FAA-oriented helicopter lookups keyed on tail number, with format validation and correlation IDs. ICAO, serial, and discovery endpoints are on the roadmap.
This calls the live Helicopter API. Enter an FAA tail number to resolve rotorcraft registration data, validated before the lookup runs.
Looking up rotorcraft...
Why Helicopter API
FAA tail lookups
Resolve rotorcraft by FAA N-number with a validated, GET-first request that returns clean JSON.
Format validation
Tail numbers are checked against the FAA N-number pattern before any lookup, so bad input fails fast with a 422.
Traceable responses
Every response includes a correlationId and a source marker, making logging and troubleshooting straightforward.
GET-first contract
Simple GET requests work cleanly from browsers, MCP tools, and CLI scripts with no request body to build.
ICAO and serial (roadmap)
ICAO hex and serial-number lookup routes are scaffolded and validate input today, with data resolution coming next.
Discovery endpoints (roadmap)
Manufacturer and model discovery endpoints are in place as placeholders, ready to return catalogs as they ship.
/api/v1/helicopter
Tail lookup
Requires tail. Resolves rotorcraft registration by FAA N-number.
ICAO lookup
Validates a 6-character ICAO hex. Data resolution is on the roadmap (returns a reason today).
Serial lookup
Validates a serial number (3 to 20 chars). Returns 501 until resolution ships.
Manufacturers
Manufacturer discovery endpoint, currently a placeholder list.
Models
Model discovery per manufacturer, currently a placeholder payload.
Service health
Status, version, uptime, and environment.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| tail | query | lookup | FAA tail number matching the N-number pattern, e.g. N1098Z. |
| hex | path | icao | ICAO 24-bit address, exactly 6 hexadecimal characters. |
| sn | path | serial | Serial number, 3 to 20 characters. |
| manufacturer | path | models | Manufacturer name for the models discovery route. |
Error reference
Format problems return 422, and endpoints still being built return 501 rather than pretending to answer. Every response carries a correlationId.
Missing tail query, or an invalid tail, ICAO hex, or serial format. The error message names the failing field.
Missing or invalid API key at the gateway. Send x-api-key or api_key with every request.
Unknown route requested under /api/v1/helicopter.
Serial and batch endpoints return 501 for valid input while their resolution ships.
Unhandled parser or middleware failure during a lookup.
Example error response
{
"error": "Invalid ICAO hex format",
"correlationId": "abc123"
}FAQ
The tail-number lookup is live: GET /lookup?tail= validates an FAA N-number and returns rotorcraft registration data with a source marker and correlationId. ICAO, serial, and discovery routes exist and validate input, with data resolution on the roadmap.
Requests are checked against the FAA N-number pattern before any lookup runs, so malformed tail numbers return a 422 with a clear message instead of an upstream failure.
They validate the ICAO hex or serial format and respond with a reason indicating resolution is not yet implemented (a 501 for serial). This keeps the contract honest while the data sources are wired up.
A POST /batch endpoint is scaffolded and returns 501 for valid requests. Use the tail lookup today; batch support is planned.
Send your Datpaq API key as an x-api-key header or an api_key query parameter. Keys are created in the Datpaq dashboard and a free tier is included.
Validated FAA N-number lookups with clean JSON and correlation IDs, plus ICAO, serial, and discovery routes taking shape.