Helicopters over Mar Vista

Live helicopter tracking for Mar Vista, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Mar Vista, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Mar Vista

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 Mar Vista

The sky over Mar Vista

745helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
79.0
passes per week
3.8
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 93 passes historically

Who flies over Mar Vista

  • Private53%
  • Police36%
  • News8%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Military1%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Mar Vista

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

Who flies over Mar Vista, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Mar Vista

396 of 745 recorded passes over Mar Vista were private and charter helicopters — 53% of the traffic here, 19.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Maverick (N852MH), 18 recorded passestypically 300–900 ft

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

Police helicopters over Mar Vista

269 of 745 recorded passes over Mar Vista were police helicopters — 36% of the traffic here, 12 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 18 recorded passestypically 500–650 ft

Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

News helicopters over Mar Vista

56 of 745 recorded passes over Mar Vista were news helicopters — 8% of the traffic here, 3.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 7 recorded passesusually 7am–10amtypically 600–1,050 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.

Sheriff's helicopters over Mar Vista

9 of 745 recorded passes over Mar Vista were sheriff's helicopters — 1% of the traffic here, 0.3 hours overhead in total.

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

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

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Mar Vista common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Mar Vista?

Police helicopters account for 36% of the 745 helicopter passes recorded over Mar Vista. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 18 recorded passes. They typically fly at 500–650 ft above sea level. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

Is that a news helicopter over Mar Vista?

News helicopters account for 8% of the 745 helicopter passes recorded over Mar Vista. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 7 recorded passes. They are usually 7am–10am here. They typically fly at 600–1,050 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.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Mar Vista?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 1% of the 745 helicopter passes recorded over Mar Vista. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

How high do helicopters fly over Mar Vista?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 300–900 ft; police helicopters at 500–650 ft; news helicopters at 600–1,050 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 Mar Vista?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 19.1 hours overhead across 396 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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