The first helicopter flight in Germany took place on 26 June 1936 with a Focke-Wulf Fw 61.[1] Despite being an experimental helicopter with only two examples ever built, the Fw 61 inspired Ernst Udet, head of the Reich Air Ministry development wing, to become a proponent of this relatively new type of aircraft after seeing the demonstration flights.
During World War II, several types were considered to be procured for the three different branches of the Wehrmacht. The German Army initially ordered 1,000 Flettner Fl 282 reconnaissance helicopters, however the production plant was destroyed and so only about 40 helicopters entered service. Another project, the more complex Focke Achgelis Fa 223 multi-role helicopter was beset with problems so that ultimately only 11 aircraft were delivered.
The early years 1955 - 1960
Saro Skeeter
With the foundation of the Bundeswehr in 1955, a decision was made that every branch of the Bundeswehr should have their own helicopter units, operating within the framework of the tasks designated to each branch of the armed forces. Thus, the German Army Aviation Corps was founded.
Even before helicopters had been purchased by the German government, the first officers to become helicopter pilots in the newly formed German Army began their training in August 1956 in the United States at Fort Rucker.
In September 1956, the German government purchased the following types of helicopters for the German Army Aviation Corps:
Additionally, with the Dornier Do 27 a conventional aircraft was also procured.
German Dornier Do 27, the only fixed-wing aircraft in service with German Army Aviation Corps
On 7 November 1956, ColonelHorst Pape became the first head of Department German Army Aviation Corps within the General Staff, after having been responsible since 1954 for the planning and setting up of the German Army Aviation Corps. On 7 January 1957, the German Army Aviation Corps took over Mendig Air Base air base from the French Armed Forces. The first aircraft to be used was a Dornier Do 27.
In March 1957, 130 conscripts started their basic training within units of the German Army Aviation Corps.
During 1957, several new bases and squadrons were founded. Niedermendig, later renamed to Mendig, Fritzlar and Celle were the first bases with flying units.
Alouette II
On 9 March 1959, 130 SA318 Alouette II were bought. For more than 40 years, this helicopter was to be the training helicopter of the German Army Aviation Corps.
The first German Army Aviation School (Heeresfliegerwaffenschule) was founded in Niedermendig on 1 July 1959. Its first commanding officer was Colonel Kuno Ebeling.
During the disastrous North Sea flood of 1962, the German Army Aviation Corps came to the rescue of the population of Hamburg and its surroundings, rescuing countless people from drowning. 71 helicopters of the German Federal Army are engaged in rescue supported by 25 helicopters from the US Army.[2]
On 1 April 1963, a teaching unit of the German Army Aviation Corps was established in Zweibrücken. In 1967, this unit, too, was ultimately transferred to Bückeburg.
On 20 August 1963, the first Bell UH-1D was delivered to training units.
On 9 June 1971, the helicopter museum of the German Army Aviation Corps in Bückeburg opened for the public.
On 26 July 1971, replacement of the Sikorsky H-34 with Sikorsky CH-53G began.
In 1975, the German Army Aviation Corps received its first flight simulator for the Bell 47G. The purpose of the simulator was not only to train crews for standard situations but also for SAR situations.
During a spread of wildfires in Germany in 1975 and 1976, helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps contributed to the extinguishing of the fires. During these tasks, the device Smokey for fighting large-scale fires was developed.
In January 1976, German Army Aviation Corps came to the rescue of the population of Cuxhaven and the Haseldorf Marshes, affected by severe flooding.
On 8 May 1978, the first MBB Bo 105P, designed as an anti-tank helicopter, was delivered into service units. Consequently, three regiments equipped with this helicopter were established at Celle Air Base, Roth Air Base and Fritzlar Air Base.
In August 1980, devastating wildfires on Mount Athos in Greece, threatening century-old monasteries, were fought with the aid of German Army Aviation Corps, using their device Smokey.
