Helicopters over Montclair

Live helicopter tracking for Montclair, San Bernardino County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Montclair, San Bernardino County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Montclair

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 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

The sky over Montclair

762helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
80.8
passes per week
3.4
hours overhead per week
5 PM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 5p · this hour (1p) has averaged 31 passes historically

Who flies over Montclair

  • Police78%
  • Private17%
  • News2%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Fire / medical1%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Montclair

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

Who flies over Montclair, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Montclair

597 of 762 recorded passes over Montclair were police helicopters — 78% of the traffic here, 26.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Ontario PD (N30NT), 114 recorded passestypically 1,650–1,850 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over Montclair

131 of 762 recorded passes over Montclair were private and charter helicopters — 17% of the traffic here, 3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: City Of Fontana California (N462PD), 6 recorded passesusually 9am–12pmtypically 1,600–1,900 ft

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

News helicopters over Montclair

15 of 762 recorded passes over Montclair were news helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 0.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 4 recorded passes

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

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Montclair common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Montclair?

Police helicopters account for 78% of the 762 helicopter passes recorded over Montclair. The one you see most is Ontario PD (N30NT), 114 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,650–1,850 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 Montclair?

News helicopters account for 2% of the 762 helicopter passes recorded over Montclair. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 4 recorded passes. 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 Montclair?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 1,650–1,850 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,600–1,900 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 Montclair?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 26.2 hours overhead across 597 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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