150 calls a day for ADAC
Non-profit air rescue and road assistance organisation ADAC Luftrettung in Germany has reported that in 2017, crews responded to over 54,000 emergencies, with the air rescue crews lifting off around 150 times per day.
Non-profit air rescue and road assistance organisation ADAC Luftrettung in Germany has reported that in 2017, its crews responded to over 54,000 emergencies, with the air rescue crews lifting off around 150 times per day. According to ADAC, 49,000 patients were treated. The rescue helicopter covered around 3.6 million km during their flights – equivalent to flying 90 times around the world – and the average flight time for a mission was around 30 minutes.
The primary reason for callouts for the helicopters was medical assistance for acute conditions such as a heart attack; around 12 per cent were neurological emergencies, and the same amount was for sporting or domestic injuries, and 10 per cent of callouts were to attend a traffic accident.
Christophe 31, the organisation’s emergency medical helicopter based in Berlin, flew 3,331 missions in 2017. Managing Director of ADAC Luftrettung Frederic Bruder commented on the operations: “The missions in Berlin pose special challenges to the crew every day, because take offs and landings in the middle of street canyons and busy streets are among the most difficult.” Operations are limited from sunrise to sunset at the moment, but Bruder said that in the future, there could be an extension of operating hours. The H145 and EC135 aircraft already used by ADAC could perform night flights, he added.