Bell UH-1D
Sikorsky CH-53G
Bölkow Bo 105P
Post 1990
Mil Mi-8LTH NATO-HELICOPTER 90Kurdish refugee children run toward a CH-53G helicopter of the German Army Aviation Corps in Northern Iraq in 1991A CH-53G helicopter of the German Army Aviation Corps near Sarajevo in 1999Eurocopter EC 135PAH-2 Tiger UHT
Following the German reunification (3 October 1990), 3rd and 5th wing of the East German Airforce, part of the National People's Army (NVA), became 70th, 80th and East Squadron of the German Army Aviation Corps. During a transitional period, German Army Aviation Corps flew Soviet-built Mil Mi-8 helicopters. The Mil Mi-24 fleet, however, was no longer used and subsequently sold off.
In 1991, German Army Aviation Corps helicopters provided humanitarian aid to Kurdishrefugees in northern Iraq.
From October 1991 onwards, Sikorsky CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps provided the means of transport for UN weapons inspectors in Iraq.
In 1993 and 1994, in Somalia, Bell UH-1D helicopters equipped with machine-guns were used for the first time in earnest as a means for self-protection.
On 1 April 1994, the German Army Aviation Corps Brigade 10 was established. This brigade united all German Army Aviation Corps transport helicopter units under one leadership. The reconnaissance and liaison units were also integrated into this brigade.
In December 1995, German Army Aviation Corps became part of IFOR contingent, later to be renamed SFOR, in the former Yugoslavia, flying missions into the most remote mountainous regions. In 2004, NATO handed over the command of SFOR to the EU. The name of the mission changed then to EUFOR.
During civil unrest in Albania in March 1997, the German Army Aviation Corps flew several missions into Albania in order to evacuate foreign citizens.
On 3 April 1997, a new brigade was established, Air-Motorised Brigade 1, combining several German Army Aviation Corps forces into one unit, in order to create more rapidity in response, flexibility and fighting power.
During flooding in July and August 1997, the dikes along the river Oder in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were on the verge of collapsing. The German Army Aviation Corps flew numerous mission in order to save the dikes and the population.
In February 1999, following a devastating avalanche in Galtür in Austria, ten helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps took part in evacuation missions as part of the international aid effort.
In March 1999, German Army Aviation Corps' mission in Kosovo began when the first base was established in Macedonia. The helicopters were part of KFOR. Later that year, the unit was transferred to Kosovo proper.
On 9 September 1999, the new helicopter LTH NATO-Helicopter 90 was presented to the public at the German Army Aviation School in Bückeburg. Delivery to active units is planned to be taking place from the second half of 2006 onwards, after the manufacturer, NH Industries, encountered several problems causing a delay in production.
On 13 September 1999, the first Eurocopter EC 135 was brought into action as a training helicopter, eventually to supersede the Alouette II. The last flight of a German Army Aviation Corps' Alouette II took place early in 2006.
On 14 December 1999, an improved version of the CH-53G, the CH-53GS, was introduced, easily recognisable because of their large pair of auxiliary fuel tanks.
During the flooding of the river Elbe in 2002, the German Army Aviation Corps flew countless missions in order to rescue people, strengthening the crumbling dikes and flying in supplies into areas cut off by the high waters.
Beginning with the transfer of four helicopters to Kabul in Afghanistan in April 2002, the German Army Aviation Corps' mission as part of ISAF started, the units either being based in Afghanistan proper or in neighbouring Uzbekistan at the air base of Termez. In November 2007 the helicopters moved their base to Mazari Sharif.
Towards then end of 2003, the first Eurocopter Tiger helicopters were delivered for testing and evaluation purposes to the German Army's Office of Defense Technology and Procurement.
In 2005, Eurocopter Tigers were delivered to the Franco-German Training Centre in Le Luc where the initial pilot training scheme takes place. Delivery to combat units is expected to take place in the second half of 2006. German Army Aviation Corps Attack Helicopter Regiment 26 Franken based in Roth Air Base is to be equipped with the Eurocopter Tiger as well as German Army Aviation Corps Attack Helicopter Regiment 36 based in Fritzlar.
