Air Care

Air Care

North Memorial's great care is not restricted to the Twin Cities metro area. Through Air Care, our flight transportation service, we serve an expansive coverage area. Our flight bases are located in Bemidji, Brainerd, Princeton, Redwood Falls and the Twin Cities, allowing us to cover all of Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and parts of surrounding states 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Depending on weather conditions and terrain, Air Care crews can often respond directly to the scene of an emergency. And while we’re proud of our relationship with North Memorial Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center in Minneapolis, we can transport patients to and from any appropriate facility.

Air Care’s critical care flight nurses and paramedics all have years of traditional ground experience before serving in a flight capacity. They are highly trained to provide emergency care for pediatric and adult patients with nearly any illnesses or injury.

Likewise, our pilots are rated to airline standards and are Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certified, meaning they are trained to safely navigate using flight instruments alone, should visibility become diminished. Air Care also has a highly skilled team of aircraft mechanics who are dedicated to maintaining our helicopters according to rigorous standards for speed and safety.

In addition to medical flight transportation, Air Care crews provide a variety of training opportunities for emergency care providers – at both the volunteer and professional levels. North Memorial’s tradition of remarkable care is consistent, whether on the ground or in the air.

Quick Facts:

  • Air Care crews respond to about 2,600 calls every year.
  • Our helicopters are manufactured by Agusta, a world leader in aircraft production.
  • The top speed of each helicopter is 180 mph.
  • Air Care was started in 1985.

Health care providers: for more information, visit our section How to Request an Ambulance or Air Care