Helicopters over Bakersfield
Live helicopter tracking for Bakersfield, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Bakersfield…
Recent incidents over Bakersfield
- 🚨 Bakersfield Hostage Crisis · Downtown Bakersfield
Update: The standoff has ended and this incident is now concluded.
Jun 3, 12:38 PM PT
The sky over Bakersfield
By hour of day
Who flies over Bakersfield
- Private46%
- Sheriff45%
- Fire / medical7%
- Military1%
What it usually means
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.
Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 9:17 PMPrivateN76FL1,100 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 8:33 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,200–1,225 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:31 PMPrivateN892CS1,550–1,825 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 4:52 PMPrivateN76FL600–1,100 ft3 minNW
- Jul 24, 10:56 AMPrivateN224AM600–900 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 8:47 PMPrivateN645AM750–1,250 ft3 minN
- Jul 21, 8:57 PMPrivateN645AM675–800 ft2 minN
- Jul 21, 2:22 PMPrivateN414PJ825–950 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 9:42 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,000–1,075 ft2 minNE
- Jul 21, 9:31 AMPrivateN145TN550–1,350 ft2 minNW
- Jul 20, 2:05 PMUS ARMY18-209802,400–3,825 ft1 minS
- Jul 19, 5:49 AMPrivateN224AM600–800 ft4 minNE
- Jul 19, 12:55 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,175–1,200 ft1 minN
- Jul 19, 12:23 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,350–1,375 ft1 minW
- Jul 19, 12:05 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,200–1,225 ft1 minNE
- Jul 18, 11:55 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,400–1,425 ft2 minS
- Jul 18, 11:26 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,200–1,375 ft5 minS
- Jul 18, 7:27 AMPrivateN184AM1,000–1,500 ft1 minS
- Jul 18, 6:43 AMPrivateN184AM700–1,100 ft3 minN
- Jul 18, 12:32 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,125–1,175 ft1 minNW
- Jul 17, 10:06 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,175–1,225 ft1 minN
- Jul 17, 9:25 PMPrivateN184AM800–1,100 ft3 minNW
- Jul 17, 9:04 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,150–1,375 ft2 minW
- Jul 17, 1:41 PMFire/EMSN409KC3,550 ft1 minSE
- Jul 17, 12:11 PMFire/EMSN409KC3,550–3,575 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 3:28 PMPrivateN323CH800–1,400 ft2 minN
- Jul 16, 12:59 PMPrivateN205RH4,650–4,675 ft1 minN
- Jul 15, 3:59 PMPrivateN406AP1,400–1,600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 15, 3:32 PMPrivateN184AM1,700–2,900 ft1 minW
- Jul 14, 1:39 PMPrivateN112MT900–1,125 ft1 minS
- Jul 14, 12:08 PMPrivateN112MT800–1,150 ft1 minSW
- Jul 11, 1:27 PMFire/EMSN409KC3,450–3,475 ft1 minE
- Jul 11, 12:41 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,650–1,700 ft2 minSW
- Jul 10, 9:00 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,575–1,600 ft4 minNW
- Jul 10, 8:45 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,625 ft1 minSW
- Jul 10, 7:37 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,250–1,400 ft9 minW
- Jul 10, 12:14 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,525–1,600 ft1 minS
- Jul 10, 12:06 AMKern SheriffN913KC1,600–1,700 ft5 minNE
- Jul 9, 11:31 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,250–1,375 ft3 minS
- Jul 9, 11:16 PMKern SheriffN913KC1,125–1,275 ft5 minSE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Bakersfield: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Bakersfield?
Most helicopter activity over Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield?
Based on 71 tracked passes over Bakersfield, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 12am 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.