In his role at Rega, Marcel Amrhein draws on his extensive specialist knowledge on a daily basis. As a works pilot, he liaises between the mission pilots on the Rega bases and the helicopter mechanics at the Rega Center at Zurich Airport. After the rescue helicopters have been partially or completely dismantled for maintenance and subsequently reassembled, Marcel Amrhein inspects them right down to the smallest detail.
For example, a “major service” is extremely comprehensive, takes 5–6 weeks, and is performed once a year. “Afterwards, for instance, I calibrate the compass, check together with the helicopter mechanic that the rescue hoist is working properly, carry out a check on the underload capacity with an attached weight, or test various approach procedures, such as an IFR approach flight,” explains Marcel Amrhein. He works in close collaboration with the helicopter mechanics. Only after all the tests have been satisfactorily completed and the helicopter has been approved by the responsible mechanic does Marcel Amrhein fly the aircraft back to the appropriate Rega base. The crew then know that they have an impeccably maintained and precisely checked machine to use for their rescue missions.
Where did Marcel Amrhein get his enthusiasm for flying helicopters? “Helicopters have always fascinated me and I thought: that would be something for me,” he relates. He took up flying at the age of 30. He later gained flying experience in, among other places, central Asia, where he worked as a helicopter pilot and mechanic for a relief organisation. His job was to put the newly purchased AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters into operation and train local pilots and mechanics. When a major earthquake rocked Pakistan, these helicopters were required for rescue missions and transport flights; Marcel Amrhein flew missions and also kept the aircraft in good working order.
As there was still plenty of work following the earthquake, Marcel Amrhein remained in the country as a pilot and helicopter mechanic for seven years. After returning to Switzerland, he applied for a job at Rega and started as a works pilot in 2011. Since then, his task has been to check all the rescue helicopters that undergo maintenance in the hangar at the Rega Center. Not one leaves here without first being checked by Marcel Amrhein.
