Helicopters over Avalon

Live helicopter tracking for Avalon, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Checking the sky overhead…

GTLA AirWatch · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds

Map of Avalon, Los Angeles County
Scanning
Live map — checking for helicopters over AvalonThe dashed ring is the 12 km radius this page counts as “over Avalon”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Today over Avalon

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 hours.

Verbs like “held over” and “circled” describe the recorded flight path, not what was happening on the ground. Nothing here states a crime, a fire or a casualty.

Who's hovering here?View the full live map

The sky over Avalon

1,498helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
158.9
passes per week
11
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (1p) has averaged 156 passes historically

Who flies over Avalon

  • Private86%
  • Military12%
  • Fire / medical1%
  • Sheriff0%
  • Police0%

The regulars over Avalon

The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.

Who flies over Avalon, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Avalon

1,292 of 1,498 recorded passes over Avalon were private and charter helicopters — 86% of the traffic here, 84.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Maverick (N850MH), 111 recorded passestypically 100–200 ft

Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

Military helicopters over Avalon

186 of 1,498 recorded passes over Avalon were military helicopters — 12% of the traffic here, 21.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: US NAVY (167068), 5 recorded passesusually 3pm–6pmtypically 250–500 ft

Military aircraft are almost always transiting between bases or on training flights; they rarely orbit a neighborhood.

Fire and air-medical helicopters over Avalon

13 of 1,498 recorded passes over Avalon were fire and air-medical helicopters — 1% of the traffic here, 1.4 hours overhead in total.

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

What it usually means

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.

Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.

Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Avalon common questions

Why is a fire helicopter over Avalon?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 1% of the 1,498 helicopter passes recorded over Avalon. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

How high do helicopters fly over Avalon?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 100–200 ft; military helicopters at 250–500 ft. These are the middle half of measured altitudes above sea level for each group, not a floor or a ceiling.

How long do helicopters stay over Avalon?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 84.4 hours overhead across 1,292 recorded passes. Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

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.

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.

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