Originally Posted by
henra
I'm not aware that in Germany there is any station doing Night HEMS with non IFR rated pilots.
Generally speaking primary HEMS in Germany is strictly daytime VFR ops.
IFR only secondary HEMS. (There is an experiment running with NVG op's but that is really an exception)
There are 76 stations in Germany.
14 of those are 24/7 (edit: <Mostly> Secondary HEMS).
Biggest operators are ADAC (German Automobile Club) with 34 stations and DRF (public trust) 29 stations, which are private organisations and the German Ministery of the Interior (12 stations).
Types used:
Mainly EC135 for primary HEMS.
BK117 / EC145 some of which also used for secondary HEMS (IFR).
Two stations still using B412 mainly secondary HEMS at least one of them soon to be replaced by an EC145 and one station AS365N2 also mainly secondary HEMS (IFR)
I am surprised that until now no one has clarified this post...
The opposite is the case. Only a minority of the pilots doing night HEMS in Germany is instrument rated and/or current in instrument flight. Since Germany allows NVFR operations the only restriction is that all HEMS night operations are dual pilot, but mostly NVFR. On a day only HEMS base you are only allowed to
start a HEMS missions single pilot during the daylight period, but then finish it into night time. No dispatch into the night single pilot. The night bases are (as far as I know) all being NVG trained at the moment. Some have started normal NVG ops a while ago, some havent started the training yet. IFR even on secondary HEMS is not a big topic for the future for all the operators apart from DRF/HDM/"Team DRF".