Helicopters over El Segundo

Live helicopter tracking for El Segundo, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

El Segundo, Los Angeles

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Last night over El Segundo

Nothing has been recorded over El Segundo in the last 12 hours.

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 El Segundo

80helicopter passes tracked over 34 days
16.5
passes per week
1.5
hours overhead per week
3 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 3p · this hour (6a) has averaged 0 passes historically

Who flies over El Segundo

  • Private69%
  • News11%
  • Sheriff9%
  • Military6%
  • Fire / medical3%
  • Other3%

The regulars over El Segundo

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

Who flies over El Segundo, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over El Segundo

55 of 80 recorded passes over El Segundo were private and charter helicopters — 69% of the traffic here, 4.9 hours overhead in total.

typically 2,550–3,500 ft

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

News helicopters over El Segundo

9 of 80 recorded passes over El Segundo were news helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 1.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 6 recorded passes

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.

What it usually means

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.

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

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over El Segundo common questions

Is that a news helicopter over El Segundo?

News helicopters account for 11% of the 80 helicopter passes recorded over El Segundo. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 6 recorded passes. 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.

How high do helicopters fly over El Segundo?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 2,550–3,500 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 El Segundo?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 4.9 hours overhead across 55 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.