Krystian Pracz [1] ARA Flugrettung gGmbH The DRF Luftrettung (formerly Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht e.V.)

The accidental death of a young boy, Björn Steiger, on 3 May 1969, revealed an availability gap in rapid emergency medical care.

[3] After presentations by Siegfried Steiger at the individual police stations in the operational radius around Mainz, the Björn Steiger Foundation started the first, six-week pilot test in cooperation with the German Red Cross (General Secretariat Bonn).

[4] Under the medical direction of Rudolf Frey (University of Mainz), a fully equipped rescue helicopter of the type Alouette 3 was in operation.

[8] In addition to Ute and Siegfried Steiger, the founding members of the DRF also included Fritz Bühler, founder of the Swiss Air-Rescue Service (today's REGA).

Since the 1980s, the organization has also operated several intensive care helicopters in cities like Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Halle, Hannover, Berlin, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Freiburg, Dortmund, Bremen, Bad Berka, with some of them being authorized to fly at night.

[11] The fleet consists of 60 helicopters, recognizable by their red and white colours, flying in Germany and abroad.

Callsign: D-HDST Two Learjet 35A aircraft are deployed for worldwide repatriations of ill or injured patients.