Health policies
  The advent of JAR-OPS 3
  Turbomeca a major player
  European operators

Turbomeca: power for all major aeromedical operators in Europe

A 109 K2 operated by Rega

Leading off this look at Turbomeca’s client portfolio is Switzerland, host of the Airmed 2002 Congress. Fifty years after being founded, Rega is still the leading medevac operator in Switzerland. A European pioneer in aeromedical transport, Rega now operates a fleet of 14 Agusta A109 K2 helicopters, powered by Arriel 1K1 engines. Five EC145 helicopters will be joining the fleet next Spring. With ten air bases distributed around Switzerland, Rega can send a helicopter anywhere in the country within 15 minutes. It performs over 8,000 missions a year.

In Germany, the two main operators are ADAC-Luftrettung and DRF. ADAC deploys three Turbomeca-powered EC135 helicopters, and has two EC145s on order, for service entry early next year. It operates a fleet of 36 helicopters, from 24 bases. DRF is a non-profit organization that has teamed up with three private operators to create "Team DRF". Together, they operate 51 helicopters at 38 bases. DRF has also ordered a Turbomeca-powered EC145. The third main medevac player in Germany is the border police service, BGS (Bundesgrenzschutz), with 16 bases. The BGS chose the Arrius 2B2 for its 11 new EC135 helicopters. Each year, about 60,000 medical transport missions are flown in Germany.

Austria is home to one of the largest fleets of Turbomeca-powered EC135s. The Austrian Automobile Club, OAMTC, has 18 of these models, operated from 14 fixed bases (some only operating in summer or in winter). A 15th base is currently being tested along the German border, in conjunction with ADAC.

EC 135

Great Britain has a fleet of 18 aeromedical transport helicopters, including 12 that belong to Bond Air Services Ltd., the largest private operator in the country, which deploys them on behalf of regional non-profit organizations. Of this fleet, five are Turbomeca-powered EC135s. Several police helicopters also pitch in to help out on medevac missions in three counties..

Italy has an especially well developed fleet of aeromedical transport helicopters, with 47 operating out of 46 bases, of which 34 are privately owned. Turbomeca provides the engines for 22 of these machines, most notably three EC135, four A109K2s and ten BK117s. Most private operators belong to the Italian Helicopter Association.

In Spain, about 30 helicopters are used for aeromedical missions. Early this year, Helicsa chose the Arrius 2B2 for its six new EC135s, delivered starting this November. They will join a fleet that already includes Arriel-powered Dauphin helicopters.

EC 145 operated by the Civil Security for Pau HEMS

Back home in France, there are 28 medevac helicopter bases operated by private companies on a full-time basis, and another nine that only open during certain seasons. A total of 38 twin-engine helicopters are deployed by private companies for emergency medical and air ambulance services - and 25 of these are powered by Turbomeca! The largest operator is Hélicap, an aeromedical transport specialist founded in 1983; it has 12 EC135s with Turbomeca engines, working out of nine hospitals. Hélicap will take delivery of a 13th helicopter in November, powered by the new Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 engine. Another major operator is Proteus, the first private company in Europe to operate the A109 Power equipped with Arrius 2K1 engines. Proteus operates on behalf of four hospitals, and also leases one of its machines for operations in Rome. Other private operator clients of Turbomeca include Commerc’air Héli Union, Mont Blanc Hélicoptères and SAF.

Two government agencies also provide aeromedical transport in France, both using exclusively Turbomeca-powered helicopters. The Civil Security Helicopter Group has 20 bases (with two more opening in 2003, at Besançon and Guadeloupe) and 33 helicopters. In 2001, this unit carried out 10,300 rescue missions. The Gendarmerie’s aerial units perform another 5,700 rescue missions per year. A number of these missions are for emergency medical evacuation, as well as air ambulance service. The two agencies have ordered a total of 40 EC145s, 32 for the Civil Security group and 8 for the Gendarmerie, with the first models entering service by the end of the year.