Helicopters over Long Beach
Live helicopter tracking for Long Beach, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Long Beach…
The sky over Long Beach
By hour of day
Who flies over Long Beach
- Private45%
- Police43%
- News5%
- Sheriff3%
- Military3%
- Other0%
What it usually means
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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.
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
- Jul 25, 10:08 AMMaverickN850MH · EC30300–600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 11:48 PMLong Beach PDN29LB800 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 11:33 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:14 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700 ft2 minE
- Jul 24, 9:19 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft3 minNE
- Jul 24, 9:10 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft5 minE
- Jul 24, 8:43 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–900 ft8 minNW
- Jul 24, 8:28 PMPrivateN995NR700 ft2 minS
- Jul 24, 7:04 PMPrivateN535DE825–950 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 6:46 PMPrivateN74426700–900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 6:37 PMPrivateN995NR700–800 ft2 minE
- Jul 24, 4:42 PMPrivateN535DE675–725 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 3:01 PMPrivateN197SH825–875 ft2 minSW
- Jul 24, 10:31 AMPrivateN850MH800–1,000 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 7:53 AMPrivateN74426700 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 7:37 AMPrivateN7024U900–1,000 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 7:32 AMPrivateN7024U1,100 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 11:56 PMLong Beach PDN29LB800 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 11:51 PMLong Beach PDN29LB800–900 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:28 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–900 ft9 minNE
- Jul 23, 11:12 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 11:00 PMLong Beach PDN29LB600–800 ft7 minSE
- Jul 23, 7:28 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700 ft3 minE
- Jul 23, 7:20 PMLong Beach PDN29LB600–900 ft4 minN
- Jul 23, 7:14 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–900 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 6:55 PMLong Beach PDN29LB800 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 6:36 PMLong Beach PDN29LB600–800 ft9 minSE
- Jul 23, 3:20 PMPrivateN995NR900–1,200 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 1:42 PMMercy AirN908KB600–725 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 1:16 PMPrivateN74426700–800 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 12:55 PMPrivateN74426800–900 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 10:08 AMFire/EMSN302FD550–700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 8:08 AMPrivateN74426700–900 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 10:55 PMMercy AirN908KB650–1,575 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 9:54 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft2 minNE
- Jul 22, 9:46 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft4 minE
- Jul 22, 9:41 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 9:39 PMPrivateN995NR600–800 ft2 minN
- Jul 22, 9:29 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft8 minE
- Jul 22, 9:19 PMLong Beach PDN29LB600–900 ft6 minE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Long Beach: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Long Beach?
Most helicopter activity over Long Beach 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 Long Beach?
Based on 326 tracked passes over Long Beach, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 9pm 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.