Helicopters over Highland Park

Live helicopter tracking for Highland Park, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Highland Park, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Highland Park

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 58 minutes ago, heading southeast.

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 Highland Park

The sky over Highland Park

593helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
62.9
passes per week
3.1
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (2p) has averaged 38 passes historically

Who flies over Highland Park

  • Police60%
  • Private19%
  • News11%
  • Fire / medical5%
  • Sheriff4%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Highland Park

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

Who flies over Highland Park, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Highland Park

353 of 593 recorded passes over Highland Park were police helicopters — 60% of the traffic here, 17.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N226LA), 23 recorded passestypically 1,000–1,400 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over Highland Park

111 of 593 recorded passes over Highland Park were private and charter helicopters — 19% of the traffic here, 4.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LADWP (N704WP), 22 recorded passesusually 9am–12pmtypically 1,250–1,550 ft

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

News helicopters over Highland Park

68 of 593 recorded passes over Highland Park were news helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 4.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 18 recorded passestypically 1,450–1,650 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.

Fire and air-medical helicopters over Highland Park

31 of 593 recorded passes over Highland Park were fire and air-medical helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 2.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LA City Fire (N301FD), 3 recorded passes

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

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.

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.

Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over Highland Park common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Highland Park?

Police helicopters account for 60% of the 593 helicopter passes recorded over Highland Park. The one you see most is LAPD (N226LA), 23 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,000–1,400 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 news helicopter over Highland Park?

News helicopters account for 11% of the 593 helicopter passes recorded over Highland Park. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 18 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,450–1,650 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 fire helicopter over Highland Park?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 5% of the 593 helicopter passes recorded over Highland Park. The one you see most is LA City Fire (N301FD), 3 recorded passes. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

How high do helicopters fly over Highland Park?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 1,000–1,400 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,250–1,550 ft; news helicopters at 1,450–1,650 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 Highland Park?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 17.7 hours overhead across 353 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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