Bespoke tracking and communication software developed by the German Air Rescue Service (DRF) will be deployed on six dedicated air ambulances. Three Lear 35As of the Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) as well as two Lear 35As and a Super King Air 200 of the DRF will operate the system which was designed to save help save lives, improve operations and cut costs.

LAR and DRF operate together worldwide as the European Air Ambulance (EAA).

"The technology has been developed by DRF and is based on the successful 'Sky Track' system," says Rainer Horcher, manager of the DRF alert centre in Filderstadt. "Every ten seconds, the system transmits the updated position of the aircraft. The position and the route of the aircraft are shown on a screen. Sometimes a crew must change a flight route if, for example, there has been an aggravation of a patient's state of health."

Mission coordinators can react very quickly and, if necessary, start organising patient transport at the new arrival airport, Horcher adds. "We always know the exact position

of our aircraft, even on remote parts of the planet where there's no flight monitoring.

"Previously the aircraft's position could only be estimated on the basis of the projected route, the departure time and the speed. In addition, communicating with the aircraft crew was only possible in very narrow confines. Now the mission coordinators in the alert centre can send short text messages to the crew, for instance communicating up-to-date weather information."

Simultaneously, the rescue track system, with the addition of an exterior antenna, can be used like a satellite telephone. DRF decided to address the issue of developing effective communications where there is no satellite reception inside an aircraft or building. "We set

up, amongst other things, installation and wiring plans, the structure calculations for the installation of the antenna and we installed a computer," explains Juergen Zoller, planning and control manager. The modifications were developed and completed in DRF's own maintenance facility at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport. "When needed, the crew can now make telephone calls from the cockpit during missions," Zoller says.

DRF was established over 30 years ago and has flown more than 350,000 rescue missions. Together with partners in Germany, Austria and Italy, DRF works in the air rescue alliance Team DRF. This operates 44 HEMS bases with more than 50 helicopters at eight locations for round-the-clock emergency rescue and intensive care transport between hospitals.