Company history - MOTORFLUG - BADEN-BADEN GmbH

Our story!

Extensive restructuring and realignment in 2023 with closure of Baden-Baden Oos site

Strategic partner of the Federal Police in the conversion of the H120 fleet in the course of procurement

Winning the tender to support the LUH-SAR in 2019 and opening the Niederstetten line station.

Winning the tender to provide the BSHS training helicopter to the German Armed Forces in Bückeburg in 2016/2017

The very good and close cooperation with the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada then led to the appointment as a “Premium Service Provider” in 2013 and the signing of an extended framework agreement for the maintenance of the PW200 / PT6C-67C / PT6B-36 / PT6T leasing engine series. In the same year, Bell Helicopter’s latest model, the Bell 429, reached powered flight – the maintenance and support of our customers.

In 2008, Motorflug was sold to Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (now Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH) and integrated into the Group as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Following the opening of the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden regional airport in 1997 and the redesignation of the Baden-Oos airfield as a special airfield, Motorflug relocated its helicopter maintenance, including administration, to Baden Airpark in 1998. Thanks to successful infrastructure development, the Baden-Oos special airfield has become an important commercial area for the city of Baden-Baden. This environment is very conducive to powered flight, which is why component maintenance, with its technically complex test stand buildings and facilities, has remained at the site.

Approval for the EC135 from the manufacturer Eurocopter followed in 1995. In addition, contracts were concluded in this year with the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada for the PT6T and PW200 engine types in order to adapt the range of services in the engine area to the helicopter types of powered flight customers. In the following year, a framework agreement was concluded with the engine manufacturer Turbomeca for the Arriel and Arrius series engines.

Another milestone is reached in 1984 with the appointment by Aerospatiale, later Eurocopter and today Airbus Helicopters, as the service station for the “Ecureuil” AS350 & AS355.

In 1976, the portfolio as a helicopter maintenance company was expanded to include the new BO105 and BK117 models from the manufacturer Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, initially Eurocopter and now Airbus Helicopters. With this step, all dealer activities for Bell Helicopter were discontinued and since then the company has operated purely as a service provider in the field of helicopter, aircraft, engine and component maintenance.

In addition to flight training, maintenance and repair became more and more the focus of business activities. As a result, Motorflug applied to Bell Helicopter and Agusta and became an authorized maintenance company (service station) for these manufacturers in 1957. The company headquarters moved to the “Auf der Karthause” airfield in Koblenz. In the same year, a framework maintenance contract was signed for the 50 Bell 47G helicopters of the German Armed Forces. 10 years later, in 1967, the company headquarters were moved from Koblenz to Baden-Baden.

In 1955, the entrepreneur and aviation pioneer Günther Graf von Hardenberg founded MOTORFLUG GmbH in the form of a flying school after the Allies and the authorities allowed “motorized” flight in Germany again. Flight operations began at the Itzehoe “Am Hungrigen Wolf” airfield with a Piper Cup 4.