Helicopters over Boyle Heights
Live helicopter tracking for Boyle Heights, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Boyle Heights…
Recent incidents over Boyle Heights
- 🚁 News Swarm · Boyle Heights
The subject has climbed to the top of an arch in the middle of the bridge
Jul 24, 11:06 AM PT Watch the replay
- 🚨 LAPD pursued a vehicle through Chinatown at high speed on Saturday evening. · Chinatown
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 10 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-chinatown--419?src=story
Jul 4, 6:26 PM PT
- 🚨 LAPD officers are pursuing a suspect in the Olympic Division of Los Angeles. · Downtown
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 8 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-downtown--401?src=story
Jul 3, 9:01 PM PT
- 📺 ✅ Scene coverage concluded after 20 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-vernon-a4044?sr · Vernon
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 20 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-vernon-a4044?src=story
Jun 30, 10:15 PM PT
- 📺 ABC7: High-severity wildfires burn 30 times more area than in 1985, UCLA study finds · East LA
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 13 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-east-la-a0538?src=story
Jun 24, 11:56 AM PT
- 🚨 Los Angeles police track a vehicle pursuit in Boyle Heights as NewsChopper 4 and Sky5 fly overhead. · Boyle Heights
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 6 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-boyle-heights--160?src=story
Jun 19, 8:45 PM PT
The sky over Boyle Heights
By hour of day
Who flies over Boyle Heights
- Police53%
- News24%
- Sheriff10%
- Private8%
- Fire / medical2%
- Other3%
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.
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.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 10:12 AMLA City FireN703WP · AS501,475–1,500 ft1 minNE
- Jul 25, 9:47 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50525–775 ft4 minNW
- Jul 25, 9:05 AMPrivateN411MB1,450–1,500 ft1 minN
- Jul 25, 4:09 AMPoliceN229LA625–750 ft1 minSW
- Jul 25, 1:46 AMPoliceN230LA1,000–1,025 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 11:53 PMPoliceN230LA800–1,025 ft3 minNE
- Jul 24, 11:10 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,150–1,200 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 9:57 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV950–1,250 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 9:55 PMSky5N925TV1,425–1,525 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 9:36 PMAIR7N71HD1,075–1,300 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 7:46 PMPoliceN230LA925–1,150 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 6:44 PMPrivateN821MR1,125–1,200 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:22 PMPoliceN230LA800–1,025 ft3 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:16 PMPoliceN224LA875–1,175 ft3 minN
- Jul 24, 6:04 PMAIR7N71HD1,050–1,225 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:03 PMPoliceN226LA850–925 ft2 minN
- Jul 24, 5:41 PMPoliceN224LA775–850 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 5:21 PMSky5N925TV1,500–1,650 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 5:15 PMSky5N925TV1,200–1,300 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 4:40 PMPrivateN95MG1,625–1,725 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 4:34 PMPrivateN535DE875–1,000 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 4:13 PMPoliceN226LA700–1,825 ft17 minNW
- Jul 24, 1:53 PMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL1,200–1,300 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 1:53 PMSheriffN958LA625–725 ft2 minN
- Jul 24, 1:35 PMSheriffN958LA900–1,175 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 1:11 PMPoliceN226LA850–950 ft2 minW
- Jul 24, 12:20 PMSheriffN958LA675–800 ft4 minNE
- Jul 24, 12:02 PMAIR7 (backup)N29HD1,600–1,800 ft4 minSE
- Jul 24, 11:04 AMPoliceN224LA825–1,000 ft2 minN
- Jul 24, 10:37 AMSky5N925TV1,150–1,550 ft26 minW
- Jul 24, 10:26 AMSky5N925TV1,250–1,350 ft5 minW
- Jul 24, 10:15 AMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL1,100–1,500 ft1h 1mW
- Jul 24, 9:58 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,225–1,400 ft7 minE
- Jul 24, 9:53 AMAIR7N71HD1,375–1,600 ft7 minNW
- Jul 24, 9:42 AMSky5N925TV975–1,600 ft41 minW
- Jul 24, 9:35 AMSky5N925TV1,450–1,700 ft3 minW
- Jul 24, 9:22 AMSky5N925TV1,400–1,600 ft8 minW
- Jul 24, 9:16 AMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL1,100–1,600 ft45 minW
- Jul 24, 8:51 AMPoliceN232LA675–1,050 ft11 minNW
- Jul 24, 8:22 AMSheriffN958LA1,175–1,250 ft1 minE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Boyle Heights: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Boyle Heights?
Most helicopter activity over Boyle Heights 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 Boyle Heights?
Based on 514 tracked passes over Boyle Heights, 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.