During yet another flooding of the river Elbe in April 2006, the German Army Aviation Corps again contributed to the aid of the population by flying numerous SAR missions.
Helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps were part of EUFOR RD Congo in support of UN mission MONUC to monitor the general elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This mission lasted from June 2006 and ended with the last soldiers returning in December of the same year.[3]
In August 2007 helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps were part of the international force assisting the Greek authorities in fighting the catastrophic forest fires on the Peloponnese.[4]
In October 2011 the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a consequence, the strength of Germany Army Aviation Corps will be reduced. Flying and training operations at Altenstadt, Rheine Air Base, Celle Air Base and Roth Air Base will cease to exist and the respective army aviation units stationed at these air bases disbanded.[5]Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 25, based at Laupheim Air Base disbanded on 31 December 2012 and was re-established as Helicopter Wing 64 of the German Air Force on 1 January 2013.[6] At the same time 2nd Squadron of the air force's Air Transport Wing 61, flying helicopters of the type Bell UH-1D, became part of the Germany Army Aviation Corps.[7]
↑ Quoted from Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (26 October 2011), Neues Stationierungskonzept der Bundeswehr (in German), retrieved 5 November 2011, PDF-file "Die Stationierung der Bundeswehr in Deutschland", passim
Bundeswehramt (1962), Unser Heer 3: Heeresflieger, Bad Godesberg: Bundeswehramt
Fred, Bünz (1999). "Modernisierung in der Bundeswehr: die Entwicklung des Konzeptes der Luftbeweglichkeit und der entsprechenden Einsatzgrundsätze; unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des von Carl von Clausewitz formulierten Wechselverhältnisses von Theorie und Praxis". Diss. Universität der Bundeswehr München.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
Dressel, Joachim; Griel, Manfred (1990), Flugzeuge und Hubschrauber der Bundeswehr, Stuttgart: Motorbuch-Verlag, ISBN3-613-01358-4
Garben, Fritz (2005), Deutsche Heeresflieger: nationale und internationale Rettungs-, Hilfs- und UN-Einsätze, Lemwerder: Stedinger-Verlag, ISBN3-927697-41-9
Garben, Fritz (2006), Fünf Jahrzehnte Heeresflieger: Typen, Taktik und Geschichte, Lemwerder: Stedinger-Verlag, ISBN3-927697-45-1
Kaufholz, Bernd (2003), Im Dienste des "alten Europa": Helfer in Kabul und andernorts, Halle: mdv, ISBN3-89812-202-6
Rudolph, Christin-Desirëe (2012), Soldaten unterm Rotor: die Huschrauberverbände der Bundeswehr, Suttgart: Motorbuch-Verlag, ISBN978-3-6130-3413-6
Schütt, Kurt W. (1985), Heeresflieger: Truppengattung der dritten Dimension; die Geschichte der Heeresfliegertruppe der Bundeswehr, Koblenz: Bernard und Graefe, ISBN3-7637-5451-2
Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ed. (1996), "Heeresflieger", 1000 Stichworte zur Bundeswehr, Mittler, ISBN3-8132-0536-3
Vetter, Bernd; Vetter, Frank (2001), Die deutschen Heeresflieger: Geschichte, Typen und Verbände, Stuttgart: Motorbuch-Verlag, ISBN3-613-02146-3
The CH-53 Sea Stallion is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The Sea Stallion was originally developed in response to a request from the United States Navy's Bureau of Naval Weapons made in March 1962 for a replacement for the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave helicopters flown by the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
Laupheim Air Base is a German Air Force base located close to the city of Laupheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is home to Helicopter Wing 64 which has 48 of its 60 helicopters stationed at the airbase together with 1,200 personnel.
The German Army Aviation Corps is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (Heer), containing all its helicopter units. The German Air Force and the German Navy both also have their own helicopter units.
