Helicopters over Huntington Beach
Live helicopter tracking for Huntington Beach, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Huntington Beach…
The sky over Huntington Beach
By hour of day
Who flies over Huntington Beach
- Private59%
- Police28%
- Military5%
- News5%
- Sheriff2%
- Other1%
What it usually means
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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.
Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.
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
- Jul 24, 2:45 PMPrivateN40405700–750 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 1:06 PMPrivate875–975 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 12:52 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB525–850 ft7 minNW
- Jul 24, 12:44 PMPrivateN9081N725–825 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 12:42 PMPrivate725–750 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 12:30 PMPrivate725–750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 12:26 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB550–900 ft3 minNW
- Jul 24, 12:19 PMAIR7 (backup)N29HD1,100–1,300 ft3 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:05 AMPrivate650–775 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 10:29 AMPrivateN7024U900–1,600 ft7 minNW
- Jul 24, 10:19 AMPrivateN7024U700–1,200 ft4 minNW
- Jul 23, 7:11 PMPrivateN7096L1,100–1,275 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 5:38 PMPrivateN7096L850–1,150 ft4 minNW
- Jul 23, 4:40 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB650–700 ft2 minNW
- Jul 23, 4:15 PMPrivateN761HB675–1,050 ft2 minNW
- Jul 23, 4:07 PMPrivateN761HB750–900 ft3 minN
- Jul 23, 4:05 PMPrivateN683W875 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 3:38 PMPrivateN683W875–900 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 1:49 PMMercy AirN908KB575–625 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 1:33 PMPrivateN683W850 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:58 PMPrivateN90815550 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:57 PMPrivateN7096L900–975 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:51 PMPrivateN683W850–875 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:32 PMPrivateN90815525–550 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:05 PMPrivateN761HB425–800 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 11:39 AMPrivateN761HB725–875 ft4 minN
- Jul 23, 11:37 AMPrivateN7096L975–1,075 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 11:26 AMPrivateN761HB675–775 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 11:18 AMPrivateN144RH600 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 12:58 AMPrivateN826PD800–875 ft2 minN
- Jul 22, 11:00 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB1,375–1,425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 10:40 PMPrivateN761HB1,200–1,475 ft3 minNW
- Jul 22, 7:19 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB850–1,000 ft3 minNW
- Jul 22, 7:12 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB850–975 ft4 minN
- Jul 22, 7:04 PMPrivateN323TH200–500 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 6:50 PMPrivateN323TH500–600 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 6:47 PMHuntington Beach PDN681HB750–925 ft2 minNW
- Jul 22, 4:51 PMUS ARMY17-20926725 ft3 minNW
- Jul 22, 4:34 PMUS ARMY17-20926750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 3:53 PMPrivateN853MH300–400 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Huntington Beach: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Huntington Beach?
Most helicopter activity over Huntington Beach 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 Huntington Beach?
Based on 281 tracked passes over Huntington Beach, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 12pm 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.