Live helicopter tracking for Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.
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Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles County
Checking the sky overhead…
GTLA Live · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds
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Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 10 minutes ago, heading east.
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.
The sky over Cheviot Hills
By hour of day
Who flies over Cheviot Hills
The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.
Every aircraft our tracking has recorded here recently, most recent first. The named ones have a page of their own.
273 of 489 recorded passes over Cheviot Hills were police helicopters — 56% of the traffic here, 12.8 hours overhead in total.
Most often: LAPD (N224LA), 23 recorded passestypically 600–950 ft
Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.
97 of 489 recorded passes over Cheviot Hills were private and charter helicopters — 20% of the traffic here, 2.6 hours overhead in total.
Most often: REACH (N318RX), 4 recorded passesusually 4pm–7pmtypically 700–1,050 ft
Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.
77 of 489 recorded passes over Cheviot Hills were news helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 2.8 hours overhead in total.
Most often: ABC NewsCopter (N828AP), 11 recorded passestypically 1,000–1,300 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.
23 of 489 recorded passes over Cheviot Hills were sheriff's helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 0.5 hours overhead in total.
Most often: LASD (N956LA), 4 recorded passestypically 650–850 ft
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
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.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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.
Nearby coverage
Police helicopters account for 56% of the 489 helicopter passes recorded over Cheviot Hills. The one you see most is LAPD (N224LA), 23 recorded passes. They typically fly at 600–950 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.
News helicopters account for 16% of the 489 helicopter passes recorded over Cheviot Hills. The one you see most is ABC NewsCopter (N828AP), 11 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,000–1,300 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.
Sheriff's helicopters account for 5% of the 489 helicopter passes recorded over Cheviot Hills. The one you see most is LASD (N956LA), 4 recorded passes. They typically fly at 650–850 ft above sea level. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.
From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 600–950 ft; private and charter helicopters at 700–1,050 ft; news helicopters at 1,000–1,300 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 650–850 ft. These are the middle half of measured altitudes above sea level for each group, not a floor or a ceiling.
Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 12.8 hours overhead across 273 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.
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.
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
From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.
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