Helicopters over Mar Vista
Live helicopter tracking for Mar Vista, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Mar Vista…
The sky over Mar Vista
By hour of day
Who flies over Mar Vista
- Police68%
- Private22%
- News6%
- Sheriff3%
- Fire / medical1%
What it usually means
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.
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 11:24 AMLAPDN224LA · AS50300–400 ft1 minSW
- Jul 25, 10:38 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50475–625 ft2 minNE
- Jul 25, 10:24 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50550–700 ft1 minSW
- Jul 25, 10:14 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50350–475 ft3 minW
- Jul 25, 9:11 AMPoliceN230LA675–875 ft1 minNE
- Jul 25, 9:09 AMPrivateN850MH1,100–1,200 ft1 minE
- Jul 25, 8:52 AMPoliceN230LA800–925 ft1 minSW
- Jul 25, 8:40 AMPrivateN850MH900–1,100 ft1 minNW
- Jul 25, 3:49 AMPoliceN229LA500–575 ft1 minSE
- Jul 25, 12:30 AMPoliceN230LA700–750 ft2 minNE
- Jul 24, 6:55 PMPrivateN850MH1,400–1,500 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 6:49 PMPoliceN230LA700–775 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 4:53 PMPoliceN226LA725–975 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 1:09 PMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL500–600 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 11:53 AMPoliceN226LA550–675 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 9:29 AMPrivateN821JP3,400–3,525 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 7:52 PMPoliceN223LA525–575 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 6:25 PMPoliceN223LA700–750 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 5:45 PMPoliceN233LA750–875 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 1:52 PMPoliceN223LA575–625 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 9:45 AMPoliceN232LA750–825 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 3:01 AMPoliceN233LA900–975 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 1:17 AMPoliceN230LA675–750 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 1:01 AMPoliceN230LA525–575 ft1 minSW
- Jul 23, 12:21 AMPoliceN230LA525–775 ft2 minNE
- Jul 22, 7:37 PMPoliceN230LA550–600 ft2 minSW
- Jul 22, 5:40 PMPoliceN233LA725–825 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 1:45 PMPoliceN232LA450–500 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 12:00 AMPoliceN233LA200–500 ft6 minNE
- Jul 21, 11:25 PMPoliceN233LA400–600 ft3 minNE
- Jul 21, 5:59 PMPoliceN230LA400–550 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 5:27 PMPoliceN230LA300–575 ft6 minSW
- Jul 21, 4:29 PMPoliceN230LA475–650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 4:07 PMSheriffN962LA575–875 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 4:07 PMPoliceN230LA500–550 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 3:42 PMPoliceN226LA750–900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 3:06 PMPoliceN232LA550–600 ft2 minSW
- Jul 21, 12:03 PMPrivateN850MH1,000–1,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 11:39 AMPoliceN226LA525–625 ft1 minNE
- Jul 21, 10:36 AMPoliceN232LA500 ft1 minNE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Mar Vista: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Mar Vista?
Most helicopter activity over Mar Vista 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 Mar Vista?
Based on 142 tracked passes over Mar Vista, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 1pm 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.