Helicopters over Malibu
Live helicopter tracking for Malibu, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Malibu…
The sky over Malibu
By hour of day
Who flies over Malibu
- Private55%
- Sheriff23%
- Fire / medical7%
- Police7%
- Military5%
- Other4%
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.
Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 9:52 AMLASDN957LA · AS50100–200 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 5:51 PMPrivateN844AT200–425 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 5:37 PMSheriffN950LA350–400 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 4:24 PMPoliceN224LA850–975 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 2:06 PMPrivateN7089Q1,000–1,400 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 1:28 PMPrivateN767ER300–375 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 1:16 PMPrivateN7UM225–275 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 11:46 AMPrivateN767ER400–825 ft2 minW
- Jul 24, 11:34 AMPrivateN338JD400–600 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 10:16 AMPrivateN7UM350–975 ft2 minW
- Jul 24, 6:44 AMFire/EMSN822LA225–400 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 6:27 AMFire/EMSN822LA225–1,200 ft3 minNW
- Jul 23, 7:54 PMAIR7N71HD450–1,650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 7:43 PMAIR7N71HD950–1,300 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 6:20 PMPrivateN825VJ400–1,700 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 6:13 PMPrivateN444NC600–1,300 ft3 minNE
- Jul 23, 5:51 PMPrivateN108LG775–1,200 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 2:38 PMPrivateN935M300–600 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 1:43 PMPrivateN4043P900–975 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 12:44 PMPrivateN825VJ400–1,200 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 12:40 PMPrivateN935M100–200 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 12:04 PMPrivateN4043P1,125–1,175 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 4:42 PMPrivateN444NC500 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 7:40 PMPrivateN444NC400–1,300 ft3 minE
- Jul 21, 3:56 PMSheriffN962LA625–725 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 3:44 PMSheriffN962LA275–375 ft2 minW
- Jul 21, 3:03 PMPrivateN76EX600 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 2:56 PMPrivateN76EX500–600 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 2:42 PMPrivateN444NC400–1,100 ft3 minE
- Jul 21, 2:22 PMFire/EMSN822LA425–575 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 2:14 PMPrivateN935M200 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 12:15 PMUS NAVY168157400 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 11:43 AMABC NewsCopterN828AP1,100–1,700 ft3 minN
- Jul 20, 6:34 PMFire/EMSN307FD350–1,375 ft5 minW
- Jul 20, 3:52 PMPrivateN4053T700–1,550 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 2:39 PMPrivateN825VJ500–1,500 ft2 minN
- Jul 20, 2:31 PMUS NAVY169454275–375 ft1 minE
- Jul 20, 1:22 PMPrivateN28TM100–300 ft1 minE
- Jul 20, 10:24 AMSheriffN954LA—1 minW
- Jul 20, 8:53 AMPoliceN226LA225–250 ft2 minW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Malibu: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Malibu?
Most helicopter activity over Malibu 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 Malibu?
Based on 141 tracked passes over Malibu, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 3pm 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.