Helicopters over Hollywood

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

Area briefing

Hollywood, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Hollywood

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 6 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 Hollywood

The sky over Hollywood

2,221helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
235.6
passes per week
9.7
hours overhead per week
1 PM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 1p · this hour (1p) has averaged 157 passes historically

Who flies over Hollywood

  • Police61%
  • Private25%
  • News11%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Other0%

The regulars over Hollywood

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

Who flies over Hollywood, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Hollywood

1,353 of 2,221 recorded passes over Hollywood were police helicopters — 61% of the traffic here, 67.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 38 recorded passestypically 800–1,150 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 Hollywood

563 of 2,221 recorded passes over Hollywood were private and charter helicopters — 25% of the traffic here, 10.9 hours overhead in total.

usually 4pm–7pmtypically 1,200–1,600 ft

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

News helicopters over Hollywood

237 of 2,221 recorded passes over Hollywood were news helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 11.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 9 recorded passestypically 1,250–1,700 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 Hollywood

34 of 2,221 recorded passes over Hollywood were fire and air-medical helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 1 hour overhead in total.

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 Hollywood common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Hollywood?

Police helicopters account for 61% of the 2,221 helicopter passes recorded over Hollywood. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 38 recorded passes. They typically fly at 800–1,150 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.

Is that a news helicopter over Hollywood?

News helicopters account for 11% of the 2,221 helicopter passes recorded over Hollywood. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 9 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,250–1,700 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 Hollywood?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 2% of the 2,221 helicopter passes recorded over Hollywood. 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 Hollywood?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 800–1,150 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,200–1,600 ft; news helicopters at 1,250–1,700 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 Hollywood?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 67.2 hours overhead across 1,353 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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