Helicopters over Belmont Shore

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

Area briefing

Belmont Shore, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Belmont Shore

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 12 minutes ago, heading north.

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
CONCLUDED7:17 PM–7:34 PM

3 news helicopters covered Belmont Shore for 17 minutes. They have gone.

No station has published anything about this yet. What is above is measured from the aircraft themselves.

HOW IT UNFOLDED
🎞️ Watch it back — the recorded flight paths →

◉ measured · ◇ inferred · ▣ our newsroom · last tick 7:34 PM PT

Recent incidents over Belmont Shore

The sky over Belmont Shore

1,200helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
127.3
passes per week
5.0
hours overhead per week
6 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 6p · this hour (2p) has averaged 80 passes historically

Who flies over Belmont Shore

  • Private65%
  • Police19%
  • News10%
  • Sheriff4%
  • Military2%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Belmont Shore

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

Who flies over Belmont Shore, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Belmont Shore

782 of 1,200 recorded passes over Belmont Shore were private and charter helicopters — 65% of the traffic here, 20.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Spitzer Helicopter (N7532S), 18 recorded passestypically 600–700 ft

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

Police helicopters over Belmont Shore

224 of 1,200 recorded passes over Belmont Shore were police helicopters — 19% of the traffic here, 16.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Long Beach PD (N29LB), 19 recorded passesusually 10pm–1amtypically 700–800 ft

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

News helicopters over Belmont Shore

117 of 1,200 recorded passes over Belmont Shore were news helicopters — 10% of the traffic here, 8.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Sky5 (N925TV), 16 recorded passestypically 600–1,100 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.

Sheriff's helicopters over Belmont Shore

42 of 1,200 recorded passes over Belmont Shore were sheriff's helicopters — 4% of the traffic here, 1 hour overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N953LA), 4 recorded passes

Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

What it usually means

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.

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

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 Belmont Shore common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Belmont Shore?

Police helicopters account for 19% of the 1,200 helicopter passes recorded over Belmont Shore. The one you see most is Long Beach PD (N29LB), 19 recorded passes. They are usually 10pm–1am here. They typically fly at 700–800 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 Belmont Shore?

News helicopters account for 10% of the 1,200 helicopter passes recorded over Belmont Shore. The one you see most is Sky5 (N925TV), 16 recorded passes. They typically fly at 600–1,100 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.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Belmont Shore?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 4% of the 1,200 helicopter passes recorded over Belmont Shore. The one you see most is LASD (N953LA), 4 recorded passes. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

How high do helicopters fly over Belmont Shore?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 600–700 ft; police helicopters at 700–800 ft; news helicopters at 600–1,100 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 Belmont Shore?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 20.3 hours overhead across 782 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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