New at the Locarno base

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The rollout of the new Rega helicopter at the Ticino base has ushered in a new chapter. Three crew members describe what the change feels like and what will change in their daily work.

Rega crew members and instructors beside a rescue helicopter on the landing pad at Rega’s Locarno base. — The team of instructors prepares the crew at the Locarno base for their work with the new rescue helicopter.

Dry run for a mission with the rescue hoist; the paramedic now stands outside the helicopter on the skids.

Before the training flight, Amos Brenn fuels the new helicopter.

Review: 23 March 2026. They are parked next to each other on the tarmac at the Locarno base: the familiar AgustaWestland Da Vinci and its successor, the Airbus H145 D3. The crew transfers the medical supplies and equipment, stows them away and rearranges them. Each item has its place in the spacious cabin of the new helicopter. The new rescue helicopter is being commissioned at the Rega base in Ticino. Locarno is the first “mountain base” to switch from the AgustaWestland Da Vinci to the H145 D3.

Large-scale project in the Background

This day is a little section of a large-scale project that has been running for several years. The fleet renewal involves people, rosters and operational commitments. While plans are being drawn up in the background and the crews at each base are being trained, one thing remains the same: Rega is ready for operation round the clock, training and missions are conducted in parallel – without any loss in medical assistance for the population.

More than a new aircraft

The changeover to the new Rega helicopter is not just a technological quantum leap but also an intensive learning process for the crews. The greatest change will be felt by the crews at the seven mountain bases, who flew the Da Vinci rescue helicopter up to now. Rega’s helicopter simulator for the Airbus H145 provides a considerable improvement: Together with paramedics, pilots can train standard, real-life situations and emergency procedures for a whole week. Over the following two weeks, a team comprising two pilots, two paramedics, several emergency flight physicians and rescue specialists from Swiss Alpine Rescue (ARS) will be fully trained on the new helicopter.

Three crew members from the Locarno base describe what this changeover feels like and what has changed in terms of their daily work.

Amos Brenn, Paramedic and head of the Locarno Rega base

“Paramedics ensure that the cockpit and the cabin work smoothly together.” With the new helicopter, it is precisely at this interface that processes, actions and perspectives will change.

This becomes clear on missions with the rescue hoist: “It is now on the left-hand side. I operate it outside while standing on the skid and have a different angle of vision from the pilot. With the Da Vinci we had the same angle of vision. So communication between me and the pilot will be more important.” At the same time, the new configuration will bring noticeable improvements: “With the Da Vinci, we had to land in order to reach the cabin from the cockpit. Now we can go outside and operate the rescue hoist directly. That saves time – a crucial factor when every minute counts.”

The same applies to the cockpit, where the paramedic assists the pilot in navigating: “I can call up the same display on my screen as the pilot. Parameters can thus be checked and confirmed more easily, for instance when flying on instruments.”

Anna Brunnello, Emergency flight physician at Rega

For the emergency flight physician, the change is noticeable in the helicopter cabin. “Providing emergency medical care in a helicopter cabin is challenging. Additional room to move around and the improved layout of materials and equipment ensure greater safety and better quality of treatment. Attending to a patient with better access to the airways, placing an IV or using ultrasound will be even easier.”

Even seemingly small factors have a major impact in medical terms: “Fewer vibrations, less noise and improved heating options mean greater comfort not only for the crew but also for the patients.” There is now also the possibility of providing initial medical treatment in a protected environment in the helicopter, either on the ground or in the air. “With the Da Vinci, many things had to be done outside – in the cold, wind or snow.”

The H145 D3 is predestined for patients requiring intensive medical care or for premature babies in the transport incubator.

“As emergency flight physicians, we were also well prepared for this change. In February, we completed the theoretical part of the retraining, and then we had three intensive days at the Locarno base”, Anna Brunello says. They practised routine procedures while entering and exiting as well as operations with the rescue hoist.

The new helicopter means getting used to new things: “The new cabin configuration brings a slightly clearer separation between cabin and cockpit. Communication and teamwork remain the same – but it’s still different from before.”

Looking ahead, the emergency flight physician says: “I’m looking forward to the future missions, and I’m proud to be part of this change.”

Mario Agustoni, Helicopter pilot and Head of Helicopter Procedures and Training

For chief helicopter pilot Mario Agustoni, the new helicopter is above all a high-performance and versatile tool. “The helicopter is very stable in the air and surprisingly easy to operate.” He believes that this intuitive control gives the pilots an advantage: “We can focus more on tactical issues: how should we position the helicopter in the terrain? How can we carry out a hoist operation if the angle of vision and visual references change?”

The modern, digital cockpit, the improved view of the outside that allows for a permanently upright seating position, and the ergonomic arrangement of the instruments ensure an expanded awareness of the situation: “You have an almost 360-degree overview.”

At alpine heights in particular, the new rescue helicopter’s powerful performance also plays a key role. “The large load capacity makes missions in thin and less sustainable air at alpine heights safer and gives us sufficient reserves – especially for demanding missions: for additional persons such as accompanying persons or mountain rescuers from Swiss Alpine Rescue who are supporting us in difficult terrain, but also in terms of the medical equipment.”

But technology alone does not create safety. “Routine doesn't come about overnight.” Rega invested accordingly in training and retraining – gradually and at frequent intervals. “It was a demanding process, but motivation was high.” And Mario Agustoni is particularly proud of one thing: “that we can make the switch without having to close a base for even one hour or cancel a single additional helicopter service in high season.” This was purely down to the great commitment of the flight and other instructors and mechanics – and because Rega has sufficient flight equipment and staff to carefully plan and prepare for the transition.

The AgustaWestland Da Vinci helicopters that have been used until now will be gradually decommissioned and sold. For 16 years they shaped Swiss air rescue – above all in Alpine regions – and will remain a key part of Rega’s history.

Side view illustration of a red and white Rega Da Vinci rescue helicopter with the registration HB-ZRZ.

With 14 operational bases throughout Switzerland, Rega ensures basic medical assistance by air round the clock. By the end of 2026, a total of 21 new Airbus H145 D3 helicopters will replace the current fleet. Rega will thus rely on a uniform fleet in future – with clear advantages for training, maintenance and logistics. The H145 D3 is already operational at nine bases; the remaining five will follow by the end of 2026.