HISTORY OF PERSISTENCE Inspired


by developments


in


the


Netherlands, a government-backed experimental project called Helihulp launched in 1973. Under this initiative, a


civil protection


helicopter rotated


between two bases: one at Beernem in West Flanders, supported by AZ Sint- Jan Bruges, and another at Crisnée in Wallonia. For over a decade, the project operated in this experimental form, but it was never given a permanent footing and was ultimately discontinued in 1986.


That same year, however, the IMDH — the Instituut voor Medische Dringende Hulpverlening — stepped in and took over the helicopter operation, establishing what has since become an uninterrupted service, making 1986 the true founding year of the MUG helicopter as it exists today. A decisive turning point came in 1998, when the helicopter officially gained recognition as the only helicopter integrated into the (Dial) 112 emergency medical system in Flanders, a distinction it still holds. Despite this formal status, it has never received structural federal government funding — a situation the IMDH has lobbied to change for decades without success.


The fleet itself has evolved over the years. For a long time, the workhorse was an Aerospatiale AS355 Ecureuil twin- engine helicopter. In November 2008, the then-current aircraft — an AS355-F1 (registered OO-HSB) — was irreparably damaged in a crash near Bruges. Within months, a replacement was arranged: an AS355-F2 (registered OO-HSN) entered service in June 2009 and flew its final mission on Christmas Eve 2021. Since early 2022, the IMDH has operated an Airbus Helicopters EC135, flown under an


operational partnership with the French helicopter operator Groupe SAF.


56


July/Aug 2026


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