Press Release

On 17 August, pilots from Rega flew the AW169 from the North Sea in Emden, Germany to Switzerland.

Issued by HeliService International.

August 26, 2020

Swiss Air Rescue Service Rega has conducted a series different flight and navigation tests with a Leonardo AW169 operated by Germany's HeliService International. The tests were held as part of Rega's preparations for delivery of a new all-weather capable rescue helicopter, the AW169-FIPS (full ice protection system).

On Monday, August 17th, 2020, pilots from Rega flew the AW169 from the North Sea in Emden, Germany to Switzerland. During the test week, different tests were conducted in order to gather experience on the aircraft and to go through some standard Rega procedures and thus prepare for the AW169-FIPS' entry into operation.

Those tests included for instance the testing of equipment when operating the hoist, the test of procedures at Rega's different bases, as well as the ground operations at those very bases. Further, and key were, the gathering of experience of the helicopter in flight as well as when hoisting. In the course of the week a number of IFR approaches were also conducted with the help of the newly developed ARIOS system.

Swiss Air Rescue Service Rega ordered three AW169-FIPS all-weather helicopters in December 2015 and delvery is expected in 2021.