OKC station unveils new chopper, sister station’s coming later

Oklahoma-based Griffin Media has launched a state-of-the-art replacement for one of its two helicopters destroyed by a tornado — with another on the way.

KWTV in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, debuted a new version of its SkyNews 9, a Bell 505 that was built from the ground up for the station’s needs.

Its sister station KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will take delivery of a separate chopper later in 2024, according to Griffin.

KWTV’s SkyNews 9 was previously a Bell 407. Despite the higher model number, the Bell 505 is actually smaller than the 407 and has received mixed reviews from within the aviation industry. 

KWTV brands its chopper as “Bob Mills SkyNews 9” as part of a naming rights deal for its weather center and helicopter with local furniture store Bob Mills. Its tail number is N196TV.

KOTV’s chopper will be known as “Osage SkyNews 6,” to match its “News on 6” moniker, as part of a co-branding agreement with the Osage Nation.

KWTV’s onboard camera with a digital lens will bring clearer pictures to viewers, improving the camera’s performance in low light and humid conditions.

Advertisement

“When you’re talking about tracking Oklahoma’s severe weather from the sky, the camera is key,” said News 9 meteorologist David Payne in a story on the station’s website. “This new lens gives us the ability to really shoot any and all storms in a low light environment.”

The station will also bring back Street Scope, the ability for the station to combine live images from the helicopter with map data so that roads and major landmarks are digitally labeled on-screen to help viewers navigate what they are seeing, a feature that could be life-saving when it comes to tornado tracking.

In addition to tornadoes, the feature can also be activated to follow fires, including adding information about the number of acres engulfed in flames and what direction the blaze is moving.

The camera can also be programmed to continuously track a vehicle during high-speed chases. Software also allows the station to insert real-time speed data to the view.

Pilot Jim Gardner also noted that the new aircraft has improved his visibility when he’s operating it, including a wraparound windshield.

The helicopter is designed to fly at up to 20,000 feet above ground level as fast as 144 miles per hour, according to the station. It also has the ability to handle crosswinds. 

KWTV has used a helicopter in its news coverage dating back tin 1979. Both KWTV and KOTV also operate newsgathering drones branded as “Drone 9” and “Drone 6.”

You may have heard – a large hail stone damaged Jim Gardner’s windshield while he was tracking the Cole tornado last night. The good news — Jim landed safely, our flight crew is okay, and repairs are underway. Thankful for his continued service to our state. pic.twitter.com/5oTlLRhZXp

— Storme Jones (@StormeJones) April 20, 2023

Both of Griffin’s helicopters were damaged in April 2023. SkyNews 9 lost most of its windshield from hits from large hail, forcing an emergency landing. KOTV’s chopper was also damaged during the same series of storms.

An earlier version of this story described Griffin Media’s helicopter fleet incorrectly and misidentified the branding of KOTV’s helicopter. The story has been corrected.

Advertisement