Helicopters over Newport Coast
Live helicopter tracking for Newport Coast, Orange County — updated every few seconds.
Newport Coast, Orange County
Checking the sky overhead…
GTLA AirWatch · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds
Today over Newport Coast
Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 70 minutes ago, heading northeast.
- 12:23pm — Southern California Edison (N810CE) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level.came from Emerald Bay (12:22pm)went on to Orange County Great Park (12:25pm)
- 9:24am — ABC NewsCopter (N828AP) passed through in 1 minute, mid-level.came from Emerald Bay (9:24am)went on to Turtle Rock (9:26am)
- 6:42am — ABC NewsCopter (N828AP) passed through in 1 minute, high.came from Laguna Beach (6:41am)went on to Santa Ana Heights (6:44am)
- 5:33am — ABC NewsCopter (N828AP) passed through in 1 minute, high.came from Santa Ana Heights (5:32am)went on to Emerald Bay (5:34am)
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.
The sky over Newport Coast
Who flies over Newport Coast
- News42%
- Sheriff33%
- Private25%
The regulars over Newport Coast
The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.
- ABC NewsCopterN828AP3 recorded visits· usually 4–7am· last here Wed 9:26 AM
- Orange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD3 recorded visits· usually 1–4pm· last here Mon 2:17 PM
- NewsChopper 4N358TV2 recorded visits· last here Tue 10:38 AM
- HelinetN435AK2 recorded visits· last here Fri 9:42 PM
What it usually means
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.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
Recent helicopter activity
- Sep 9, 12:23 PMSouthern California EdisonN810CE · AS501,175–1,350 ft1 minNE
- Sep 9, 9:24 AMABC NewsCopterN828AP · AS501,900–2,000 ft1 minNW
- Sep 9, 6:42 AMABC NewsCopterN828AP · AS502,100–2,200 ft1 minNW
- Sep 9, 5:33 AMABC NewsCopterN828AP · AS502,200–2,500 ft1 minS
- Sep 8, 10:37 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV · AS501,275–1,450 ft1 minSE
- Sep 8, 10:03 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV · AS501,450–1,775 ft1 minNW
- Sep 7, 2:17 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS501,100–1,250 ft1 minE
- Sep 5, 9:07 AMOrange Co SheriffN181SD · UH1800–1,200 ft2 minS
- Sep 5, 9:06 AMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50875–1,175 ft1 minS
- Sep 4, 9:41 PMHelinetN435AK · A1091,900 ft1 minN
- Sep 4, 3:24 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS501,150–1,425 ft1 minN
- Sep 3, 11:03 PMHelinetN435AK · A1092,700–2,800 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Newport Coast common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Newport Coast?
Most helicopter activity over Newport Coast 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.
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.
- 01Live aircraft
Know what’s overhead.
Follow real aircraft in 3D or 2D. See their identities, distinctive fleet liveries, flight trails, and the airspace around them—including temporary flight restrictions.
Launch AirWatch → - 02Near you
Who’s hovering here?
Hear a helicopter? Find the aircraft near your location, see who operates it, and jump straight into tracking it on the map.
Identify an aircraft → - 03Your neighborhood
Make it local.
Explore helicopter activity by neighborhood: what’s overhead now, recent visits, and the aircraft that keep coming back. Follow the places you care about.
Find your neighborhood → - 04Film Room
Replay the story.
Revisit concluded scenes with 3D flight-track playback and archived station video when available. Open a Film Room replay from the Incident Desk’s briefing log.
Browse stories & replays → - 05TV & radio
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Open AirWatch · choose TV or Radio → - 06Personal alerts
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