D-HFFF MBB BO.105 CBS-5 c/n S-811 - DRF "Christoph 60" - DRF-Luftrettungszentrum Suhl, Germany - 11 June 2004

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 14 May 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 Until production ended in 2001, as the BO105 was superseded by Eurocopter’s EC135, a total of 1,406 BO105s had been delivered to 55 customer nations.

The DRF facilities at the "Zentralklinikum Suhl", the LRZ Suhl, were opened on 1 January 1994. On 11 June 2004, RTH (Rettungstransporthubschrauber) MBB BO.105CBS-5 D-HFFF of DRF-Deutsche Rettungflugwacht e.V. (Rettungsdienststiftung Björn Steiger e.V.) was noted as "Christoph 60" at the helipad of DRF-Luftrettungszentrum Suhl in Thüringen, Germany. The 1989-built MBB Bo.105CBS D-HFFF (ex. D-HDZU) is operated by DRF since 1989. In October 2004, the MBB BO.105CBS in service as "Christoph 60" was replaced by an Eurocopter EC-135. The call sign "Christoph" is used for the German lifeliner helicopters since 1970 and is derived of Saint Christophorus, the Patron Saint for all travellers.