Rescue plane

Learjet 35 A of the DRF as an ambulance aircraft

Interior view of a Dornier 328 Jet ambulance aircraft

A Beechcraft Super King Air 200 as a medical aircraft for the RFDS in Australia

Interior of a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 as a medical aircraft of the RFDS

McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale of the USAF as air ambulance

Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair leased from the ICRC in 1975

A rescue aircraft (also called medical aircraft or ambulance aircraft ) is a specially equipped aircraft with which the injured or sick, e.g. B. can be flown back to your home country from abroad. These are mainly operated by traffic guards such as ADAC or aid organizations such as DRF Luftrettung (DRF) , Swiss Air Rescue REGA , FAI rent-a-jet (FAI) or the German Red Cross (DRK) . In addition, several air forces have appropriate aircraft.

Furnishing

In ambulance aircraft, depending on the cabin size, up to six patients can be transported lying down. Stretchers in aircraft are, according to the Anglicized usage in aviation, and in Germany Stretcher referred. The medical equipment of the aircraft depends on the operating company. The standard always includes complete ambulance equipment , which can be expanded with additional intensive care components if necessary so that intubated patients can also be transported. Are oxygen bottles carried and a compressor for producing compressed air as operating gas for ventilation equipment is installed. In Germany, modifications to aircraft cabins must be approved by the Federal Aviation Office .

Appropriately equipped Learjets from various series or, for some years now, larger machines such as the Dornier Do 328-300 (also known as the Do 328Jet ) or comparable models are often used. Another model that is more often used as a rescue aircraft is the Beechcraft King Air and its larger version, the Super King Air, as well as the Pilatus PC-6 or Pilatus PC-12 , all three with turboprop engines. But there are also smaller aircraft that are used for this purpose and powered by piston engines, such as the Dornier Do 27, Dornier Do 28 PZL-104 , Aero L-60 Brigadýr and the Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander .

Aid organizations

Ambulance aircraft are operated by aid organizations, traffic clubs and private providers. An internationally known organization that operates several rescue aircraft is the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Australia , which provides medical care for people in the less populated areas of the country and can reach any place in Australia within two hours. The International Red Cross (ICRC) also leases aircraft such as the Douglas DC-7 or Aviation Traders ATL-98 for this purpose and temporarily furnishes them for their intended use.

Air Force

armed forces

The Bundeswehr and the Air Force maintain an Airbus A310 as part of their own medical service , which can be expanded into a flying intensive care unit if necessary . In addition to the 25 strong medical crew, there is space for up to 56 people, some of them seriously and seriously injured. 6 of these patients can receive intensive medical care.

Other states

The air forces of various other countries also have fully equipped ambulance aircraft or can equip various types of aircraft accordingly at any time. For example, the United States Air Force (USAF) has some Douglas DC-9s that are kept ready as ambulance aircraft under the designation C-9 Nightingale . In addition, the large four-beam can transport aircraft of type McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III are likewise expanded to a flying intensive care unit if necessary.

Areas of application

Civil area

Ambulance jet Bombardier Challenger 604 of the Swiss Air Rescue REGA

In the civil sector, ambulance planes are mostly used for patient repatriation transports. They offer seriously injured or ill patients the opportunity to have further treatment carried out near their home after they are fit for transport. In Germany, the flights are not covered by statutory health insurance . However, some of them are included in membership for members of automobile clubs or sponsoring members of air rescue associations. The application for a return transport by ambulance flight is different in the civil area than in the military area. The first contact is usually made by family members of the accident or injured person by telephone to private service providers or to associations such as IFA Flugambulanz eV In order to keep the costs for the person requesting the transport, smaller machines are often used. The Beechcraft King Air 200 is one of the world's most frequently used ambulance aircraft for private repatriation . The ambulance aircraft has space for the patient and an accompanying person: depending on the patient's condition, this can be an emergency doctor or an emergency paramedic.

Private service providers often guarantee a bed-to-bed service, which includes collection from the local hospital and handover to the hospital of your choice in your home country. Furthermore, no collection service is offered for private repatriations by air ambulance, i. H. the ambulance aircraft does not land at other airports to pick up other patients, but is only used for one patient.

Military area

The military's medical aircraft are mainly used in disasters (e.g. earthquakes ) or in the event of war or conflict, often also in support of allied armed forces or the population of friendly states. Depending on the situation, either wounded or injured soldiers are given better medical care at home, or they also support the medical care of affected civilians abroad.