Helicopters over Bell

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

Checking the sky over Bell…

Map of Bell, Los Angeles — Scanning for choppers over Bell — nothing overhead right now. The dashed ring is the 2 km radius this page counts as “over Bell”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Who's hovering here?View the full live map

Recent incidents over Bell

📺 ✅ Scene coverage concluded after 12 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-boyle-heights-a · Boyle Heights
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 12 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-boyle-heights-a97a6?src=story
Jun 21, 5:15 PM PT
🚨 ABC7: Wild chase through Santa Clarita Valley linked to deadly shooting Pomona; suspect in custody · Little Tokyo
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 9 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-little-tokyo--140?src=story
Jun 18, 9:37 PM PT
🚨 Firefighters responded to a building fire at 1400 S Los Palos St in Boyle Heights with multiple news helicopters overhead as of 3:17 p.m. local time. · 33.992, -118.200
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 12 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-la--123?src=story
Jun 18, 3:33 PM PT

The sky over Bell

348helicopter passes tracked over 25 days

97.4

passes per week

2.6

hours overhead per week

11 AM

busiest hour

Sheriff

most common overhead

By hour of day

12a

12p

Busiest hour: 11a · this hour (11a) has averaged 33 passes historically

Who flies over Bell

Sheriff68%
News16%
Private11%
Police3%
Military1%
Other0%

What it usually means

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.

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.

Recent helicopter activity

Jul 25, 10:15 AMLASDN954LA · AS50400–500 ft3 minE
Jul 25, 10:08 AMLASDN954LA · AS50400–500 ft1 minS
Jul 25, 9:58 AMLASDN954LA · AS50400–500 ft1 minNE
Jul 25, 9:34 AMSheriffN957LA800–900 ft1 minN
Jul 25, 9:34 AMLASDN957LA · AS50800–900 ft1 minN
Jul 25, 9:21 AMSheriffN954LA500–600 ft1 minNW
Jul 25, 9:03 AMPrivateN23HS900–1,125 ft1 minNW
Jul 24, 10:27 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,000–1,125 ft1 minSE
Jul 24, 10:06 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,000 ft1 minNW
Jul 24, 9:59 PMAIR7N71HD975–1,050 ft1 minNW
Jul 24, 9:51 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,050–1,100 ft1 minN
Jul 24, 9:48 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,200–1,300 ft1 minSE
Jul 24, 6:02 PMAIR7N71HD975–1,225 ft1 minN
Jul 24, 6:01 PMPoliceN226LA650–700 ft1 minN
Jul 24, 4:35 PMPrivateN535DE800–850 ft1 minS
Jul 24, 1:49 PMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL900–1,200 ft2 minN
Jul 24, 1:37 PMSheriffN958LA750–850 ft1 minSE
Jul 24, 12:07 PMAIR7 (backup)N29HD1,500–1,600 ft1 minSE
Jul 24, 11:48 AMSheriffN958LA800–925 ft1 minSE
Jul 24, 7:35 AMSheriffN958LA700–975 ft4 minSE
Jul 24, 6:31 AMSheriffN958LA925–975 ft1 minS
Jul 24, 12:46 AMPoliceN223LA800–925 ft1 minN
Jul 24, 12:16 AMSheriffN950LA825 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 7:41 PMSheriffN950LA725–825 ft1 minSE
Jul 23, 5:33 PMSheriffN950LA875–900 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 5:21 PMSheriffN950LA875–900 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 4:29 PMSheriffN959LA750–875 ft1 minNE
Jul 23, 3:42 PMSheriffN959LA800–825 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 11:48 AMPrivateN4043P1,000–1,150 ft1 minNW
Jul 23, 10:24 AMSheriffN959LA800–825 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 6:58 AMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q600–700 ft1 minNW
Jul 23, 4:03 AMPoliceN226LA650–975 ft5 minW
Jul 23, 12:12 AMSheriffN950LA825 ft1 minS
Jul 22, 11:41 PMSheriffN950LA725 ft1 minE
Jul 22, 11:15 PMSheriffN950LA700–725 ft1 minSW
Jul 22, 10:51 PMSheriffN950LA675–725 ft1 minS
Jul 22, 10:47 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,100–1,200 ft1 minNW
Jul 22, 10:46 PMSheriffN950LA625–700 ft1 minN
Jul 22, 10:15 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,300 ft1 minSE
Jul 22, 9:31 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,000–1,200 ft1 minE

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Bell: common questions

Why is there a helicopter over Bell?

Most helicopter activity over Bell 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 Bell?

Based on 348 tracked passes over Bell, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 11am 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.