The rescue planes from the Greifswald DRF station are used when things have to go particularly quickly. A new helicopter should allow more range. It is also better protected against sand.
Greifswald (dpa/mv) - The rescue planes of the DRF Luftrettung stationed in Greifswald will be able to cover a larger range in the future. The reason: They have had a new helicopter since the beginning of the week. The DRF announced that it was the most modern rescue helicopter currently available in civil air rescue. In contrast to the previous machine, this type has a rotor with five instead of four blades. As a result, it should be able to transport more loads and also be calmer in the air.
"For us, the greater payload capacity also means that we can take on more fuel with this helicopter, which further increases the range," explained station manager Bernd Rosenberger. According to the DRF, the helicopter also has a sand filter to protect the engines and slow down wear. "Christoph 47" - that's the name of the Greifswald rescue helicopter - is often used on beaches on the Baltic Sea.
The station set up at the Greifswald University Hospital in 1990 covers the islands of Rügen and Usedom, among others. The rescue planes are sometimes much faster than ambulances on the road. The DRF has been operating the station since 1992 and has also been operating at night since summer 2020. According to the information, the crews flew more than 1,500 missions last year.
