Helicopters over Altadena
Live helicopter tracking for Altadena, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Altadena…
The sky over Altadena
By hour of day
Who flies over Altadena
- Police58%
- Sheriff14%
- News11%
- Private10%
- Fire / medical6%
- Other1%
What it usually means
Police (LAPD / municipal): Police helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support officers on the ground. A tight circle overhead usually means the activity is directly below.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 3:51 PMPoliceN239PS2,400–2,500 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 11:31 AMLASD Air Rescue 5N951LB3,750–4,650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 8:25 AMPoliceN239PS2,600–3,000 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 10:32 PMPoliceN224KB2,300–2,500 ft3 minSE
- Jul 23, 6:54 PMPoliceN224KB2,300–2,500 ft2 minW
- Jul 23, 12:50 PMPrivateN810CE2,550–2,675 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 7:15 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV2,325–2,950 ft28 minW
- Jul 22, 6:37 PMPoliceN224KB1,900–2,300 ft6 minNW
- Jul 22, 5:13 PMPoliceN224KB2,000–2,200 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 3:04 PMPoliceN818PD2,150–2,925 ft3 minNW
- Jul 22, 2:38 PMPoliceN224KB2,000–2,600 ft2 minE
- Jul 22, 2:34 PMPoliceN224KB2,100–2,400 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 11:23 AMPoliceN665PD2,750–2,850 ft2 minW
- Jul 22, 7:11 AMLA Co FDN110LA2,300–2,400 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 4:33 PMSheriffN962LA1,900–3,600 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 9:30 AMPoliceN232LA1,525–2,425 ft2 minNW
- Jul 21, 6:48 AMLA Co FDN110LA2,000 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 10:26 PMPoliceN8NF2,000–2,100 ft1 minNW
- Jul 20, 6:37 PMPoliceN8NF2,100–2,200 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 6:31 PMPoliceN8NF2,000–2,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 3:22 PMPoliceN8NF3,200–4,100 ft31 minW
- Jul 20, 3:15 PMPoliceN8NF3,700–3,800 ft2 minSW
- Jul 19, 6:41 PMPoliceN224KB1,900–2,100 ft1 minNW
- Jul 19, 6:21 PMPoliceN224KB1,800–2,500 ft6 minW
- Jul 18, 11:59 PMPoliceN224KB2,000–2,200 ft4 minNW
- Jul 18, 9:32 PMPoliceN224KB2,000–2,100 ft2 minSW
- Jul 18, 9:27 PMUS ARMY17-209292,125–2,175 ft1 minW
- Jul 18, 8:45 PMPoliceN224KB2,000–2,100 ft1 minSW
- Jul 18, 5:49 PMPoliceN224KB2,100–2,400 ft2 minW
- Jul 17, 7:51 PMPoliceN8NF2,100–2,300 ft4 minE
- Jul 17, 12:05 PMPrivateN531RG—1 minW
- Jul 17, 11:49 AMLASD Air Rescue 5N951LB2,700–3,750 ft1 minNE
- Jul 17, 8:18 AMPrivateN406AP2,200–2,700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 17, 7:25 AMLA Co FDN110LA3,600 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 10:49 PMPoliceN8NF2,000–2,400 ft7 minW
- Jul 16, 7:09 PMPoliceN8NF2,200 ft2 minW
- Jul 16, 7:05 PMPoliceN8NF2,100–2,300 ft1 minSW
- Jul 16, 5:18 PMSoCal EdisonN413CE2,325–2,375 ft1 minSE
- Jul 16, 4:09 PMSoCal EdisonN413CE2,425–2,775 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 7:30 AMPrivateN406AP1,700–1,900 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Altadena: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Altadena?
Most helicopter activity over Altadena is one of four things: police aircraft supporting officers on the ground, news helicopters covering a developing story, fire or air-medical aircraft responding to an emergency, or private and military aircraft simply transiting the area. This page shows which one is overhead right now, identified by operator.
How can I tell if it's police or a news helicopter?
Police aircraft usually fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot and often stay for a long time. News helicopters tend to hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after an incident is already underway. This page labels each aircraft by its operator, so you don't have to guess.
What time do helicopters usually fly over Altadena?
Based on 108 tracked passes over Altadena, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 5pm local time. Activity rises during evening news hours and drops sharply overnight.
Where does this data come from?
GTLA AirWatch tracks public ADS-B and MLAT broadcasts that aircraft transmit about their own position, the same open data used by air-traffic enthusiasts worldwide. It is updated every few seconds.