Helicopters over La Mirada

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

Area briefing

La Mirada, Los Angeles County — 7:35 a.m. PT

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 59 minutes ago, heading west.

Recent passes over La Mirada

  1. 6:35am — a private helicopter (N284SW) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level, then went on to South Whittier.
  2. 6:17am — Orange Co Fire (N412FA) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level, then went on to Norwalk.
  3. 10:24pm yesterday — Helinet (N435AK) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level, then went on to Buena Park.

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

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

Last night over La Mirada

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 59 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

The sky over La Mirada

380helicopter passes tracked over 87 days
30.8
passes per week
1.3
hours overhead per week
4 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 4p · this hour of the day (7a): 5 passes over the last 89 days

Who flies over La Mirada

  • Private39%
  • Sheriff26%
  • Police11%
  • CHP10%
  • News9%
  • Other5%

The regulars over La Mirada

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

Seen over La Mirada lately

Every aircraft our tracking has recorded here recently, most recent first. The named ones have a page of their own.

Who flies over La Mirada, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over La Mirada

149 of 380 recorded passes over La Mirada were private and charter helicopters — 39% of the traffic here, 3.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Mercy Air (N908KB), 25 recorded passestypically 900–1,300 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 La Mirada

97 of 380 recorded passes over La Mirada were sheriff's helicopters — 26% of the traffic here, 4.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N958LA), 14 recorded passestypically 600–900 ft

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

Police helicopters over La Mirada

40 of 380 recorded passes over La Mirada were police helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 1.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Anaheim Police Dept (N226PD), 8 recorded passesusually 4pm–7pmtypically 850–1,300 ft

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

CHP helicopters over La Mirada

39 of 380 recorded passes over La Mirada were CHP helicopters — 10% of the traffic here, 0.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: CHP (N984HP), 15 recorded passestypically 900–1,000 ft

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

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

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Helicopters over La Mirada common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over La Mirada?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 26% of the 380 helicopter passes recorded over La Mirada. The one you see most is LASD (N958LA), 14 recorded passes. They typically fly at 600–900 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 La Mirada?

Police helicopters account for 11% of the 380 helicopter passes recorded over La Mirada. The one you see most is Anaheim Police Dept (N226PD), 8 recorded passes. They are usually 4pm–7pm here. They typically fly at 850–1,300 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.

How high do helicopters fly over La Mirada?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 900–1,300 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 600–900 ft; police helicopters at 850–1,300 ft; CHP helicopters at 900–1,000 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 La Mirada?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are sheriff's helicopters: 4.4 hours overhead across 97 recorded passes. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

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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