Helicopters over La Puente

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

Area briefing

La Puente, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over La Puente

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 hours.

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

Recent incidents over La Puente

The sky over La Puente

843helicopter passes tracked over 65 days
90.8
passes per week
5.2
hours overhead per week
11 AM
busiest hour
Sheriff
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 11a · this hour (1p) has averaged 24 passes historically

Who flies over La Puente

  • Sheriff78%
  • Private11%
  • News5%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • Police2%
  • Other2%

The regulars over La Puente

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

Who flies over La Puente, by the numbers

Sheriff's helicopters over La Puente

659 of 843 recorded passes over La Puente were sheriff's helicopters — 78% of the traffic here, 42.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N961LA), 40 recorded passestypically 450–1,050 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over La Puente

95 of 843 recorded passes over La Puente were private and charter helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 2.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Patriot Aviation (N157PA), 5 recorded passesusually 10am–1pmtypically 1,100–1,700 ft

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

News helicopters over La Puente

43 of 843 recorded passes over La Puente were news helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 1.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 3 recorded passes

News helicopters hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after a story is already underway; several at once usually means something is being covered live.

Fire and air-medical helicopters over La Puente

18 of 843 recorded passes over La Puente were fire and air-medical helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 0.4 hours overhead in total.

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

What it usually means

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

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

News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.

Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over La Puente common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over La Puente?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 78% of the 843 helicopter passes recorded over La Puente. The one you see most is LASD (N961LA), 40 recorded passes. They typically fly at 450–1,050 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.

Is that a news helicopter over La Puente?

News helicopters account for 5% of the 843 helicopter passes recorded over La Puente. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 3 recorded passes. News helicopters hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after a story is already underway; several at once usually means something is being covered live.

Why is a fire helicopter over La Puente?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 2% of the 843 helicopter passes recorded over La Puente. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

How high do helicopters fly over La Puente?

From the passes recorded here: sheriff's helicopters at 450–1,050 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,100–1,700 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 Puente?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are sheriff's helicopters: 42.8 hours overhead across 659 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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