Airmobile Operations Division was a division of the German Army. The division was founded on 1 July 2002 and reported for duty 8 October 2002. Airmobile Operations Division consisted of approximately 14,500 soldiers, 350 of which were stationed at divisionary headquarters in Veitshöchheim, Germany.
The Australian Army Aviation (AAAvn) is an administrative corps of the Australian Army. It was formed on 1 July 1968. The motto of the Australian Army Aviation corps is Vigilance.
Jäger Regiment 1 was an air assault infantry regiment of the German Army. While it comes from the old German tradition of Jäger, it was a relatively recently formed air assault formation, established in 2006. The regiment was part of Airmobile Operations Division, and became subordinate to 21st Armoured Brigade on 19 December 2012. Soldiers of this unit were deployed to the combat zone by helicopters which are supposed to provide fire support as well. Until creation of the Jäger Regiment 1, the Bundeswehr had no air assault capability. The regiment was disbanded and partly replaced by a new battalion in 2015.
Celle Air Base German: Heeresflugplatz Celle is a military airbase of the German Army. The airfield is situated southwest of the city of Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was opened in 1934 and has been in military use ever since. Today the aerodrome is used by a helicopter training school, a helicopter liaison and reconnaissance squadron and a helicopter maintenance unit utilising the type Bölkow Bo-105.
The German School of Army Aviation (Heeresfliegerwaffenschule) based at Bückeburg, is one of the schools of the German Army and is responsible for the training and development of the German Army Aviation Corps' personnel and equipment. Furthermore, the basic training of helicopter pilots of the other components of the German Armed Forces also takes place at the School of Army Aviation.
Bückeburg Air Base is a German Army base located northeast of the city of Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Rheine-Bentlage Air Base was an air base of the German Armed Forces and located near the village of Bentlage, 2 km northwest of the city of Rheine, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Roth Air Base is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the city of Roth in Bavaria, Germany.
Faßberg Air Base is a Bundeswehr base located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northeast of the municipality of Faßberg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The air base is jointly used by the German Army (Heer) and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). Its main user is the German Army Aviation Corps.
Fritzlar Air Base is a military air field of the German Army Aviation Corps. It is located near the town of Fritzlar in northern Hesse, Germany. The airfield is part of the Georg-Friedrich-Kaserne (Georg-Friedrich-Barracks).
Diepholz Air Base is a German Air Force military air base, located 3.3 km southwest of Diepholz in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a joint-use civil-military facility, also being a civil airport.
Helicopter Wing 64 is a wing of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). It was subordinate to Air Force Forces Command until that was disbanded in 2013. In 2015 Helicopter Wing 64 was integrated into Air Force Troops Command which is subordinate to Air Force Command.
The Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg is located in the German town of Bückeburg, 30 miles (50 km) to the west of Hanover. The museum is the sole museum in Germany specialising in rotary-wing flight and one of few worldwide. The museum is dedicated to the history and technology of the helicopter.
Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 25 was a regiment in the German Army, part of the German Army Aviation Corps. It was based at Kurt Georg Kiesinger Barracks on Laupheim Air Base in the German state of Baden Württemberg, Southern Germany. The regiment was founded in 1971 and disbanded on 31 December 2012. Its sister regiment was Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 15 based at Rheine Air Base.
Neuhausen ob Eck Airfield is a special airfield near the town of Neuhausen ob Eck in the district of Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany. Used as a military airbase by the German Army Aviation Corps until 1994, it was rededicated a special airfield, and is since 1997 the site of the business park take-off GewerbePark Betreibergesellschaft mbH. Since 2002, the airfield also hosts the annual Southside Music Festival.
The Executive Transport Wing of the Federal Ministry of Defence is a flying formation of the German Air Force with a wide variety of tasks. Occasionally it is ambiguously listed as the Special Air Missions Wing in English language articles. The wing is based at Cologne Bonn Airport with Berlin Tegel Airport used as a location for its helicopters. It is planned to bring the two operating locations together at Berlin Brandenburg Airport once its construction is finished.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
