Helicopters over Colton

Live helicopter tracking for Colton, San Bernardino County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Colton, San Bernardino County

Checking the sky overhead…

GTLA AirWatch · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds

Map of Colton, San Bernardino County
Scanning
Live map — checking for helicopters over Colton… The dashed ring is the 3.5 km radius this page counts as “over Colton”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Today over Colton

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 14 minutes ago, heading northeast.

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.

Who's hovering here?View the full live map

The sky over Colton

542helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
57.5
passes per week
2.5
hours overhead per week
9 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 9p · this hour (1p) has averaged 23 passes historically

Who flies over Colton

  • Private58%
  • Sheriff26%
  • Police7%
  • Military4%
  • News2%
  • Other3%

The regulars over Colton

The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.

Who flies over Colton, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Colton

316 of 542 recorded passes over Colton were private and charter helicopters — 58% of the traffic here, 13.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: REACH (N39RX), 21 recorded passestypically 1,100–1,750 ft

Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

Sheriff's helicopters over Colton

143 of 542 recorded passes over Colton were sheriff's helicopters — 26% of the traffic here, 7.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: San Bernardino Sheriff (N832SB), 21 recorded passesusually 8pm–11pmtypically 1,350–1,550 ft

Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

Police helicopters over Colton

36 of 542 recorded passes over Colton were police helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 1.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Ontario PD (N50NT), 5 recorded passesusually 6pm–9pmtypically 1,600–1,850 ft

Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

Military helicopters over Colton

21 of 542 recorded passes over Colton were military helicopters — 4% of the traffic here, 0.8 hours overhead in total.

Military aircraft are almost always transiting between bases or on training flights; they rarely orbit a neighborhood.

What it usually means

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.

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.

Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

All neighborhoods →

Helicopters over Colton common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Colton?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 26% of the 542 helicopter passes recorded over Colton. The one you see most is San Bernardino Sheriff (N832SB), 21 recorded passes. They are usually 8pm–11pm here. They typically fly at 1,350–1,550 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.

Why is a police helicopter circling over Colton?

Police helicopters account for 7% of the 542 helicopter passes recorded over Colton. The one you see most is Ontario PD (N50NT), 5 recorded passes. They are usually 6pm–9pm here. They typically fly at 1,600–1,850 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.

How high do helicopters fly over Colton?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 1,100–1,750 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 1,350–1,550 ft; police helicopters at 1,600–1,850 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 Colton?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 13.1 hours overhead across 316 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 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.

More from GTLA

Your way into GTLA.

From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.