Helicopters over Northridge
Live helicopter tracking for Northridge, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Northridge…
The sky over Northridge
By hour of day
Who flies over Northridge
- Police66%
- Fire / medical15%
- Private13%
- News6%
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.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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, 7:01 PMLA Co FDN190LA1,550–1,700 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 6:45 PMFire/EMSN305FD1,475–1,500 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 5:41 PMPrivateN825VJ—1 minE
- Jul 24, 5:26 PMPoliceN224LA1,275–1,625 ft3 minS
- Jul 24, 1:37 PMPrivateN818HA1,300–1,600 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 12:48 PMPoliceN224LA1,275–1,325 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 9:53 AMFire/EMSN307FD1,300–1,350 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 7:29 PMPoliceN223LA1,325–1,400 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 7:02 PMPoliceN223LA1,325–1,425 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 6:50 PMPoliceN223LA1,375–1,475 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 4:40 PMPrivateN703WP1,300–1,400 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 2:45 AMPoliceN226LA1,425–1,475 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 2:01 AMPoliceN226LA1,550–1,675 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 4:34 PMLADWPN704WP1,225–1,425 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 3:49 PMFire/EMSN306FD1,325–1,375 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 2:14 PMFire/EMSN306FD1,200–1,275 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 12:56 PMFire/EMSN307FD1,350–1,425 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 12:48 PMFire/EMSN307FD1,250–1,325 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 11:47 AMPoliceN226LA1,325–1,425 ft2 minS
- Jul 22, 11:41 AMPoliceN226LA1,225–1,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 12:45 AMMercy AirN908KB925–1,700 ft3 minS
- Jul 21, 10:26 PMPoliceN229LA1,475–1,575 ft2 minS
- Jul 21, 10:18 PMPoliceN229LA1,675–1,750 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 5:38 PMPoliceN229LA1,325–1,450 ft6 minSW
- Jul 21, 5:11 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,300–1,400 ft2 minSW
- Jul 21, 4:54 PMPoliceN229LA1,275–1,425 ft2 minS
- Jul 21, 4:34 PMPoliceN229LA1,300–1,400 ft2 minS
- Jul 21, 12:40 PMPrivateN308EH1,700–2,000 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 11:50 AMPoliceN230LA1,175–1,250 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 9:44 AMPrivateN28TM1,300–1,800 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 9:30 AMPoliceN224LA1,250–1,375 ft2 minN
- Jul 21, 8:50 AMPoliceN224LA1,200–1,400 ft3 minN
- Jul 21, 8:39 AMPrivateN28TM1,300 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 3:17 AMPoliceN224LA1,475 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 3:11 AMPoliceN224LA1,475 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 3:04 AMPoliceN224LA1,475 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 2:57 AMPoliceN224LA1,475 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 2:49 AMPoliceN224LA1,475 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 2:42 AMPoliceN224LA1,525 ft1 minS
- Jul 20, 10:53 PMPoliceN224LA1,400–1,425 ft1 minW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Northridge: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Northridge?
Most helicopter activity over Northridge 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 Northridge?
Based on 222 tracked passes over Northridge, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 12pm 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.