Helicopters over La Palma
Live helicopter tracking for La Palma, Orange County — updated every few seconds.
La Palma, Orange County
Checking the sky overhead…
GTLA AirWatch · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds
Today over La Palma
Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 4 hours.
- 9:29am — LASD (N962LA) passed through in 2 minutes, low.came from Bellflower (9:27am)
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.
The sky over La Palma
Who flies over La Palma
- Police60%
- Military13%
- News13%
- Sheriff13%
The regulars over La Palma
The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.
- SkyKnightN930DK9 recorded visits· usually 4–7pm· last here Fri 10:28 PM
- AIR7N71HD2 recorded visits· last here Thu 5:56 AM
Who flies over La Palma, by the numbers
Police helicopters over La Palma
9 of 15 recorded passes over La Palma were police helicopters — 60% of the traffic here, 0.4 hours overhead in total.
Most often: SkyKnight (N930DK), 9 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
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.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
Recent helicopter activity
- Sep 5, 9:29 AMLASDN962LA · AS50575–675 ft2 minW
- Sep 4, 10:26 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44500–575 ft3 minN
- Sep 4, 9:56 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44575–725 ft1 minS
- Sep 4, 6:29 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44550–600 ft2 minN
- Sep 4, 6:12 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44500–575 ft1 minS
- Sep 3, 3:50 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44575–650 ft1 minNW
- Sep 3, 3:39 PMUS ARMY18-20980 · H601,050–1,375 ft1 minSE
- Sep 3, 1:19 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS501,100–1,225 ft1 minSE
- Sep 3, 5:55 AMAIR7N71HD · AS501,825–1,925 ft1 minE
- Sep 3, 5:35 AMAIR7N71HD · AS501,525–2,325 ft1 minW
- Sep 2, 10:30 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44550–600 ft1 minN
- Sep 2, 9:50 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44475–550 ft3 minN
- Sep 2, 6:51 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44475–650 ft11 minNW
- Sep 2, 6:23 PMSkyKnightN930DK · R44450–550 ft3 minS
- Sep 2, 4:39 PMUS ARMY17-20929 · H601,500–1,525 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over La Palma common questions
Why is a police helicopter circling over La Palma?
Police helicopters account for 60% of the 15 helicopter passes recorded over La Palma. The one you see most is SkyKnight (N930DK), 9 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.
More from GTLA
Your way into GTLA.
From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.
- 01Live aircraft
Know what’s overhead.
Follow real aircraft in 3D or 2D. See their identities, distinctive fleet liveries, flight trails, and the airspace around them—including temporary flight restrictions.
Launch AirWatch → - 02Near you
Who’s hovering here?
Hear a helicopter? Find the aircraft near your location, see who operates it, and jump straight into tracking it on the map.
Identify an aircraft → - 03Your neighborhood
Make it local.
Explore helicopter activity by neighborhood: what’s overhead now, recent visits, and the aircraft that keep coming back. Follow the places you care about.
Find your neighborhood → - 04Film Room
Replay the story.
Revisit concluded scenes with 3D flight-track playback and archived station video when available. Open a Film Room replay from the Incident Desk’s briefing log.
Browse stories & replays → - 05TV & radio
Tune in. Stay above.
Bring local TV or radio alongside the live map. Follow the aircraft while you watch available station coverage, all inside AirWatch.
Open AirWatch · choose TV or Radio → - 06Personal alerts
Catch the moment.
Choose alerts for police chases and breaking scenes, or every news helicopter launch. Turn on the neighborhood you’re in with one tap, any other from its own page, and manage it all in one place.
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