This is meant to be a quick, at-a-glance reference for people interested in the helicopters that frequently grace our skies in the Twin Cities. If this page is of interest to you, you'll probably like Minneapolis/St. Paul Aviation Spotting, MilAirMSP, Advisory Circular Minneapolis-St. Paul, and ADSB Exchange.
See the companion spreadsheet, complete with tracking links.
Updates, suggestions, and corrections are welcome and encouraged - feel free to shoot me an email.
The major Twin Cities TV networks (KARE, KMSP, KSTP, and WCCO) share a single pool helicopter, N67CL, a purple Bell 206 with a white belly. It flies out of South St. Paul.
N444TV, branded for WCCO, showed as N163RP on some flight trackers. The aircraft was based at Flying Cloud (FCM) in Eden Prairie and was the pool aircraft until December, 2021. As of April 2023, it's in mosquito control service for MMCD (see below).
KSTP's pilot and flight program retired in March, 2021; they now use the pool aircraft.
The Minnesota State Patrol operates a pair of Bell 407 helicopters; they're recognizable with white on the front and maroon on the tail. They're frequently seen overhead assisting local agencies. Tail numbers are N118SP and N119SP.
There are three companies that regularly operate air care or medevac flights in the area.
Life Link III
Dark blue with yellow and green striping AW 119s.
N351LL, N352LL, N353LL, N354LL, N356LL, N357LL, N358LL, N359LL, N360LL
North Memorial
White with red belly AW109s; the first H135 (EC135 T3), wearing an attractive black livery, arrived at the FBL base on April 23, 2023.
AW109s: N28NM, N35NM, N42NM, N71NM, N81NM, N90NM
EC35s: N423NM
Previous aircraft in fleet: N10NM, N30NM, N91NM
Mayo
Dark blue EC-145.
N145EC, N145MC, N145SM, N145SZ
US Customs and Border Protection has an AS350 based at STP airport, tail number N3949A, which is white with a dark blue diagonal stripe on the rear of the fuselage. They do not usually reveal their position with ADS-B tracking.
The Minnesota Army National Guard operates UH-60 Black Hawks out of STP, and less frequently in the Twin Cities, the twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook. These don't reliably show up on flight trackers, but make frequent appearances on MilAirMSP.
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District operates a fleet of helicopters that drop pellets to prevent mosquitos from reaching adulthood. Their public schedule can be found here.
Offering sight-seeing tours, flying lessons, and the like with a variety of aircraft.
N107EH, N134AA, N190H, N4170M, N7048C, N7DQ, N7195E, N854WS
A flight school based at Flying Cloud (FCM) in Eden Prairie.
N241HB, N508CX, N566RB