Press Release

Issued by DRF Akademie.

May 26, 2009

In May the DRF Luftrettung obtained its licence as a training organisation according to EASA Part-147. This means that the organisation is permitted to hold type rating courses for aircraft technicians. The licence applies to helicopter types EC 135, BK 117 and BO 105.

"In order to be able to do maintenance works on helicopters an aircraft technician is obliged to have completed a type rating course for the re-spective type. The training course takes five weeks and consists of an en-gine course as well as theoretical and practical training taking two weeks each. In the course the setup and function of the individual parts such as the main gear, the rotors and the engine are explained and partly taken apart and reassembled," says Werner Rödel, Technical Training Manager of the DRF Luftrettung.

In the middle of May the first training for engines of the helicopter type BO 105 took place at the Operation Center of the DRF Luftrettung. Eight CAT B1 examiners at German and Austrian helicopter companies participated and gave positive feedback. Further helicopter operators have already voiced interest in future trainings.

The new license brings considerable advantages for the qualification of the DRF Luftrettung's own maintenance personnel too: The technicians no longer need to participate in external type rating courses but can be trained at the maintenance facility by the DRF Luftrettung which means cost cuts In addition the need for training of the DRF Luftrettung can be undertaken in a more flexible manner.