Helicopters over Mid-Wilshire

Live helicopter tracking for Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Mid-Wilshire

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 56 minutes ago, heading southeast.

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 Mid-Wilshire

The sky over Mid-Wilshire

320helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
33.9
passes per week
1.5
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 (2p) has averaged 10 passes historically

Who flies over Mid-Wilshire

  • Police82%
  • News8%
  • Private7%
  • Sheriff2%
  • CHP1%
  • Other0%

The regulars over Mid-Wilshire

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

Who flies over Mid-Wilshire, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Mid-Wilshire

263 of 320 recorded passes over Mid-Wilshire were police helicopters — 82% of the traffic here, 12 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 29 recorded passestypically 600–850 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 Mid-Wilshire

24 of 320 recorded passes over Mid-Wilshire were news helicopters — 8% of the traffic here, 1.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 6 recorded passestypically 1,000–1,500 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.

Private and charter helicopters over Mid-Wilshire

23 of 320 recorded passes over Mid-Wilshire were private and charter helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 0.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Charlie Papa (N444NC), 4 recorded passesusually 1pm–4pmtypically 1,000–1,450 ft

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

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.

News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.

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.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over Mid-Wilshire common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Mid-Wilshire?

Police helicopters account for 82% of the 320 helicopter passes recorded over Mid-Wilshire. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 29 recorded passes. They typically fly at 600–850 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 Mid-Wilshire?

News helicopters account for 8% of the 320 helicopter passes recorded over Mid-Wilshire. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 6 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,000–1,500 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 Mid-Wilshire?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 600–850 ft; news helicopters at 1,000–1,500 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,000–1,450 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 Mid-Wilshire?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 12 hours overhead across 263 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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