Helicopters over El Sereno

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

Area briefing

El Sereno, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over El Sereno

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 18 minutes ago, heading west.

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 El Sereno

The sky over El Sereno

674helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
71.5
passes per week
2.9
hours overhead per week
9 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 9a · this hour (2p) has averaged 27 passes historically

Who flies over El Sereno

  • Police35%
  • Sheriff29%
  • Private19%
  • News11%
  • Fire / medical4%
  • Other2%

The regulars over El Sereno

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

Who flies over El Sereno, by the numbers

Police helicopters over El Sereno

238 of 674 recorded passes over El Sereno were police helicopters — 35% of the traffic here, 12.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N226LA), 13 recorded passestypically 950–1,400 ft

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

Sheriff's helicopters over El Sereno

197 of 674 recorded passes over El Sereno were sheriff's helicopters — 29% of the traffic here, 6.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD Air Rescue 5 (N951LB), 13 recorded passestypically 850–1,150 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over El Sereno

125 of 674 recorded passes over El Sereno were private and charter helicopters — 19% of the traffic here, 2.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LADWP (N704WP), 14 recorded passesusually 9am–12pmtypically 1,150–1,650 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 Sereno

76 of 674 recorded passes over El Sereno were news helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 2.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 13 recorded passestypically 1,300–1,750 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.

What it usually means

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.

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.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over El Sereno common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over El Sereno?

Police helicopters account for 35% of the 674 helicopter passes recorded over El Sereno. The one you see most is LAPD (N226LA), 13 recorded passes. They typically fly at 950–1,400 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.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over El Sereno?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 29% of the 674 helicopter passes recorded over El Sereno. The one you see most is LASD Air Rescue 5 (N951LB), 13 recorded passes. They typically fly at 850–1,150 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 El Sereno?

News helicopters account for 11% of the 674 helicopter passes recorded over El Sereno. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 13 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,300–1,750 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.

How high do helicopters fly over El Sereno?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 950–1,400 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 850–1,150 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,150–1,650 ft; news helicopters at 1,300–1,750 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 Sereno?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 12.4 hours overhead across 238 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

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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