Helicopters over Carson
Live helicopter tracking for Carson, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Carson…
The sky over Carson
By hour of day
Who flies over Carson
- Private59%
- Police22%
- Sheriff14%
- Fire / medical3%
- News2%
- Other0%
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.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
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
- Jul 25, 9:56 AMLA City FireN703WP · AS50525–675 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 6:58 PMPrivateN444RH700–750 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 3:02 PMPrivateN329JK525–600 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 2:09 PMPrivateN338JD750–800 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 11:22 AMPoliceN226LA525–625 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 11:02 AMPoliceN226LA575–625 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 10:36 AMPrivateN8312T1,250–1,300 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 10:17 AMPrivateN744HS800 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 10:07 AMPoliceN233LA350–575 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 9:38 AMPrivateN8312T1,400–1,675 ft2 minNE
- Jul 23, 7:31 PMPoliceN226LA425–550 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 6:47 PMPrivateN821JP700–1,025 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 6:33 PMPrivateN821JP850–1,100 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 4:13 PMPrivateN777UH650–725 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 3:14 PMPrivateN41842900–950 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 2:48 PMPoliceN232LA600–725 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 2:41 PMPrivateN777UH575–975 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 1:49 PMPoliceN232LA750–900 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 1:06 PMPrivateN777UH900–1,100 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 1:01 PMMercy AirN908KB875–900 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 12:10 PMPrivateN777UH875–1,050 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 3:43 AMPoliceN226LA525–675 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 11:28 PMSheriffN950LA650–675 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 4:43 PMPrivateN777UH750–825 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 3:02 PMPrivateN777UH650–850 ft2 minSW
- Jul 22, 1:01 PMPrivateN777UH1,300–1,650 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 12:18 PMPrivateN41842750–950 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 12:06 PMPrivateN777UH825–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 9:32 AMPoliceN230LA450–525 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 9:02 AMPrivateN821JP525–700 ft3 minSW
- Jul 21, 8:55 PMMercy AirN908KB1,000 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 8:26 PMSheriffN955LA625 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 6:39 PMSheriffN950LA625–650 ft1 minN
- Jul 20, 7:37 PMPrivateN329JK500–550 ft1 minN
- Jul 20, 2:55 PMMercy AirN908KB875–925 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 10:21 AMPoliceN230LA600–725 ft1 minN
- Jul 20, 9:56 AMPoliceN230LA425–675 ft2 minW
- Jul 20, 8:35 AMPrivateN559DD800–1,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 20, 7:26 AMPrivateN821JP875–1,025 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 12:25 AMSheriffN950LA975–1,225 ft1 minSE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Carson: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Carson?
Most helicopter activity over Carson 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 Carson?
Based on 212 tracked passes over Carson, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 1pm 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.