Helicopters over Irvine
Live helicopter tracking for Irvine, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Irvine…
The sky over Irvine
By hour of day
Who flies over Irvine
- Private84%
- Sheriff13%
- Police3%
- CHP1%
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.
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.
CHP: CHP aircraft are usually working a freeway incident, a pursuit, or a traffic investigation.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 12:01 PMPrivateN23HS775–1,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 10:31 AMPrivateN23HS675–1,350 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 10:22 AMPrivateN23HS1,525–1,625 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 8:48 AMPrivateN23HS550–650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 5:02 PMPrivateN801561,000–1,150 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 2:58 PMPrivateN23HS1,550–1,600 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 2:56 PMPrivateN411MB1,350–1,550 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 12:40 PMPrivateN23HS575–1,275 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 12:09 PMPrivateN108EH700–800 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 11:04 AMPrivateN23HS725–1,250 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 9:15 AMPrivateN23HS1,475–1,500 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 8:09 PMPrivateN7096L950–1,100 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 6:31 PMPrivateN108EH700 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 6:19 PMPrivateN108EH700–1,000 ft3 minW
- Jul 22, 5:25 PMPrivateN108EH700–800 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 2:56 PMPrivateN7096L1,375–1,475 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 2:00 PMPrivateN7096L1,350–1,400 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 1:43 PMPrivateN23HS525–750 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 12:57 PMPrivateN23HS1,400–1,450 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 11:02 AMPrivateN23HS475–550 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 10:13 AMPrivateN23HS1,300–1,325 ft3 minSW
- Jul 22, 8:57 AMPrivateN23HS500–650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 8:09 PMPrivateN70727675–825 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 6:34 PMPrivateN70727500–1,250 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 5:35 PMSheriffN966SD700–1,125 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 4:19 PMSheriffN966SD725–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 1:17 PMPrivateN70727575–625 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 1:14 PMPrivateN23HS1,375–1,425 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 1:12 PMPrivateN70727575–675 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 11:57 AMPrivateN723ML1,700–1,875 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 4:21 PMPrivateN728PG1,700–1,800 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 4:15 PMPrivateN411MB1,500–1,625 ft1 minSW
- Jul 20, 4:03 PMPrivateN23HS850–1,225 ft1 minSW
- Jul 20, 3:28 PMPrivateN7096L1,400–1,550 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 2:14 PMPrivateN411MB850–1,275 ft1 minE
- Jul 20, 1:33 PMPrivateN23HS1,600–1,800 ft1 minNE
- Jul 19, 10:56 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD700–800 ft1 minW
- Jul 19, 9:55 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–1,200 ft1 minE
- Jul 19, 7:09 PMPrivateN4043P850–1,025 ft1 minNE
- Jul 19, 4:37 PMPrivateN121NC700–875 ft1 minSW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Irvine: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Irvine?
Most helicopter activity over Irvine 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 Irvine?
Based on 119 tracked passes over Irvine, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 1pm 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.