Helicopters over Mesa Verde
Live helicopter tracking for Mesa Verde, Orange County — updated every few seconds.
Mesa Verde, Orange County
Checking the sky overhead…
GTLA AirWatch · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds
Today over Mesa Verde
Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 hours.
- 11:12am — Patriot Aviation (N157PA) passed through in 1 minute, low.came from Costa Mesa (11:08am)
- 10:59am — Patriot Aviation (N157PA) circled for 7 minutes, low.went on to Costa Mesa (11:07am)
- 10:48am — Patriot Aviation (N157PA) circled for 7 minutes, low.went on to Huntington Beach (10:57am)
- 7:02am — Orange County Sheriff'S Department (N183SD) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level.came from Huntington Beach (7:01am)went on to Fountain Valley (7:03am)
- 6:57am — Orange County Sheriff'S Department (N183SD) passed through in 2 minutes, low.came from Fountain Valley (6:56am)went on to Huntington Beach (6:59am)
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.
The sky over Mesa Verde
Who flies over Mesa Verde
- Private53%
- Sheriff35%
- News6%
- Military6%
The regulars over Mesa Verde
The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.
- Orange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD6 recorded visits· usually 5–8am· last here Sat 7:03 AM
- Patriot AviationN157PA3 recorded visits· usually 9am–12pm· last here Sat 11:13 AM
- HelistreamN801562 recorded visits· last here Fri 4:10 PM
Who flies over Mesa Verde, by the numbers
Private and charter helicopters over Mesa Verde
9 of 17 recorded passes over Mesa Verde were private and charter helicopters — 53% of the traffic here, 0.4 hours overhead in total.
Most often: Patriot Aviation (N157PA), 3 recorded passes
Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.
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.
News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.
Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.
Recent helicopter activity
- Sep 5, 11:12 AMPatriot AviationN157PA · B206500–700 ft1 minW
- Sep 5, 10:59 AMPatriot AviationN157PA · B206600–700 ft7 minS
- Sep 5, 10:48 AMPatriot AviationN157PA · B206500–700 ft7 minW
- Sep 5, 7:02 AMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS501,025–1,150 ft1 minNE
- Sep 5, 6:57 AMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50825–925 ft2 minSW
- Sep 4, 4:09 PMHelistreamN80156 · R22625–875 ft1 minE
- Sep 4, 2:33 PMHelistreamN80156 · R22625–1,050 ft3 minSW
- Sep 4, 1:02 PMVerticalN496TP · R22850–1,075 ft1 minNW
- Sep 4, 9:02 AMPolar StarN108EH · R44700–1,000 ft1 minE
- Sep 3, 4:03 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50600–675 ft2 minE
- Sep 3, 11:30 AMUS ARMY17-20931 · H605,975 ft1 minE
- Sep 3, 9:42 AMVerticalN70727 · R44700–950 ft1 minE
- Sep 3, 9:23 AMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50375–750 ft1 minNE
- Sep 3, 8:49 AMABC NewsCopterN828AP · AS501,500–1,600 ft1 minSE
- Sep 3, 7:17 AMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS501,100–1,125 ft1 minN
- Sep 2, 7:30 PMHelistreamN2331X · R22650–925 ft1 minE
- Sep 2, 4:43 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50950–1,175 ft2 minNE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Mesa Verde common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Mesa Verde?
Most helicopter activity over Mesa Verde 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.
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.
More from GTLA
Your way into GTLA.
From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.
- 01Live aircraft
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