ADAC Luftrettung, one of Europe's largest HEMS operators, has taken delivery of its first two five-bladed H145s. The German operator will also upgrade its current fleet of 14 four-bladed H145s to the five-bladed rotor system.

“By investing in new aircraft alongside the upgrade of our existing H145 fleet, we are focusing on state-of-the-art flight technology for rescue missions,” says MD Frédéric Bruder. “This benefits people in need and our crews alike and improves our emergency medical care in the air for the long term. In this way, we will continue to ensure patient and flight safety, which are our top priorities, at the very highest level in the future.”

Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even adds: “We are delighted that ADAC Luftrettung has opted for the new five-bladed H145. This opens a new chapter in the cooperation between our two organisations that dates back more than 50 years.”

ADAC Luftrettung operates more than 50 Airbus Helicopters from its 37 stations throughout Germany. In June, an ADAC H145 was the first HEMS helicopter to fly with sustainable aviation fuel.

The new version of Airbus' best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. This latest upgrade adds a five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew. The helicopter's high-mounted tail boom and wide opening clam-shell doors facilitate access to the H145's spacious cabin.

Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance four-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

Today, Airbus has more than 1,470 H145 family helicopters in service around the world, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. For HEMS alone, there are more than 470 helicopters of the H145 family conducting air rescue missions worldwide.