Helicopters over North Hills

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

Area briefing

North Hills, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over North Hills

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 6 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 North Hills

The sky over North Hills

711helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
75.4
passes per week
3.1
hours overhead per week
11 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 11a · this hour (2p) has averaged 36 passes historically

Who flies over North Hills

  • Police31%
  • Fire / medical29%
  • News24%
  • Private16%
  • Military1%
  • Other0%

The regulars over North Hills

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

Who flies over North Hills, by the numbers

Police helicopters over North Hills

220 of 711 recorded passes over North Hills were police helicopters — 31% of the traffic here, 14.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 17 recorded passestypically 1,200–1,350 ft

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

Fire and air-medical helicopters over North Hills

205 of 711 recorded passes over North Hills were fire and air-medical helicopters — 29% of the traffic here, 4.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LA City Fire (N306FD), 20 recorded passestypically 1,000–1,300 ft

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

News helicopters over North Hills

168 of 711 recorded passes over North Hills were news helicopters — 24% of the traffic here, 6.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 22 recorded passestypically 950–1,300 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 North Hills

111 of 711 recorded passes over North Hills were private and charter helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 3.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Helinet (N435AK), 9 recorded passestypically 900–1,200 ft

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

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.

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

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.

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Helicopters over North Hills common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over North Hills?

Police helicopters account for 31% of the 711 helicopter passes recorded over North Hills. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 17 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,200–1,350 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.

Why is a fire helicopter over North Hills?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 29% of the 711 helicopter passes recorded over North Hills. The one you see most is LA City Fire (N306FD), 20 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,000–1,300 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.

Is that a news helicopter over North Hills?

News helicopters account for 24% of the 711 helicopter passes recorded over North Hills. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 22 recorded passes. They typically fly at 950–1,300 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.

How high do helicopters fly over North Hills?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 1,200–1,350 ft; fire and air-medical helicopters at 1,000–1,300 ft; news helicopters at 950–1,300 ft; private and charter helicopters at 900–1,200 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 North Hills?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 14.4 hours overhead across 220 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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