Helicopters over Hawthorne
Live helicopter tracking for Hawthorne, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Hawthorne…
Recent incidents over Hawthorne
- 🚨 ABC7: E-bike chase captured on motorcycle officer's bodycam in Orange: 'I would stop if I were you' · 33.889, -118.366
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 12 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-la--247?src=story
Jun 25, 12:24 PM PT
The sky over Hawthorne
By hour of day
Who flies over Hawthorne
- Sheriff43%
- Private41%
- News12%
- Police4%
- CHP1%
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, 3:53 AMPoliceN229LA450–600 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 4:33 PMPrivateN365PA275–1,000 ft2 minE
- Jul 24, 2:26 PMPrivateN338JD725–750 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 11:13 AMPrivateN338JD200–450 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 10:29 AMPrivateN544FA425–775 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 8:06 AMSheriffN958LA1,575–2,375 ft7 minE
- Jul 24, 12:32 AMSheriffN950LA475–775 ft10 minE
- Jul 23, 6:59 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,100–1,500 ft3 minE
- Jul 23, 6:55 PMSheriffN950LA425–650 ft5 minE
- Jul 23, 3:59 PMPrivateN41842275–1,150 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 2:16 PMPrivateN41842175–1,200 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 1:21 PMPrivateN365PA275–700 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:33 PMPrivateN41842200–1,050 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 3:32 AMPoliceN226LA500–600 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 4:30 PMPrivateN41842200–1,050 ft2 minS
- Jul 22, 2:50 PMPrivateN4184275–950 ft2 minS
- Jul 22, 1:01 PMPrivateN4184275–950 ft2 minS
- Jul 21, 3:11 PMPrivateN496TP1,900 ft3 minSW
- Jul 21, 3:02 PMPrivateN496TP25 ft2 minN
- Jul 21, 2:56 PMPrivateN496TP—1 minN
- Jul 21, 2:29 PMPrivateN496TP—2 minN
- Jul 20, 1:03 AMSheriffN950LA650–750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 19, 4:13 PMPrivateN96GU50–175 ft3 minW
- Jul 19, 3:30 PMPrivateN96GU50–525 ft3 minE
- Jul 18, 1:34 PMPrivateN338JD700–925 ft1 minE
- Jul 17, 12:41 PMPrivateN41842225–1,000 ft2 minS
- Jul 16, 7:49 PMPrivateN435AK700–900 ft1 minE
- Jul 16, 7:35 PMPrivateN435AK600–700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 6:43 PMPrivateN562AH675–700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 7:54 AMPrivateN63PP375–900 ft1 minE
- Jul 15, 4:18 PMPrivateN744263,600–3,800 ft1 minSE
- Jul 14, 11:39 AMPrivateN80156450–700 ft1 minE
- Jul 14, 4:06 AMPoliceN225LA450–625 ft1 minE
- Jul 13, 10:28 PMCHPN979HP800–1,725 ft9 minE
- Jul 13, 10:21 PMSheriffN950LA425–650 ft4 minE
- Jul 13, 5:25 PMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL1,200–1,400 ft1 minE
- Jul 13, 5:21 PMSheriffN950LA500–750 ft5 minSE
- Jul 13, 5:13 PMSheriffN950LA625–1,025 ft3 minW
- Jul 13, 2:52 PMPrivateN28TM100–700 ft1 minE
- Jul 13, 12:27 PMPrivateN28TM100–900 ft1 minE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Hawthorne: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Hawthorne?
Most helicopter activity over Hawthorne 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 Hawthorne?
Based on 111 tracked passes over Hawthorne, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 2pm 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.