What the live map shows

GTLA AirWatch maps reported helicopter positions around Greater Los Angeles, including Los Angeles and Orange counties and parts of Ventura, the Inland Empire and Kern County. Select an aircraft for its available identification, altitude, speed and recent flight trail.

Tracks, reports and sources

Aircraft positions come from ADS-B and Mode S feeds through adsb.fi, adsb.lol, airplanes.live and the OpenSky Network. Incident information draws on public agency feeds and attributed reports. Check an item’s source and time; a helicopter nearby does not confirm an incident or explain its mission.

Coverage and timing

The map refreshes while you watch, but flight coverage can be incomplete and updates can be delayed. Check the feed-status indicator and report timestamps. Animated aircraft and map imagery are visualizations, not live camera footage. Replays show recorded activity.