Helicopters over Chinatown
Live helicopter tracking for Chinatown, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Chinatown…
Recent incidents over Chinatown
- 🚨 SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 + LASD tracking a pursuit over Arts District · Arts District
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 10 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-arts-district--772?src=story
Jul 24, 2:09 PM PT Watch the replay
- 🚨 LAPD is pursuing burglary suspects in Central Division near Downtown Los Angeles. · Downtown
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 8 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-downtown--597?src=story
Jul 14, 9:05 PM PT Watch the replay
- 🚨 LAPD pursued a vehicle at high speed through Chinatown in Los Angeles Saturday evening. · Chinatown
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 14 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-chinatown--444?src=story
Jul 5, 11:32 PM PT
- 🚨 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
- 📺 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
The sky over Chinatown
By hour of day
Who flies over Chinatown
- Police72%
- Private18%
- News6%
- Sheriff2%
- Military1%
- Other1%
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 11:07 AMLAPDN229LA · AS501,000–1,075 ft1 minN
- Jul 25, 10:53 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50575–1,300 ft5 minE
- Jul 25, 9:51 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50950–1,200 ft1 minS
- Jul 25, 9:25 AMPoliceN230LA650–1,100 ft4 minS
- Jul 25, 9:15 AMPrivateN850MH1,100–1,400 ft2 minNW
- Jul 25, 8:15 AMPoliceN230LA950–1,200 ft1 minN
- Jul 25, 8:07 AMPrivateN810CE1,350–1,425 ft1 minW
- Jul 25, 4:21 AMPoliceN229LA725–925 ft2 minSW
- Jul 25, 1:48 AMPoliceN230LA575–850 ft3 minS
- Jul 24, 11:28 PMPoliceN229LA550–1,150 ft5 minS
- Jul 24, 9:54 PMPrivateN825VJ1,300–1,400 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 9:02 PMPoliceN230LA650–1,125 ft3 minSE
- Jul 24, 7:55 PMPoliceN230LA1,150–1,250 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 7:16 PMPrivateN329JK1,075–1,250 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 6:45 PMPrivateN821MR1,175–1,300 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:26 PMPoliceN230LA1,000–1,125 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:24 PMPrivateN995NR1,300 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 6:21 PMPrivateN850MH1,400–1,600 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 6:18 PMPoliceN226LA525–900 ft5 minW
- Jul 24, 6:12 PMPrivateN844AT1,250–1,475 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:08 PMSheriffN950LA950–1,150 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 6:02 PMPoliceN224LA600–950 ft2 minN
- Jul 24, 5:40 PMPrivateN329JK1,150–1,350 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 4:45 PMPoliceN224LA600–1,200 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 4:31 PMPoliceN226LA950–1,150 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 3:54 PMPrivateN624WC1,600–1,700 ft3 minN
- Jul 24, 3:41 PMPoliceN229LA625–1,300 ft12 minSW
- Jul 24, 1:30 PMPoliceN224LA600–1,075 ft4 minS
- Jul 24, 1:25 PMPrivateN329JK950–1,025 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 1:21 PMPoliceN226LA625–1,250 ft5 minS
- Jul 24, 1:03 PMPrivateN329JK975–1,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 12:56 PMPoliceN226LA1,125–1,250 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 11:48 AMPoliceN229LA625–1,075 ft4 minSE
- Jul 24, 11:07 AMPoliceN224LA1,100–1,150 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 10:58 AMPrivateN705WP1,775–1,825 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 10:51 AMPoliceN8NF1,500–1,600 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 10:29 AMPoliceN224LA500–1,075 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 9:29 AMPoliceN232LA900–1,025 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 9:07 AMPrivateN821JP1,400–1,475 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:08 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,325–1,375 ft1 minE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Chinatown: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Chinatown?
Most helicopter activity over Chinatown 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 Chinatown?
Based on 929 tracked passes over Chinatown, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 6pm 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.