Military helicopter rescue service
The Military Helicopter Rescue Service (MHR) ( French Service de sauvetage militaire héliporté SMH ) was a helicopter unit of the Swiss Air Force that belonged to the surveillance squadron and was entrusted with air rescue tasks. The military helicopter rescue service was equipped with Alouette III .
history
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In federalist Switzerland, emergency services are not the responsibility of the federal government, but the responsibility of the cantons , communes and cities. This prevented the creation of an air rescue organization on a state basis, as this was not feasible in a reasonable ratio for the smaller cantons. This deficiency was remedied with the creation of the civil organization Swiss Air Rescue Service (REGA). The REGA is financed through membership fees. Shortly after the introduction of helicopters in the Swiss army in 1952, the Swiss military also recognized the advantages of air rescue. The creation and organization of the rescue service by means of military helicopters as we know it today goes back to 1960. The impetus for this was probably provided by Sergeant Tresoldi's ejection seat rescue in July 1960 above the Blinnental in the canton of Valais .
As a result, material depots for helicopter rescue operations were set up at 13 airfields and one arsenal ( Andermatt ) and a leaflet for rescue pilots was created. However, already in 1959, fuel supplies for the use of helicopters in emergencies had been made available at eight airfields and the Andermatt arsenal, which can be described as the forerunner of today's rescue organization. In individual cases, these were used for rescue operations. One of the first such missions was probably the action on January 13, 1954 with Hiller UH-12 on the occasion of an avalanche accident near St. Antönien , in which the helicopter crashed due to the pilot's lack of experience. Since 1960, the Swiss Air Force has had a permanent rescue organization with specially equipped helicopters during working hours.
Due to the now confirmed advantages of air rescue, the Swiss Air Force founded the military helicopter rescue service on December 1, 1965. From July 1966, the military helicopter rescue service was on standby for rescue operations every day from dawn to dusk. This service was responsible for the main thing for the air rescue in the Swiss military, but also for other organizations, which at that EMD belong respectively to today's VBS, as J + S . The military helicopter rescue service was alerted by phone.
The military helicopter rescue service was an organization that did not exist as a separate unit. The pilots and helicopters always belonged to different air transport squadrons such as Air Transport Squadron 5 and were also assigned to the military helicopter rescue service for on-call duty. Alouette III helicopters were used that were currently equipped with a rope or rescue winch (the rope winches could be mounted on all Alouette IIIs of the Swiss Air Force). All crew members who were qualified were eligible for rescue flights, regardless of their classification.
The military helicopter rescue service was dissolved towards the end of the 1990s and the task was taken over by REGA. However, the service for rescues that were not directly involved with the military (e.g. for scout organizations) was handed over to REGA beforehand. With the Air Rescue Service of the Army (LRA), the Air Force can continue to carry out air rescue operations with its helicopters and support the REGA. The FLIR missions by the Air Force in favor of the REGA or the police can also be viewed as the successor to the military helicopter rescue service. The LRA emerged from the former military helicopter rescue service at the end of the 1990s. With the transfer from MHR to the LRA, the service was greatly reduced and only serves to maintain competence.
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The specifications regarding equipment were:
- An Alouette III is ready to go within 20 minutes.
- A second Alouette III or, as an exception, an Alouette II is ready to go within an hour.
- The second Alouette III is ready to fly in accommodation, or in exceptional cases an Alouette II as a second helicopter.
- Refueling and helicopter equipment is determined by the operational pilot on a case-by-case basis.
- Rescue material in accordance with the “Information sheet for rescue pilots”.
- Lägern radio station (MIZZI) active.
Requirements regarding personnel:
- 1 on-call chief, experienced pilot (preferably helicopter pilot)
- 1 mission pilot (Alouette III, level V)
- 2 mechanics
- 1 control tower operator
The pilot was called up directly by the on-call chief and acted according to his instructions. The control tower operator was requested by the on-call chief as required. Mechanics (one mechanic per plug kit) were called in: within working hours at the DMP operations management of the airfield, outside working hours by the operations guard of the military airfield in Dübendorf . If no military or civilian doctor is available at the scene of the accident, there is the possibility of appointing a doctor from the Aviation Medical Institute during normal working hours .
Alerting specifications:
- Type, extent and time of the accident. Scope of the accident, number of injured persons, required material, meals
- Location of the accident site (coordinates)
- Weather at the scene of the accident / landing site
- Location of the nearest military or civil doctor
- Required material, food
- Urgent task for helicopters (picking up a doctor, mountain guide, avalanche dog, etc.)
- Landing point Tal, as a collection point for personnel and material
- Telephone number of the coordination office of the rescue operation (must be manned continuously for the entire duration of the operation).
The troop requesting the rescue service has to keep staff ready, who can be called upon to assist with rescue operations if necessary.
Extract of mission numbers
For example, in 1965 the military helicopter rescue service transported around 60 people at a cost of around 50 flight hours, of which around 1/3 of the passengers were civilians, without their operations being evaluated for propaganda purposes. The military helicopter rescue service worked in close contact with the Swiss Air Rescue Service, but deliberately held back so as not to restrict their operational possibilities. The above figures show that this enabled a fruitful collaboration between a civil and military rescue organization. The military helicopter rescue service was always ready to help the air ambulance if they needed support. Invoices were issued for the transport of civilians so as not to compete with REGA. The chief air transport of the Luftwaffe reports a successful operation so that this could be offset as air transport in favor of third parties.
- From 1960, 1961 and 1962 there is no statistical information on the use of military helicopters for rescue operations. In 1961 and 1962, the helicopter service was already severely restricted under the pressure of austerity measures.
- 1963: Rescue missions were carried out exclusively for the benefit of troop members. The following were transported: 6 injured, 3 sick, 1 avalanche victim. Flight services for this: 24 hours 30 minutes / 104 flights.
- 1964: A total of 12 rescue missions were flown with helicopters. The following were transported: 9 injured, 1 sick, 2 dead. Flight performance 7 hours 30 minutes
- 1965: Military actions 17: Rescue uninjured 24, injured or sick 20, dead 1, flight performance: 23 hours 06 minutes.
- 1965: Civilian actions 10: Rescue uninjured 9, injured or sick 1, dead 7; Search actions 5; Flight performance: 23 hours 53 min.
- 1966: (January 1st to June 30th)
- Military actions 4; Rescue uninjured 56, sick 4, rescue injured 5, = 65; Flight performance 7 hours 10 minutes
- Civil actions 2 ( Air-Glaciers / Zanfleuron, Kaggia-Weik / Stollenbruch); Rescue uninjured 42. Flight services for this: 3 hours 34 minutes plus 2 missions in favor of civilians from 3.7.66
Locations
As a rule, the military airfields at Dübendorf and Alpnach were alternately, and in exceptional cases Sitten or Ambri were the operational bases of the MHR.
coat of arms
As a coat of arms , the military helicopter rescue service had the front view of an Alouette III with the rescue winch rope extended, the front fuselage in red with a white cross in the middle, the cockpit glazing in white adorned with the letters MHR, with the vertical parts of the H also being vertical Form parts of M and R. The badge was round, with a light blue / white striped background and a white outer edge, surrounded by the black inscription Military Helicopter Rescue Service.
literature
- Military helicopter rescue service in the Federal Archives
- Romano Cotti, Herbert Oberholzer: Knowing + Ability. Rex-Verlag, Lucerne / Stuttgart.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Military helicopter rescue service, 1966 (dossier)
- ↑ Military helicopter rescue service, on-call services by DMP staff (PDF, Federal Archives)
