Technicians at HeliAir, ÖAMTC Air Rescue's maintenance, modification and CAMO division, have put the finishing touches to the Austrian air ambulance providers's first H135 emergency medical helicopter upgrade from the T2+ to T3 variant. “For us, it's a matter of course to constantly develop and advance our fleet, so we can provide our patients with comprehensive care of the highest possible quality and safety,” states ÖAMTC director Reinhard Kraxner. “An obvious component of that, beyond simply investing in new helicopters, is bringing our pre-existing fleet up to speed with the newest available technologies.”

The renovations included switching out the primary propellers, the drive shaft and horizontal stabilisers as well as several cockpit instruments. “Four technicians have been working on the aircraft for about eight weeks now,” says HeliAir maintenance director Martin Weger. "As our staff are certified to repair both the 135 series as well as its Turbomeca turbines, the upgrades required no additional technical training for the mechanics involved. With over 190,000 flight hours combined, our technicians know this helicopter down to the smallest detail.”

In addition to safety checks, routine maintenance and electronic updates, the helicopter was also outfitted with Kokon self-adhering interior paneling, designed and developed by HeliAir.

ÖAMTC Air Rescue Services invested around 600,000 euros in the upgrades. After two and a half days of test flights, as well as the obligatory flight clearance from the aviation authorities, the finished helicopter has now returned to service in Innsbruck as the Christophorus 1.

“With these upgrades, which will now be repeated on vessels across the fleet, ÖAMTC guarantees that its air rescue fleet will remain up-to-date and action-ready for the next ten years or more,” concludes Kraxner.