Helicopters over North Hollywood

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

Area briefing

North Hollywood, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over North Hollywood

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 20 minutes ago, heading south.

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 Hollywood

The sky over North Hollywood

1,186helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
125.8
passes per week
5.0
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (2p) has averaged 56 passes historically

Who flies over North Hollywood

  • Private54%
  • Police37%
  • News7%
  • Military1%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Other0%

The regulars over North Hollywood

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

Who flies over North Hollywood, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over North Hollywood

644 of 1,186 recorded passes over North Hollywood were private and charter helicopters — 54% of the traffic here, 14.3 hours overhead in total.

typically 1,000–1,100 ft

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

Police helicopters over North Hollywood

436 of 1,186 recorded passes over North Hollywood were police helicopters — 37% of the traffic here, 29 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 28 recorded passesusually 11pm–2amtypically 1,100–1,250 ft

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

News helicopters over North Hollywood

85 of 1,186 recorded passes over North Hollywood were news helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 3.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 9 recorded passestypically 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.

Military helicopters over North Hollywood

9 of 1,186 recorded passes over North Hollywood were military helicopters — 1% of the traffic here, 0.1 hours overhead in total.

Military aircraft are almost always transiting between bases or on training flights; they rarely orbit a neighborhood.

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.

News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.

Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over North Hollywood common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over North Hollywood?

Police helicopters account for 37% of the 1,186 helicopter passes recorded over North Hollywood. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 28 recorded passes. They are usually 11pm–2am here. They typically fly at 1,100–1,250 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 North Hollywood?

News helicopters account for 7% of the 1,186 helicopter passes recorded over North Hollywood. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 9 recorded passes. 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.

How high do helicopters fly over North Hollywood?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 1,000–1,100 ft; police helicopters at 1,100–1,250 ft; news helicopters at 1,200–1,550 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 Hollywood?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 29 hours overhead across 436 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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