Helicopters over Costa Mesa
Live helicopter tracking for Costa Mesa, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Costa Mesa…
The sky over Costa Mesa
By hour of day
Who flies over Costa Mesa
- Private50%
- Police24%
- Sheriff23%
- CHP2%
- News1%
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.
CHP: CHP aircraft are usually working a freeway incident, a pursuit, or a traffic investigation.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 8:25 PMPrivateN108EH700 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 6:30 PMPrivateN7096L650–700 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 5:49 PMPrivateN108EH600 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 3:32 PMPrivateN108EH900–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 1:25 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB675–825 ft4 minN
- Jul 24, 11:01 AMOrange Co SheriffN181SD600–700 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 5:34 PMPrivateN7096L750–1,050 ft2 minSW
- Jul 23, 1:01 PMPrivateN7096L925–1,100 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 11:48 AMPrivateN761HB650–700 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:33 AMPrivateN7096L1,050–1,175 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 11:21 PMPrivateN761HB1,150–1,275 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 11:02 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB1,375–1,425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 10:12 PMPrivateN944AM625–850 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 9:35 PMPrivateN944AM675–850 ft2 minSE
- Jul 22, 2:19 PMPrivateN761HB675–750 ft3 minS
- Jul 22, 2:05 PMSheriffN183SD600–675 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 1:42 PMMercy AirN908KB625–775 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 11:03 AMPrivateN761HB525–750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 6:31 PMCHPN777CT750–825 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 6:26 PMCHPN777CT550–575 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 12:12 PMPrivateN496TP1,700–2,850 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 11:39 AMPrivateN70727950–1,000 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 10:59 AMPrivateN761HB575–850 ft3 minSE
- Jul 20, 3:34 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 19, 4:20 PMOrange Co SheriffN181SD900–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 18, 7:43 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB550–925 ft14 minW
- Jul 18, 7:24 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB750–850 ft2 minS
- Jul 18, 1:42 AMHuntington Beach PDN683HB800–900 ft2 minSE
- Jul 17, 4:27 PMOrange Co SheriffN181SD700–800 ft1 minNE
- Jul 17, 3:17 PMPrivateN761HB675–925 ft6 minS
- Jul 17, 12:12 AMPrivateN761HB1,400–1,550 ft1 minW
- Jul 16, 7:13 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB725–825 ft2 minS
- Jul 16, 1:35 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD900–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 15, 8:38 PMPrivateN496TP1,375–1,825 ft2 minNW
- Jul 15, 2:04 AMPrivateN761HB1,325 ft2 minNW
- Jul 14, 5:00 PMPrivateN761HB800–875 ft1 minNW
- Jul 14, 3:19 PMPrivateN707272,150–2,700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 14, 12:35 AMHuntington Beach PDN681HB2,300–2,350 ft1 minN
- Jul 14, 12:18 AMPrivateN761HB2,150–3,450 ft4 minSE
- Jul 14, 12:04 AMPrivateN761HB2,100–2,225 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Costa Mesa: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Costa Mesa?
Most helicopter activity over Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa?
Based on 84 tracked passes over Costa Mesa, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 3pm 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.