Helicopter Intercom Frequencies for DFW Area

[blantonl]

Does anyone know what frequencies the news, law, EMS, and other helos use for intercom in the DFW Metro area?

Is it 123.025 ? That's what is used in San Antonio.

I'm getting ready to complete my pilot's license training here in the next few months, doing so in the DFW area, and would like to know what they are using so when I'm overflying an incident VFR at 3000 feet I can tune in 🤣

... and update the database of course

 

[Harold]

That's the one. Over the years I have very often heard them calling up each other when operating in the same airspace. I'm in Tarrant County, but can sometimes hear them over Dallas. Might add, CareFlight still uses 131.675 over Tarrant and 134.450 over Dallas County, other air medical services will use like a Unicom when entering the metro area.

 

[nd5y]

The FAA Dallas Fort Worth Helicopter Route Chart used to have 123.025 and 122.775 listed.
One was east and the other was west. It looks like that changed. I don't see it listed now.
123.025 is supposed to be for helicopter use nationwide.

 

[prcguy]

Let me know when your going to fly over DFW. So I can be safe underground!

 

[Russell]

Is it 123.025 ?

Yes. I've heard DPS 101 and Dallas Air 1 talking to each other, as well as news birds here many times.

Russell

 

[hiegtx]

Currently, none of the local TV stations have their own (station owned) helicopter. They all contract with Sky Helicopters, based at Garland's airport. While, on newscasts, they say, for example, 'Sky 4' or 'Telecopter 8; is 'over the scene', it may be a single bird feeding to more than newsroom. One of the stations (don't recall which, but probably either Ch 5 or 11), from what I understand paid extra to have one of the craft dedicated to them, not sharing video. (That might have changed since I first heard that).

CareFlite dispatch normally keeps tabs on other Medevac copters inbound to one of the area hospitals, and warns their own units, and advising if the pad at one of the hospitals is currently occupied. CareFlite handles their six units here in North Central Texas on the Megahertz DMR system.

 

[t5333]

I made this lengthy comment if you want to keep up with the shared news chopper.

Basically, scan for these four frequencies:

450.3125 - CH 04 FOX
450.1125 - CH 05 NBC
450.0875 - CH 08 WFAA
450.5125 - CH 11 CBS

You'd also want to use a flight tracking app to get alert for whenever N321PD takes off from the Garland/DFW Heloplex (Monday through Friday). At that point, you'll get an idea of where the stations want to the chopper to go, weather permitting.

On the police side, if you want to keep up with Air 1--you'll need to listen in for prolonged periods of times to your preferred police division or check the Dallas police active calls public list. On the active calls list you check the "Unit Num" column and see if "AIR1" is listed and then listen in to the police division that it is helping out at that time. Sometimes someone from "K#", example: "K9" (Canine squad), will be at the same location helping out as well. Keep in mind that on a busy night the chopper will go to higher priority incident before circling back or refueling.

For medical helicopters, you can listen in to one of the CareFlite talk groups listed on Megahertz Technology. There's also some others listed on Medevac (Texas). Sometimes you might hear something from PHI Air or Air Evac.

 

[blantonl]

Yeah, I was out flying a few weeks ago and we overflew an incident in NE Tarrant County where we could easily see 3 helos in the pattern - the problem was the aircraft I was flying at the time only had one radio and we're already super heavily tasked radio wise flying in DFW's airspace so I couldn't easily switch over and listen.

But I'll be buying an airplane hopefully this year that will have at least two radios so I'll be prepared.

Was just curious what was used in DFW and I figured it was 123.025 but wanted to verify.

Last week I took a 152 up and flew from Denton to Granbury and landed there to fuel up, then flew direct to overhead Parker County Airport, and headed due east from there, picked up the Class B clearance and flew direct to Mesquite, directly overflying the south end of DFW Airport with the big guys all on approach under us. It was pretty cool. Landed at Mesquite for a quick stop, then took off, picked up the class B clearance again direct back to Denton. It was quite a day. Plus, wrangling a 152 in class B airspace is a lot of work. Here are some photos.

 

[hiegtx]

I made this lengthy comment if you want to keep up with the shared news chopper.

Basically, scan for these four frequencies:

450.3125 - CH 04 FOX
450.1125 - CH 05 NBC
450.0875 - CH 08 WFAA
450.5125 - CH 11 CBS

You'd also want to use a flight tracking app to get alert for whenever N321PD takes off from the Garland/DFW Heloplex (Monday through Friday). At that point, you'll get an idea of where the stations want to the chopper to go, weather permitting.

Right now, N99TV & N801TV are circling the Dallas PD headquarters on Botham Jean (previously name Lamar). There is a protest scheduled this evening over the individual killed in Memphis recently, with 5 Memphis PD officers fired for that. I've also consistently seen N661HD circling scenes (though not this current one), and with virtually identical footage on both Fox4 & WFAA-Ch 8 newscasts that were on at the same time.

On the police side, if you want to keep up with Air 1--you'll need to listen in for prolonged periods of times to your preferred police division or check the Dallas police active calls public list. On the active calls list you check the "Unit Num" column and see if "AIR1" is listed and then listen in to the police division that it is helping out at that time. Sometimes someone from "K#", example: "K9" (Canine squad), will be at the same location helping out as well. Keep in mind that on a busy night the chopper will go to higher priority incident before circling back or refueling.

