This publication commemorating the 40th anniversary of the commissioning of the civil protection helicopter Christoph 3 documents the history of the first helicopter for civil and disaster relief over the past four decades. Unique imagery has been compiled by the authors Marc Maegele and Gerd Böttcher, both of whom have been working for many years in air rescue as an emergency physician and rescue assistant on Christoph 3. This is complemented by selected factual texts and personal accounts. The work of the rescue helicopter service on Christoph 3 and its development over the years is thoroughly depicted in both images and words.