Alfa-Helicopter is one of the sponsors of this year’s Prázdniny bez úrazu (Accident-free school holidays) accident prevention event for children and teenagers, scheduled from 2pm – 6pm on 20 June at Chalabalova Elementary School and the neighbouring Aquapark complex in Kohoutovice. The planned program includes a range of educational activities focussing on child safety and accident prevention for the summer months. For more information (in Czech), click here

The Children’s Day festivities for Krtek and Modrý Hroch children’s charities took place yesterday at the football field in Žebětín. The event was organised for those children supported by Krtek, the Childhood Cancer Foundation, and the Modrý Hroch charity (for children injured in accidents), but was also open to all children who came. Despite the weather, yesterday’s event was a well-attended success. Children participating were able to compete for helicopter rides, learn how to fall safely, make juggling balls and watch a demonstration of paramedics and rescue dogs in action. For more pictures, please go to our Photo Gallery page. In addition to the aforementioned charities, we’d like to thank all those who worked with us in organising this event, in particular South Moravia Regional EMS services and the Faculty of Sports Studies at Masaryk University.

Following the success of the first Children’s Day festivities held on behalf of Krtek and Modrý Hroch children’s charities last year, Alfa-Helicopter has decided to once again take part in this year’s celebrations in cooperation with South Moravia Regional EMS services (www.zzsjmk.cz), Krtek (www.krtek-nf.cz) and Modrý Hroch (www.modryhroch.cz). Joining the organisers this year will also be the Faculty of Sports Studies from Masaryk University (www.fsps.muni.cz). Hosted by Leoš Mareš and Jan Antonín Duchoslav, this year’s event is on 30th May from 1pm - 5pm at the football field in Žebětín (www.sporthill.cz). There will be a wide range of competitions and prizes for children, including helicopter flights. We hope to see you there. For a copy of the invitation (in Czech), click here

The Brněnské běhy half marathon, one of our company’s sponsored events, took place this year on 2nd May, starting in náměstí Svobody in the centre of Brno. Besides the half marathon, there were also races for school pupils, parents with small children, and a new race category using power stilts. In addition to the races, there was a living statue competition and an autograph session with Olympic finalist Nikola Sudová, the Czech Freestyle skier sponsored by Alfa-Helicopter.

Alfa-Helicopter is again the joint organiser of the 9th Brněnské dny Prehospital Emergency Care Conference to be held this year on 8th-9th April at Mikulov Chateau. As part of the conference, Alfa-Helicopter is organising a round table on the topic of the Future of HEMS in the Czech Republic. This is scheduled from 2.30 – 5.00pm on Thursday 8th April at Hotel Galant in Mikulov. For more information (in Czech) please go to: www.brnenske-dny.cz

Freestyle skier Nikola Sudová, who has been sponsored by our company for several years, lined up at the start of the moguls event in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. In spite of a serious knee injury, she took 16th place. We can only admire her for the courage and commitment she demonstrated. We wish her all the very best of luck with a successful knee surgery, so that she can continue to give great performances.

On the 9th February 2010, the 15th anniversary year of the 'Brno Bar' high jump event took place in the sports hall on Vodova Street. Since 2008, our company has sponsored this competition, which traditionally attracts a host of outstanding athletes from all over the world. This year's winners were Russia's Aleksey Dmitrik (231 cm) in the men's category, and Biethia Ruth from Spain (198cm) in the women's category.

On the afternoon of 5th February 2010, during a secondary mission on the flight route from Hosín to Jihlava, an accident took place involving Bell 427 helicopter registration number OK-AHB. This happened in the area east of the village of Horní Olešná. At the time, the helicopter was deployed in HEMS flights in Ceské Budějovice. None of the members of the crew were injured. During the flight, after a deterioration in the weather conditions, the pilot decided to return to base. Upon reducing the speed and height, the helicopter came into contact with the terrain, leading to a separation of the undercarriage and, after rotor contact with the ground, causing the helicopter to turn over onto its left side. At 16:20 a replacement helicopter from our partner company, DSA, was ready in Hradec Kralove, a type EC 135. At 17:15 at the Alfa-Helicopter base in Olomouc, another replacement helicopter, a Bell 206 L4T, was made ready. However, neither of these helicopters were able to undertake the flight due to poor weather conditions. On 6th February 2010 at 08:00, the weather conditions allowed for a flight from Olomouc to Jihlava, and at 13:00 on the same day there were conditions to fly from Jihlava to Hosín. The Bell 206 L4T helicopter arrived at the base in Hosín at 13:40.

This year’s Cesky Krumlov River Marathon takes place on Saturday 10 October 2009, an event for which our company is the general partner. Canoes and kayaks will line up to start at 11 o'clock in Vyšší Brod, and dinghies and rafts will set off at 11.15 from Rožmberk. In order to reach the finishing line in Cesky Krumlov, the competitors will have to traverse 36 and 26 kilometres of the river, respectively. This year, a record number of participants have registered for the race, with nearly a thousand people entered so far. Further up-to-date information about the race can be found at: www.krumlovskymaraton.com

At 13:00 on Monday 14th September 2009, Alfa-Helicopter’s new EC 135 T2+, OK-NIKola, landed in front of the Janáčkovo divadlo theatre in Brno. The general public were given a golden opportunity to see the helicopter and its interior in full EMS configuration, with pilot Dalibor Lešenar and the helicopter’s medical crew, Dr. Rostislav Verner and paramedic Pavel Sekanina, on hand to answer any questions. The helicopter was officially handed over for EMS use in Brno and South Moravia to Governor Michal Hašek and Deputy Mayor Dr. Daniel Rychnovský. To mark the significance of this occasion, Nikola Sudová, the Czech Freestyle skier and the helicopter’s own godmother, gave each of them a miniature replica model of OK-NIKola. Alfa-Helicopter also took the opportunity to present charity donations, with cheques presented to Milan Klusák, Director of South Moravia Regional EMS and Zdeněk Buštík, Director of Milosrdných bratří Hospital. Finally, Petr Bílek, Director of the Bolek Polívka Theatre, and Pavel Müller, owner of Alfa-Helicopter, handed over a cheque to Krtek, a local children’s cancer foundation. The latter funds were raised during an auction previously organised by Alfa-Helicopter and Bolek Polívka Theatre of a picture celebrating the theatre’s 15th anniversary. The event was rounded off with OK-NIKola’s departure at 14:30 with both the Governor and Deputy Mayor on board.

On Sunday 30 August 2009, our company flew the Czech actor Bolek Polívka and his friend and fellow actor, Jiří Pecha, to Bolek Polívka’s home town of Vizovice for the annual Trnkobraní Festival and to celebrate his 60th birthday.

Trauma 2009, an emergency simulation drill, was held from 10:00–13:00 on the Starý Lískovec motorway turnoff near Brno. All units of the South Moravian Integrated Rescue System (Police, Fire & Rescue and EMS services), and local, as well as regional, hospitals took part in the response to a simulated multiple vehicle crash. The aim of the drill was to test the efficiency of the region’s trauma system, with two of our company’s helicopters from our Brno and Olomouc HEMS bases also involved.

His Eminence Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne, the Rt Revd Dominik Duka, Bishop of Hradec Králové and the Most Revd Archbishop Karel Otčenášek were all flown by one of our company’s helicopters to Pec pod Sněžkou. From there, they were driven to the summit of Sněžka, the highest point in the Czech Republic, for the annual Holy Mass held at the Chapel of Svatý Vavřinec. Also present at the ceremony were Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic and Přemysl Sobotka, Chairman of the Czech Senate.

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15 Jul 2009