Helicopters over East LA

Live helicopter tracking for East LA, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

East LA, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over East LA

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 16 minutes ago, heading northwest.

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

Recent incidents over East LA

The sky over East LA

1,777helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
188.5
passes per week
13
hours overhead per week
5 PM
busiest hour
Sheriff
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 5p · this hour (1p) has averaged 60 passes historically

Who flies over East LA

  • Sheriff61%
  • News17%
  • Police11%
  • Private7%
  • Military3%
  • Other1%

The regulars over East LA

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

Who flies over East LA, by the numbers

Sheriff's helicopters over East LA

1,080 of 1,777 recorded passes over East LA were sheriff's helicopters — 61% of the traffic here, 79.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N959LA), 33 recorded passestypically 700–900 ft

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

News helicopters over East LA

304 of 1,777 recorded passes over East LA were news helicopters — 17% of the traffic here, 25.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 14 recorded passestypically 1,000–1,400 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.

Police helicopters over East LA

203 of 1,777 recorded passes over East LA were police helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 9.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 5 recorded passestypically 700–1,150 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over East LA

118 of 1,777 recorded passes over East LA were private and charter helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 2.8 hours overhead in total.

typically 950–1,250 ft

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

What it usually means

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

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.

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

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over East LA common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over East LA?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 61% of the 1,777 helicopter passes recorded over East LA. The one you see most is LASD (N959LA), 33 recorded passes. They typically fly at 700–900 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.

Is that a news helicopter over East LA?

News helicopters account for 17% of the 1,777 helicopter passes recorded over East LA. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 14 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,000–1,400 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.

Why is a police helicopter circling over East LA?

Police helicopters account for 11% of the 1,777 helicopter passes recorded over East LA. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 5 recorded passes. They typically fly at 700–1,150 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 East LA?

From the passes recorded here: sheriff's helicopters at 700–900 ft; news helicopters at 1,000–1,400 ft; police helicopters at 700–1,150 ft; private and charter helicopters at 950–1,250 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 East LA?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are sheriff's helicopters: 79.3 hours overhead across 1,080 recorded passes. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

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.

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