Live map — checking for helicopters over Beverly Hills… The dashed ring is the 3.5 km radius this page counts as “over Beverly Hills”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.
Area briefing
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County
Checking the sky overhead…
GTLA Live · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds
Your neighborhood, your choice
Keep up with Beverly Hills
Saving the page and turning on alerts are separate choices. Choose alerts below, or keep a shortcut for your next visit.
Tonight over Beverly Hills
Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 3 hours.
5:46pm — LA Co FD (N15LA) passed through in 1 minute, low.came from East Hollywood(5:45pm) → went on to Studio City(5:48pm)
4:18pm — Lite Flight (N825VJ) passed through in 3 minutes, mid-level.came from West Hollywood(4:18pm) → went on to Studio City(4:22pm)
3:53pm — LAPD (N226LA) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level.came from West Hollywood(3:52pm) → went on to Westwood(3:55pm)
3:25pm — LAPD (N233LA) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level.came from Bel Air(3:24pm) → went on to Larchmont(3:28pm)
2:40pm — LAPD (N233LA) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level.came from Bel Air(2:40pm) → went on to Hancock Park(2:43pm)
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.
Correction: this card was titled with a KTLA story about a Los Angeles County investigation into Farmers Insurance. That is a county process story, not something a helicopter can film, and it was never this scene. Three news helicopters were over Cheviot Hills covering the apartment fire in Beverly Hills, about 2.5 km away — the story that was already in this card own notes. Retitled to it.
Private and charter helicopters over Beverly Hills
1,088 of 2,369 recorded passes over Beverly Hills were private and charter helicopters — 46% of the traffic here, 31.9 hours overhead in total.
Most often: Lite Flight (N825VJ), 27 recorded passesusually 4pm–7pmtypically 900–1,300 ft
Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.
Police helicopters over Beverly Hills
886 of 2,369 recorded passes over Beverly Hills were police helicopters — 37% of the traffic here, 24.4 hours overhead in total.
Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 25 recorded passestypically 800–1,050 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 Beverly Hills
253 of 2,369 recorded passes over Beverly Hills were news helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 14.2 hours overhead in total.
Most often: ABC NewsCopter (N828AP), 12 recorded passestypically 1,300–1,600 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 Beverly Hills
79 of 2,369 recorded passes over Beverly Hills were sheriff's helicopters — 3% of the traffic here, 1.7 hours overhead in total.
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
Oct 23, 5:46 PMLA Co FDN15LA · H60800–1,225 ft1 minN
Oct 23, 4:18 PMLite FlightN825VJ · R441,000–1,800 ft3 minN
Oct 23, 3:53 PMLAPDN226LA · AS501,250–1,350 ft1 minW
Oct 23, 3:25 PMLAPDN233LA · AS501,025–1,425 ft1 minE
Oct 23, 2:40 PMLAPDN233LA · AS50950–1,300 ft1 minE
Oct 23, 1:56 PMLAPDN668PD · AS50950–1,025 ft2 minW
Why is a police helicopter circling over Beverly Hills?
Police helicopters account for 37% of the 2,369 helicopter passes recorded over Beverly Hills. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 25 recorded passes. They typically fly at 800–1,050 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 Beverly Hills?
News helicopters account for 11% of the 2,369 helicopter passes recorded over Beverly Hills. The one you see most is ABC NewsCopter (N828AP), 12 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,300–1,600 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 Beverly Hills?
Sheriff's helicopters account for 3% of the 2,369 helicopter passes recorded over Beverly Hills. 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 Beverly Hills?
From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 900–1,300 ft; police helicopters at 800–1,050 ft; news helicopters at 1,300–1,600 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 Beverly Hills?
Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 31.9 hours overhead across 1,088 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 Live 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.
More from GTLA
Your way into GTLA.
From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.
