Helicopters over Baldwin Hills

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

Area briefing

Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

Map of Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles County
Scanning
Live map — checking for helicopters over Baldwin Hills… The dashed ring is the 3.5 km radius this page counts as “over Baldwin Hills”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Today over Baldwin Hills

Nothing has been recorded over Baldwin Hills in the last 12 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 Baldwin Hills

207helicopter passes tracked over 63 days
23.0
passes per week
1.0
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (2p) has averaged 12 passes historically

Who flies over Baldwin Hills

  • Police77%
  • Private11%
  • News9%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • Military1%
  • Other0%

The regulars over Baldwin Hills

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

Who flies over Baldwin Hills, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Baldwin Hills

159 of 207 recorded passes over Baldwin Hills were police helicopters — 77% of the traffic here, 7.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N221LA), 27 recorded passestypically 500–750 ft

Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

Private and charter helicopters over Baldwin Hills

23 of 207 recorded passes over Baldwin Hills were private and charter helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 0.6 hours overhead in total.

typically 650–800 ft

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

News helicopters over Baldwin Hills

18 of 207 recorded passes over Baldwin Hills were news helicopters — 9% of the traffic here, 1 hour overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 7 recorded passestypically 900–1,400 ft

News helicopters hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after a story is already underway; several at once usually means something is being covered live.

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.

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

News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.

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

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Baldwin Hills common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Baldwin Hills?

Police helicopters account for 77% of the 207 helicopter passes recorded over Baldwin Hills. The one you see most is LAPD (N221LA), 27 recorded passes. They typically fly at 500–750 ft above sea level. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

Is that a news helicopter over Baldwin Hills?

News helicopters account for 9% of the 207 helicopter passes recorded over Baldwin Hills. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 7 recorded passes. They typically fly at 900–1,400 ft above sea level. News helicopters hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after a story is already underway; several at once usually means something is being covered live.

How high do helicopters fly over Baldwin Hills?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 500–750 ft; private and charter helicopters at 650–800 ft; news helicopters at 900–1,400 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 Baldwin Hills?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 7.6 hours overhead across 159 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

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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