Helicopters over Manhattan Beach

Live helicopter tracking for Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Manhattan Beach

Nothing has been recorded over Manhattan Beach in the last 12 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 Manhattan Beach

76helicopter passes tracked over 33 days
16.1
passes per week
0.8
hours overhead per week
1 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 1p · this hour (1p) has averaged 16 passes historically

Who flies over Manhattan Beach

  • Private68%
  • News16%
  • Sheriff5%
  • Military4%
  • Police4%
  • Other3%

The regulars over Manhattan Beach

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

Who flies over Manhattan Beach, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Manhattan Beach

52 of 76 recorded passes over Manhattan Beach were private and charter helicopters — 68% of the traffic here, 1.9 hours overhead in total.

usually 1pm–4pmtypically 300–1,050 ft

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

News helicopters over Manhattan Beach

12 of 76 recorded passes over Manhattan Beach were news helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 1.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 6 recorded passesusually 1pm–4pmtypically 500–950 ft

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.

What it usually means

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.

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

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

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Manhattan Beach common questions

Is that a news helicopter over Manhattan Beach?

News helicopters account for 16% of the 76 helicopter passes recorded over Manhattan Beach. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 6 recorded passes. They are usually 1pm–4pm here. They typically fly at 500–950 ft above sea level. 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.

How high do helicopters fly over Manhattan Beach?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 300–1,050 ft; news helicopters at 500–950 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 Manhattan Beach?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 1.9 hours overhead across 52 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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