrettung’s air rescue”, explains Wolfgang Stein, Head of the Technical Department at the DRF Luftrettung.
Since 2007 the Design Approval has comprised minor modifications and repairs. Now the Design Approval has been granted for avionics, structure, electrical systems and medical equipment. The comprehensive approval process took approximately one year and involved the compilation of a manual and training for employees.
DRF Luftrettung’s Technical Department
The Operation-Center of the DRF Luftrettung has been situated at the airport Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden for ten years. The Technical Department which resides there consists of CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation), the EASA-Part-145-maintenance facility, the EASA-Part-21J-design organisation as well as the EASA-Part-147-training organisation. 60 members of staff work in different departments, about 40 technicians carry out maintenance works for the helicopters of type Eurocopter and the ambulance aircraft of the DRF Luftrettung.
The DRF Luftrettung
The DRF Luftrettung operates 42 HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) bases in Germany, Austria and Italy with more than 50 helicopters for emergency rescue and intensive care transport between hospitals, at eight bases even around the clock. In cooperation with the LAR (Luxembourg Air Rescue) the DRF Luftrettung operates- under the name of European Air Ambulance (EAA) – six ambulance aircraft for the worldwide repatriation of patients. Every year the DRF Luftrettung flies around 41,000 missions.
The DRF Luftrettung consists of a non-profit sponsoring association, a foundation under civil law and a non-profit corporation with the subsidiaries of the latter. The foundation, which is controlled by the Regional Council (Regierungspräsidium) of Stuttgart, supervises the operative work of the non profit corporation. To finance its work the DRF Luftrettung is hence dependent on the aid of the approximately 500,000 supporting members and of donators.
