DRF Luftrettung hosts third HHO Symposium

After two days of discussions, presentations and demonstrations, the third Helicopter Hoist Operator (HHO) Symposium came to an end.

Throughout the event, hosted by German air rescue service DRF Luftrettung at its Operation Center, 130 international guests discussed new trends and developments in the world of winch operations.

The program included lectures and workshops on technical and medical topics, as well as a live demonstration.

In the first part, a winch rescue with a ‘patient dummy’ requiring resuscitation was shown; in the second part the focus was on a self-stabilizing carrying system. The advantages of new technology were illustrated, showing how it could facilitate the work of emergency physicians, leading to greater safety and speed in the field.

Jörg Redetzky, Head of Crew Training and organizer of the symposium, said: “This year, we have succeeded in bringing together such a large and broad group of participants as never before. All major HHO manufacturers and aircraft manufacturers, representatives of the authorities as well as representatives of the military, the police and the mountain rescue services were present. This shows the great appreciation for our symposium and the success of our established European platform.”

On the second day of the symposium, DRF Luftrettung launched its mobile HHO simulator hoistAR.

After months of work with Reiser Simulation and Training, the simulator was presented to the audience in a live demonstration. Redetzky and Michael Holz, Chief Operating Officer of Reiser Simulation and Training, showed in detail the development steps and possibilities of the simulator, which the audience could view on a large screen.

To summarize the event, Sebastian Schneider, Head of Winch Training at DRF Luftrettung, said: “The top-class presentations of our speakers and the valuable discussions have shown that our community is growing closer and closer together.

“One example is the consideration of improvements to the winch operating handle, the so-called hoist pendant. We conducted a survey during the symposium and compiled data that will be completed by ESPN-R and then recommended to manufacturers.

“We are leading the way and speaking with one voice in order to jointly advance safety in winch operation.”