Helicopters over Irvine

Live helicopter tracking for Irvine, Orange County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Irvine, Orange County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Irvine

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 46 minutes ago, heading southwest.

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

The sky over Irvine

672helicopter passes tracked over 64 days
73.5
passes per week
4.5
hours overhead per week
1 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 1p · this hour (1p) has averaged 66 passes historically

Who flies over Irvine

  • Private69%
  • Sheriff22%
  • CHP3%
  • Police3%
  • News2%
  • Other2%

The regulars over Irvine

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

Who flies over Irvine, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Irvine

463 of 672 recorded passes over Irvine were private and charter helicopters — 69% of the traffic here, 33.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Vertical (N23HS), 33 recorded passestypically 450–1,200 ft

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

Sheriff's helicopters over Irvine

145 of 672 recorded passes over Irvine were sheriff's helicopters — 22% of the traffic here, 5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N183SD), 27 recorded passestypically 550–950 ft

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

CHP helicopters over Irvine

18 of 672 recorded passes over Irvine were CHP helicopters — 3% of the traffic here, 0.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Vertical (N777CT), 6 recorded passes

CHP aircraft work the freeways — pursuits, major collisions and traffic enforcement — and usually pass through rather than hold.

Police helicopters over Irvine

17 of 672 recorded passes over Irvine were police helicopters — 3% of the traffic here, 1.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Huntington Beach PD (N682HB), 5 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.

What it usually means

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.

CHP: CHP aircraft are usually working a freeway incident, a pursuit, or a traffic investigation.

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.

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Helicopters over Irvine common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Irvine?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 22% of the 672 helicopter passes recorded over Irvine. The one you see most is LASD (N183SD), 27 recorded passes. They typically fly at 550–950 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.

Why is a police helicopter circling over Irvine?

Police helicopters account for 3% of the 672 helicopter passes recorded over Irvine. The one you see most is Huntington Beach PD (N682HB), 5 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 high do helicopters fly over Irvine?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 450–1,200 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 550–950 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 Irvine?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 33.2 hours overhead across 463 recorded passes. Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

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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