Helicopters over Lake Hughes

Live helicopter tracking for Lake Hughes, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Lake Hughes, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Lake Hughes

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 6 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

The sky over Lake Hughes

104helicopter passes tracked over 51 days
14.3
passes per week
0.6
hours overhead per week
8 AM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 8a · this hour (3p) has averaged 3 passes historically

Who flies over Lake Hughes

  • Private78%
  • Fire / medical14%
  • Military3%
  • Sheriff3%
  • News2%

The regulars over Lake Hughes

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

Who flies over Lake Hughes, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Lake Hughes

81 of 104 recorded passes over Lake Hughes were private and charter helicopters — 78% of the traffic here, 3.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LADWP (N704WP), 30 recorded passesusually 8am–11amtypically 3,700–4,250 ft

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

Fire and air-medical helicopters over Lake Hughes

15 of 104 recorded passes over Lake Hughes were fire and air-medical helicopters — 14% of the traffic here, 0.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: CAL FIRE (N716HT), 3 recorded passesusually 4pm–7pmtypically 3,850–4,200 ft

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

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

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

Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.

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

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Helicopters over Lake Hughes common questions

Why is a fire helicopter over Lake Hughes?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 14% of the 104 helicopter passes recorded over Lake Hughes. The one you see most is CAL FIRE (N716HT), 3 recorded passes. They are usually 4pm–7pm here. They typically fly at 3,850–4,200 ft above sea level. 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 Lake Hughes?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 3,700–4,250 ft; fire and air-medical helicopters at 3,850–4,200 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 Lake Hughes?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 3.4 hours overhead across 81 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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