Christoph 53

Christoph 53
Christoph 53 in standby position, City Airport Mannheim
Air rescue center data
Operator:	DRF air rescue
Helicopter type:	Eurocopter EC 135
Former LFZ *:	until 1992: Eurocopter AS 350
Location:	City Airport Mannheim
Operational readiness:	Sunrise (no earlier than 7 a.m.) to sunset
Particularities:	Means of transport for the rescue divers of the professional fire brigades Ludwigshafen and Mannheim, ECMO and incubator transports
Coordinates:	49 ° 28 '29.8 "  N , 8 ° 31' 6.5"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 28 '29.8 "  N , 8 ° 31' 6.5"  E
crew
Pilot:	DRF air rescue
Doctor:	University Hospital Mannheim , University of Heidelberg
HEMS Technical Crew Member :	predominantly DRF
* LFZ = aircraft

Christoph 53 is a rescue helicopter of the German Air Rescue Service stationed at City Airport Mannheim .

history

Since 1986, DRF Luftrettung had a Eurocopter AS 350 in provisional use at the Mannheim station . In 1992 an MBB / Kawasaki BK 117 replaced the previous machine. Originally, this was mainly requested as an intensive care transport helicopter for the fast and gentle transport of patients between the clinics in the region and only used as a supplement to the already existing rescue service for emergency rescue. Since July 2005, the Mannheim helicopter has been requested by the Rhein-Neckar rescue control center for emergency operations if it is the optimal means of rescue.

Location and helicopter

Christoph 53 starts at City Airport Mannheim (EDFM) for his missions within a radius of 70 kilometers. Various EC 135 helicopters have been used since 2018 .

The social wing is located on the eastern ground floor of the airport building on Seckenheimer Landstrasse. The helicopter is stationed in the immediate vicinity at the rear of the parking garage. He is accommodated in an aircraft hangar opposite the parking garage.

Until April 2016, the helicopter was stationed about 300 meters away from the runway. After the alarm, the crew first had to drive from the station to the helicopter by car. In the meantime, a special permit was available to start directly in front of the social wing of the station, but this was not maintained permanently.

Trivia

• In 1997/98 the Medicopter 117 was stationed in Mannheim for several months . The helicopter with the registration number D-HECE used in the TV series was a fully equipped BK 117 of the DRF that had been repainted for the shooting and chartered to the production company , which served as a reserve machine for the DRF. After the first season was turned off and before the start of the second season, the machine was used in Mannheim as Christoph 53 while retaining the Medicopter foiling and painting.

• On Sunday, July 19, 2015, the rescue helicopter D-HAID type BK 117 was blown from its landing platform during a thunderstorm at City Airport Mannheim and was slightly damaged.

Web links

Commons : Christoph 53 (air ambulance)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• DRF-Luftrettung, Christoph 53 , Mannheim station
• Christoph 53 at rth.info

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Christoph 53 at the DRF Luftrettung
2. ↑ EINSATZ 3/98, members' magazine of the DRF, page 16f
3. ↑ Mannheimer Morgen of June 12, 1988, p. 34
4. ↑ Mannheimer Morgen , July 20, 2015, page 19, helicopter blown by the wind.