Sinan, Chur (GR)

All our aircraft (ambulance jets and helicopters) are fuelled with kerosene. The exact name of the fuel is “Jet A-1”.

Allegra (7) Jenins (GR)

All the crew members conjure up delicious meals in the kitchen every day. Rumour has it that the best dishes are cooked by emergency doctor Simone Rabanser. As a native of South Tyrol, this is a skill that’s in her blood, so to speak. Do you want to find out more about the base in Untervaz? Then click here.

Uorsin (4) Grabs (GR)

A fully fuelled H145 helicopter can fly for about 4.5 hours. However, the tank is usually not completely full so that the helicopter is not too heavy. You can find out more about the helicopter and jet fleet here: 

• Rega helicopters

• Rega jets

Henrietta (7) Buchs (SG)

If you want to become a Rega helicopter pilot, you need to be able to speak very good German and English. Depending on the location, French and Italian may also be necessary. You can find all the requirements for a helicopter pilot here.

Alina (3) Forch (ZH)

The Rega crew live together at the base for one day and one night. There are also beds there, where the pilot and the other crew members can sleep. You can see what a Rega base looks like in this illustration. 

Nevin (4) Sommeri (TG)

Last year, Rega flew 20,647 missions. Of these, 15,695 were missions with the rescue helicopter and 1,021 with the ambulance jet. You can find more facts and figures here.

Rafael, Goldach (SG)

No, we can’t do that. The Rega helicopters can fly at altitudes of up to 5,000 metres above sea level – but the moon is 384,400 kilometres away from the Earth. Our helicopters can’t fly that high or that far. 

Sofia, Märwil (TG)

Rega also offers apprenticeships. This means that after leaving school at the age of 15 or 16, you can do an apprenticeship and thus start working at Rega. You can find out more about our apprenticeships here.

Malia (5) Brügg (SG)

A helicopter isn’t like a car that is steered using a steering wheel. The pilot flies the helicopter using three different controls. The control stick (cyclic) makes the helicopter fly forwards, backwards and sideways. The other control stick (collective) works like the handbrake in a car. This allows the pilot to make the helicopter fly higher or lower and faster or slower. With the foot pedal, the pilot can turn the tail of the helicopter to the left or right. You can find out more about how a helicopter flies here.

Felix (10) Nidau (BE)

At “flight” speed – i.e. 100% speed (which the helicopter keeps constant in order to take off) – the rotors are turning at a rate of 384 revolutions (with the AW109SP helicopter type).  

Elias (5) Oberdorf (BL)

The steel cable of the rescue hoist can carry a weight of up to 270 kilos. You can find more information about the rescue hoist here. 

Grace (4) Wiler (BE)

Rega jets can be seen all over the world. We’ve already landed in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and the Easter Islands.

Santin (9) Oberbüren (SG)

On every Rega base, there are also times when no one needs our help. Then the crew members do all the other jobs that need to be done. 

Sina (6) Herisau (A. Rh.)

The alarm call is received at the Operations Center. This is where Rega’s flight coordinators work. They then decide which helicopter can reach the accident site quickest and immediately call out the helicopter crew. They also give us the first important information about the mission. In the helicopter, we have small screens that show us exactly where our help is needed.

Yuna (2) Züberwangen (SG)

The bouncy inflatable helicopter that you can play on at Open Days is bigger than a real helicopter. The bouncy helicopter is our largest helicopter and has been specially made for our youngest Rega fans. 

Leandro (2,5) Widnau (SG)

We use our helicopters for missions in Switzerland. They’re stationed at our helicopter bases all over the country. The ambulance jets are used for missions abroad.

Milena (5) Reiden (LU)

The first new rescue helicopter with a five-bladed rotor is already in operation at Rega’s Sion base. Between 2024 and 2026, Rega will be renewing its entire helicopter fleet and in future will only be using the latest five-bladed version of the H145. 

Marvin (9) Meiznau (LU)

The weight depends on the helicopter type and other factors, such as the size of the crew, the material carried on board and the amount of fuel. The maximum take-off weight is 3,700 kg for the H145 rescue helicopter and 3,175 kg for the AgustaWestland Da Vinci. By comparison, an Asian elephant weighs around the same.

Fabian (9) Abtwil (AG)

The rescue hoists of both the Airbus Helicopter H145 and the AgustaWestland Da Vinci are 90 metres long. You can find an exciting video about the rescue hoist here.

Timea (5) Schmidigen-Mühleweg (BE)

The doctor, Rudolf Bucher, and a handful of pioneers from the Swiss rescue association, Schweizerische Lebensrettungsgesellschaft (SLRG), founded Swiss Air-Rescue on 27 April 1952. Watch our video on the history of Rega to find out more.  

Billy (4) Fribourg (FR)

Every year, over 200 babies are transported on board the Rega helicopters and ambulance jets. You can find an interesting article about a mission to transport a baby here.

Leila (8) Chernex (VD)

In Switzerland, Rega can be contacted on emergency number 1414, and from abroad on +41 333 333 333.

Jason (4) Peney-le-Jorat (VD)

Yes, Rega offers two apprenticeships as commercial employee (Kauffrau/Kaufmann EFZ) every year and one apprenticeship as logistician (Logistiker/in EFZ) every three years. You can find more information about these apprenticeships here:  https://www.rega.ch/ueber-uns/berufslehre

Livia (9) Gossau (SG)

Rega employs around 472 people. Some work at the Rega helicopter bases, others at the Rega Center.

Luis (9) Gossau (SG)

Swiss Air-Rescue Rega was founded on 27 April 1952 and is now 72 years old.  

Jonas (3) Stachen (TG)

Yes, Rega has three ambulance jets and is also there for you around the clock if you need medical assistance abroad.

Elena (8) Gossau (SG)

Rega has 14 helicopter bases spread all over Switzerland. This means that we can also reach remote locations in just a few minutes’ flying time. As soon as the alarm is raised at the base, the crew are in the air within five minutes and fly to the accident site as quickly as possible.