Helicopters over Mission Hills

Live helicopter tracking for Mission Hills, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Mission Hills, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Mission Hills

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 3 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 Mission Hills

The sky over Mission Hills

1,088helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
115.4
passes per week
4.2
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (2p) has averaged 61 passes historically

Who flies over Mission Hills

  • Police32%
  • Private26%
  • News21%
  • Fire / medical13%
  • Sheriff7%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Mission Hills

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

Who flies over Mission Hills, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Mission Hills

350 of 1,088 recorded passes over Mission Hills were police helicopters — 32% of the traffic here, 15.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 17 recorded passestypically 1,300–1,500 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 Mission Hills

280 of 1,088 recorded passes over Mission Hills were private and charter helicopters — 26% of the traffic here, 9.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LADWP (N704WP), 14 recorded passestypically 1,300–1,550 ft

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

News helicopters over Mission Hills

229 of 1,088 recorded passes over Mission Hills were news helicopters — 21% of the traffic here, 9.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 13 recorded passestypically 1,350–1,700 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.

Fire and air-medical helicopters over Mission Hills

145 of 1,088 recorded passes over Mission Hills were fire and air-medical helicopters — 13% of the traffic here, 3.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LA Co FD (N822LA), 13 recorded passesusually 9am–12pmtypically 1,350–1,500 ft

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

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.

Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

All neighborhoods →

Helicopters over Mission Hills common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Mission Hills?

Police helicopters account for 32% of the 1,088 helicopter passes recorded over Mission Hills. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 17 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,300–1,500 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 Mission Hills?

News helicopters account for 21% of the 1,088 helicopter passes recorded over Mission Hills. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 13 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,350–1,700 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.

Why is a fire helicopter over Mission Hills?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 13% of the 1,088 helicopter passes recorded over Mission Hills. The one you see most is LA Co FD (N822LA), 13 recorded passes. They are usually 9am–12pm here. They typically fly at 1,350–1,500 ft above sea level. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

How high do helicopters fly over Mission Hills?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 1,300–1,500 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,300–1,550 ft; news helicopters at 1,350–1,700 ft; fire and air-medical helicopters at 1,350–1,500 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 Mission Hills?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 15.8 hours overhead across 350 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.

More from GTLA

Your way into GTLA.

From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.