Helicopters over Monterey Park

Live helicopter tracking for Monterey Park, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Monterey Park, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Monterey Park

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 19 minutes ago, heading west.

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 Monterey Park

The sky over Monterey Park

500helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
53.0
passes per week
2.1
hours overhead per week
3 PM
busiest hour
Sheriff
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 3p · this hour (2p) has averaged 23 passes historically

Who flies over Monterey Park

  • Sheriff47%
  • News18%
  • Private16%
  • Police10%
  • Fire / medical5%
  • Other4%

The regulars over Monterey Park

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

Who flies over Monterey Park, by the numbers

Sheriff's helicopters over Monterey Park

234 of 500 recorded passes over Monterey Park were sheriff's helicopters — 47% of the traffic here, 8.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N956LA), 25 recorded passestypically 950–1,250 ft

Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

News helicopters over Monterey Park

90 of 500 recorded passes over Monterey Park were news helicopters — 18% of the traffic here, 5.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 13 recorded passesusually 5am–8amtypically 1,200–1,550 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 Monterey Park

81 of 500 recorded passes over Monterey Park were private and charter helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 2.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Helinet (N323CH), 5 recorded passestypically 1,000–1,550 ft

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

Police helicopters over Monterey Park

51 of 500 recorded passes over Monterey Park were police helicopters — 10% of the traffic here, 2.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Pasadena PD (N239PS), 5 recorded passesusually 9am–12pmtypically 1,150–1,700 ft

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

What it usually means

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.

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

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.

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Helicopters over Monterey Park common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Monterey Park?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 47% of the 500 helicopter passes recorded over Monterey Park. The one you see most is LASD (N956LA), 25 recorded passes. They typically fly at 950–1,250 ft above sea level. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

Is that a news helicopter over Monterey Park?

News helicopters account for 18% of the 500 helicopter passes recorded over Monterey Park. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 13 recorded passes. They are usually 5am–8am here. They typically fly at 1,200–1,550 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 police helicopter circling over Monterey Park?

Police helicopters account for 10% of the 500 helicopter passes recorded over Monterey Park. The one you see most is Pasadena PD (N239PS), 5 recorded passes. They are usually 9am–12pm here. They typically fly at 1,150–1,700 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.

How high do helicopters fly over Monterey Park?

From the passes recorded here: sheriff's helicopters at 950–1,250 ft; news helicopters at 1,200–1,550 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,000–1,550 ft; police helicopters at 1,150–1,700 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 Monterey Park?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are sheriff's helicopters: 8.6 hours overhead across 234 recorded passes. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

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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