Grenchen training base
Since August 2019, Rega pilots have been taking off on training flights from the new training base at the regional airport in Grenchen (Canton Solothurn). The airport’s good infrastructure makes it possible, among other things, to practise approach flights under instrument flight rules (IFR). Grenchen is therefore an ideal location for conducting training flights. Rega owns an Airbus H125 helicopter, which it uses for training purposes.
The history of the Grenchen training base
The first official Rega training base was opened in the middle of August 2019. Besides a new maintenance depot, additional training rooms, a helicopter hangar and a new control tower equipped with state-of-the-art instruments were built. The depot has room for at least two helicopters. The Airbus Helicopters H125 is primarily be stationed here to train up-and-coming pilots. It will also be joined temporarily by an Airbus Helicopter H145 for training flights.
No more cramped conditions
The number of Rega’s helicopter missions has been increasing for years. If it is to be ready for action at all times, Rega not only needs sufficient aircraft, but also highly trained helicopter crews. All the pilots and paramedics regularly undergo training courses and new crew members are required to be trained for special flight procedures, such as IFR (Instrument Flight Rules).
Rega had been looking for a suitable location for a training base for some time in order to meet the increased requirements relating to the training of helicopter crews, as well as to relieve the burden on the Wilderswil base. It finally found what it was looking for in Grenchen. The regional airport is one of the most important training locations for up-and-coming pilots in Switzerland, and its good infrastructure allows, among other things, approaches under instrument flight rules.
Profile
| Address | Airport Grenchen Flughafenstrasse 115 2540 Grenchen |
|---|---|
| Helicopter | Airbus Helicopters H125 |
| Range of missions | Training base and training flights for up-and-coming pilots, as well as training sessions for all of Rega’s crew members. |
| Operating times | Monday to Friday, during the airport’s official opening hours. |
| Building | The building was constructed in 2019 and is located at Grenchen Regional Airport. |
| Special features | Rega’s Airbus H125 training helicopter is primarily stationed at the base. However, the two other helicopter types, Airbus H145 and AgustaWestland Da Vinci, will be temporarily stationed here in order to conduct training courses and flights. |
| The crew's favourite food | Treberwurst and Guml (sausage and potatoes). |