Helicopters over Marina del Rey

Live helicopter tracking for Marina del Rey, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Marina del Rey, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Tonight over Marina del Rey

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 84 minutes ago, heading northeast.

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 Marina del Rey

523helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
55.5
passes per week
2.0
hours overhead per week
11 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 11a · this hour (10p) has averaged 8 passes historically

Who flies over Marina del Rey

  • Police55%
  • Private38%
  • News5%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Fire / medical0%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Marina del Rey

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

Who flies over Marina del Rey, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Marina del Rey

290 of 523 recorded passes over Marina del Rey were police helicopters — 55% of the traffic here, 11.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 32 recorded passestypically 150–400 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over Marina del Rey

200 of 523 recorded passes over Marina del Rey were private and charter helicopters — 38% of the traffic here, 5.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Lite Flight (N825VJ), 27 recorded passesusually 5pm–8pmtypically 400–600 ft

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

News helicopters over Marina del Rey

25 of 523 recorded passes over Marina del Rey were news helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 2.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyFOX 11 / SkyCAL (N50Q), 3 recorded passesusually 4pm–7pmtypically 500–700 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

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

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Helicopters over Marina del Rey common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Marina del Rey?

Police helicopters account for 55% of the 523 helicopter passes recorded over Marina del Rey. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 32 recorded passes. They typically fly at 150–400 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 Marina del Rey?

News helicopters account for 5% of the 523 helicopter passes recorded over Marina del Rey. The one you see most is SkyFOX 11 / SkyCAL (N50Q), 3 recorded passes. They are usually 4pm–7pm here. They typically fly at 500–700 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 Marina del Rey?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 150–400 ft; private and charter helicopters at 400–600 ft; news helicopters at 500–700 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 Marina del Rey?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 11.6 hours overhead across 290 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

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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