D-HBBB MBB Bo.105 CBS c/n S-391 - DRF-Deutsche Rettungflugwacht - Baden-Baden Oos, Germany - 20/07/1985

The Eurocopter Bo.105 is a five-seat lightweight, general-purpose helicopter. Development of the Bo.105 started back in 1959 when Bölkow designed the Bo.103 helicopter. The Bo.103 single-seat flew first on 14 September 1961. The two-seat Bo.104 followed this study-project. Due to marketing reasons this project was stopped in favour of the five-seat Bo.105. Design work for the Bo.105 began in July 1962. Construction of the first of three prototypes began in 1964. The first Bo.105 prototype D-HAKO s/n V-1 was destroyed in ground tests and written off in October 1966. The second machine, D-HECA s/n V-2, was powered by two 317shp Allison 250C18 turboshafts and on 16 February 1967, the BO105 took off for its maiden flight in Ottobrunn (near Munich), Germany. On May 14th 1969 Messerschmitt, Bölkow and Blohm GmbH (MBB) was formed and development of the Bo.105 continued with the first production BO-105A, D-HABV s/n S-1, flying on 11 April 1970. The breakthrough came in 1974 when the German Army ordered the BO 105 as a connection and observation helicopter. In January 1992 the MBB Bo 105 became part of the large helicopters types row of Eurocopter when the helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany and Aerospatiale from France merged to form the Eurocopter Group. In 1993 the BO 105 CBS with a 25cm fuselage stretch and extra window was certificated. Over the years, license agreements for the BO105 CB/CBS versions with the Philippines, Indonesia and Spain were concluded, and for the BO105 LS, a cooperation agreement with Canada. Until production ended in 2001, as the BO105 was superseded by Eurocopter’s EC135, a total of 1,406 BO105s had been delivered to 55 customer nations.

On 20 July 1985, MBB BO.105S D-HBBB of the DRF-Deutsche Rettungflugwacht e.V. (Rettungsdienststiftung Björn Steiger e.V.) was photographed at the DRF-maintenance station at Baden-Baden Oos in Germany. The DRF facilities at Baden Baden Oos aerodrome were opened in 1980. In 1999 the DRF-Operation-Centre at the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport was opened, including the new maintenance facilities. The 1977-built MBB Bo.105S D-HBBB (ex. D-HDLG) was operated by the DRF from February 1980 till October 1997. It was transferred to ALT-Air Lloyd Luftfahrt GmbH and reregistered D-HDRA in October 1997. As D-HDRA it was used by the IFA as backup at Leipzig. In December 2007, Bo.105S D-HDRA was noted in all blue colors at Baden Airpark.