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COUNTRY OF SAVOY | First flight for two new Dragon 74 helicopters
PUBLISHED ON 07/12/2022 by Mael Aubert – 631 views
Since December 2021, the Civil Security base in Annecy has had two new generation helicopters in its possession.
The “Dragon” fleet of the Annecy Civil Security base welcomed two new next-generation helicopters (H145), put into operational service this Monday, July 11, 2022. These new models delivered by Airbus Helicopters are much more efficient, with a cruising speed of 230 km/h, going up to 280 km/h in dive. They can climb 6,000 meters high and can carry 10 people (crew) and include a winch that can carry a load of 227 kg. With, in addition, technical innovations, such as greater facilities for flying at night or during degraded weather conditions or even automatic parking management allowing you to stay more stable and close to the place of intervention. Visually too, we now notice five blades but also a fenestron (tail rotor).
“Two new devices that arrive with 20 years of modernization” says Richard Peyre, pilot instructor and responsible for the training of mountain pilots for civil security. These two new aircraft will also make it possible to lighten the work of the Dragon 74 rescuers by having more helicopters at their disposal, “the arrival of these two new devices gives us a breath of fresh air” for Alain Hamel, pilot and head of the Annecy and Chamonix Civil Security base. In addition, two new H145s will be available in December 2022. Alain Thirion, Prefect and Director General of Civil Security and Precise Crisis Management “in 2021 more than 18,000 interventions” have been done, “every 30 minutes, a civil security helicopter intervenes”. Having the largest number of rescues carried out, with 1,800 rescues per year between Annecy, Chamonix and Courchevel, the Dragon 74s were, logically, the first of its new models. It was necessary to increase the equipment available to ensure more comfort for the rescuers. The Annecy base now has four helicopters, then six in December 2022.
From now on, among the 23 Civil Security Dragon bases, there are 35 helicopters, including two H145 helicopters.