Helicopters over Downey
Live helicopter tracking for Downey, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Downey…
Recent incidents over Downey
- 🚨 LAPD and AIR7 helicopter track pursuit of stolen vehicle southeast through Los Angeles basin July 22 evening. · 33.954, -118.118
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 16 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-la--744?src=story
Jul 22, 9:17 PM PT Watch the replay
The sky over Downey
By hour of day
Who flies over Downey
- Sheriff61%
- Private18%
- News16%
- Police2%
- CHP2%
- Other1%
What it usually means
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
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.
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 9:44 AMPrivateN11082 · H500100–500 ft5 minE
- Jul 25, 9:01 AMPrivateN411MB1,100–1,200 ft1 minNW
- Jul 25, 7:27 AMPrivateN11082100–600 ft2h 10mSW
- Jul 24, 11:07 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV925–1,100 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 9:53 PMAIR7N71HD850–1,025 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 9:51 PMSky5N925TV1,125–1,200 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 9:39 PMAIR7N71HD1,350–1,425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 9:35 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,250–1,300 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 9:35 PMSky5N925TV1,350–1,550 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 6:51 PMPrivateN444RH800–850 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 6:41 PMPrivateN930DK625–825 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 4:00 PMPrivateN365PA875–1,675 ft23 minW
- Jul 24, 1:39 PMSheriffN958LA700–750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 12:43 PMSheriffN958LA950–1,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 12:09 PMAIR7 (backup)N29HD1,500–1,600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 11:51 AMSheriffN958LA925–1,000 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 10:05 AMPrivateN544FA850–1,375 ft18 minW
- Jul 24, 6:35 AMSheriffN958LA775–825 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 7:43 PMSheriffN950LA825 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 5:13 PMSheriffN950LA700–750 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 4:41 PMSheriffN959LA750–850 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 3:20 PMSheriffN959LA875–1,000 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 2:47 PMSheriffN959LA750–825 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 2:23 PMSheriffN959LA800–825 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 1:11 PMPrivateN365PA1,600–1,875 ft2 minW
- Jul 23, 12:49 PMPrivateN365PA1,200–1,350 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 11:19 AMSheriffN959LA700–800 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 10:27 AMSheriffN959LA775–825 ft5 minW
- Jul 23, 9:30 AMFire/EMSN302FD900–1,050 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:49 AMSheriffN950LA825 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:42 AMSheriffN950LA675–700 ft2 minNW
- Jul 22, 9:11 PMAIR7N71HD950–975 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 9:00 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,300–1,400 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 8:58 PMAIR7N71HD1,050–1,225 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 8:56 PMPoliceN226LA600–650 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 5:15 PMSheriffN950LA675–725 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 4:55 PMSheriffN955LA600–950 ft2 minNE
- Jul 22, 12:17 PMSky5N925TV800–850 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 12:02 PMABC NewsCopterN828AP1,300–1,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 11:51 AMSky5N925TV725–875 ft1 minS
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Downey: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Downey?
Most helicopter activity over Downey 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 Downey?
Based on 277 tracked passes over Downey, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 4pm 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.