Helicopters over Newport Beach
Live helicopter tracking for Newport Beach, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Newport Beach…
The sky over Newport Beach
By hour of day
Who flies over Newport Beach
- Private56%
- Police23%
- Sheriff10%
- News6%
- Military2%
- Other2%
What it usually means
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.
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 8:23 PMPrivateN108EH600–700 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 6:29 PMPrivateN7096L625–675 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 3:31 PMPrivateN108EH800–900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 1:03 PMPrivate825–900 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 12:47 PMPrivate800–850 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 12:39 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB500–950 ft10 minNW
- Jul 24, 10:59 AMOrange Co SheriffN181SD100–600 ft2 minNE
- Jul 23, 4:02 PMPrivateN683W875 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 1:51 PMMercy AirN908KB500–625 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 1:30 PMPrivateN683W825–850 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:55 PMPrivateN90815525–550 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:35 PMPrivateN90815550–575 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:02 PMPrivateN761HB375–500 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 11:22 AMPrivateN144RH600–700 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 10:11 PMPrivateN944AM175–600 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 9:36 PMPrivateN944AM825 ft3 minW
- Jul 22, 7:06 PMPrivateN323TH500 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 6:47 PMPrivateN323TH500–600 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 4:49 PMUS ARMY17-20926725 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 4:33 PMPrivateN76FL900 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 3:50 PMPrivateN853MH500–700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 2:33 PMMercy AirN908KB225–725 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 2:31 PMPrivateN761HB350–600 ft5 minNW
- Jul 22, 2:26 PMPrivateN335PD600 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 2:22 PMPrivateN761HB650–775 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 2:04 PMSheriffN183SD500–625 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 1:48 PMMil / CG16813075 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 1:43 PMMercy AirN908KB100–575 ft3 minW
- Jul 22, 12:52 PMPrivate575–650 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 12:35 PMPrivateN90813650–700 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 11:23 AMHuntington Beach PDN681HB400–875 ft21 minSW
- Jul 22, 11:05 AMPrivateN761HB475–650 ft3 minE
- Jul 21, 6:28 PMCHPN777CT500–975 ft3 minNE
- Jul 21, 4:56 PMPrivateN761HB725–850 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 4:44 PMPrivateN761HB725–950 ft6 minE
- Jul 21, 4:10 PMPrivateN40390750 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 11:18 AMPrivateN761HB550–675 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 11:01 AMPrivateN761HB575–675 ft6 minE
- Jul 20, 10:03 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB1,500–1,650 ft1 minNW
- Jul 20, 9:45 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB1,125–1,250 ft6 minSE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Newport Beach: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Newport Beach?
Most helicopter activity over Newport Beach 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.
What time do helicopters usually fly over Newport Beach?
Based on 201 tracked passes over Newport Beach, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 4pm local time. Activity rises during evening news hours and drops sharply overnight.
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.