Air 1 frequently passes over my house en-route to & from their base at Dallas Executive Airport (previously Redbird). Their older bird usually shows up on Flightradar as B06. So far, I rarely see their newer unit, a Bell 407 (I think) donated to the department by Ross Perot, Jr. I get a lot of medevac traffic overhead as well, being along the most common flight path from units transporting patients from south of Dallas to one of the larger hospitals.

For medical helicopters, you can listen in to one of the CareFlite talk groups listed on Megahertz Technology. There's also some others listed on Medevac (Texas). Sometimes you might hear something from PHI Air or Air Evac.

I hear PHI dispatches fairly often. They have several units based at the Desoto Heliport near Danieldale & Hampton Rd. I've seen at least three at one time on the ground there at the same time. If you look at their paths on Flightradar, their start may track back to that location.

I almost never hear AirEvac.

 

[mass-man]

That is a good frequency for hearing the Ch 11 desk talk to the chopper....or engineering if the microwave signal is iffy! It is possible for any of the stations to hire a bird for EXCLUSIVE use but not above the other stations to tune into the signal and steal it! More often than not they share so the cost is mitigated. 123.025 is indeed the helo air to air. I often hear Careflight on 131.675 enroute from the west into Ft Worth. They usually advise Parker Co on 123.7 of their whereabouts, and call their dispatcher with an ETA.
Lindsay, depending on the winds, you may have flown your base leg directly over my house on the lake!!!!

 

[riverradio68]

What, no scanner in the aircraft?

 

[prcguy]

So ya'll will be buying an airplane with at least 2 radios will ya? Yea, it better have more than 2 radios pal, like so many that you can't see out the front window. I want to see a radio rack where the front passenger seat used to be. I hope your little airplane looks like one of those REACT whackers with so many radios and microphone cables you will have to land the thing just to figure out what mic to grab, that is if it can even get off the ground.

And lastly, I really, really want to see that big stupid double Discone of yours bolted to the belly of your shiny new airplane making showering trails of sparks down the runway as you try to take off, which will be futile.

Do it. Dooooo it!

But I'll be buying an airplane hopefully this year that will have at least two radios so I'll be prepared.

 

[blantonl]

So ya'll will be buying an airplane with at least 2 radios will ya? Yea, it better have more than 2 radios pal, like so many that you can't see out the front window. I want to see a radio rack where the front passenger seat used to be. I hope your little airplane looks like one of those REACT whackers with so many radios and microphone cables you will have to land the thing just to figure out what mic to grab, that is if it can even get off the ground.

And lastly, I really, really want to see that big stupid double Discone of yours bolted to the belly of your shiny new airplane making showering trails of sparks down the runway as you try to take off, which will be futile.

Do it. Dooooo it!

I think a GPS enabled SDS-100 will do just fine, and I'll have an avionics installer put in an all band aircraft rated antenna on the bottom of the plane.

That should be as good enough as an ELINT platform that I'll need.

Problem with actually installing radios in aircraft is that you start to run into all sorts of FAA regulations on modifications etc which I'm not prepared to deal with yet.

 

[K5MPH]

Used to fly with my brother in law around DFW area in the 1980s he was a ham and had a 2 meter radio in his plane he had many qso around texas (simplex) 10 to 12 thousand foot antenna it was pretty cool.........

 

[texaskeystone]

Air 1 frequently passes over my house en-route to & from their base at Dallas Executive Airport (previously Redbird). Their older bird usually shows up on Flightradar as B06. So far, I rarely see their newer unit, a Bell 407 (I think) donated to the department by Ross Perot, Jr. I get a lot of medevac traffic overhead as well, being along the most common flight path from units transporting patients from south of Dallas to one of the larger hospitals.

The Bell 407 Perot-ship has been relicensed and PD vinyl added. Radio system still needs the North Texas system added. They are also waiting on some FLIR equipment that has been held up in procurement and supply chain delays. Except for certification and maintenance flights, its not in service and is sheltered in the new DPD Hanger in the west side of Dallas Executive. 1510 and 1511 (the "older" birds) are actively used - they are almost identical to each other.

 

[tampabaynews]

Thanks for your eagerness to maintain situational awareness. Operated the cam in a news helicopter for five years. Can't tell you how many times aircraft in buzzed us in G airspace without any comms. Good thing we had TCAS. Other helos including private, news, and police always monitored 123.025 but never the local medevacs for some reason.

 

[hiegtx]

The Bell 407 Perot-ship has been relicensed and PD vinyl added. Radio system still needs the North Texas system added. They are also waiting on some FLIR equipment that has been held up in procurement and supply chain delays. Except for certification and maintenance flights, its not in service and is sheltered in the new DPD Hanger in the west side of Dallas Executive. 1510 and 1511 (the "older" birds) are actively used - they are almost identical to each other.

I did see the 407 active on Flightradar about a week or so ago, The tail # came back to Dallas. That might well have been a 'maintence' flight, as I did not see the extended looping arount on normal Air 1 activity.