Swiss Air-Rescue Rega
REGA, Switzerland’s air-rescue service, operates a highly advanced fleet designed for rapid medical response in the Alps. Their main helicopter types are the Airbus H145, the AgustaWestland AW109SP “DaVinci”, and the long-range Airbus H145 for Rega’s mountain bases (new generation models). Each aircraft is equipped like a flying intensive-care unit, enabling fast medical treatment and safe patient transport. Rega has bases all around Switzerland.
The following bases were visited:
Bern-Belp
Wilderswil/Interlaken
Erstfeld
Buochs Airport and the Pilatus Aircraft Factory
Buochs Airport, located in the canton of Nidwalden, Switzerland, is a regional airfield best known as the home of the Pilatus Aircraft manufacturing facilities. The airport serves both civilian aviation and company operations, with a long runway that supports testing, production flights, and delivery operations.
Right beside the airfield stands the Pilatus Aircraft factory, where Switzerland’s world-famous aircraft are designed and built. Models such as the PC-6 Porter, PC-7, PC-9, PC-12, and the modern PC-21 have all been produced here. The open layout between factory and runway allows Pilatus to move aircraft directly from assembly halls to flight testing.
Emmen Airbase
Emmen Air Base, located near Lucerne in central Switzerland, is one of the Swiss Air Force’s most important operational and training sites. The base hosts several key units, including the Flight Test Center, responsible for testing and evaluating aircraft systems, and the Pilot Training School, where new military pilots begin their flight education on aircraft such as the PC-7.
Emmen also houses support and maintenance units, air-defense elements, and various technical departments that handle aircraft overhaul, weapons integration, and mission readiness. With its mix of operational activity, training, and advanced engineering, Emmen Air Base plays a central role in maintaining the Swiss Air Force’s capabilities.
Meiringen AirBase
Meiringen Air Base, located deep in the Bernese Oberland, is one of the most distinctive and strategically important bases of the Swiss Air Force. Surrounded by steep mountains, it is known for its dramatic approaches and partly underground aircraft caverns carved into the rock.
The base is home to Fliegerstaffel 8 and Fliegerstaffel 11, both operating the F/A-18 Hornet for air-policing and quick-reaction alert duties. Meiringen is frequently used for training flights, night operations, and readiness exercises.
