Helicopters over Northwood
Live helicopter tracking for Northwood, Orange County — updated every few seconds.
Northwood, Orange County
Checking the sky overhead…
GTLA AirWatch · Live area briefing · positions from ADS-B, rechecked every 20 seconds
Tonight over Northwood
Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 3 hours.
- 4:04pm — Orange County Sheriff'S Department (N183SD) passed through in 1 minute, low.came from Orange County Great Park (4:04pm)went on to Tustin (4:05pm)
- 3:27pm — Orange County Sheriff'S Department (N183SD) passed through in 2 minutes, low.came from Tustin (3:26pm)went on to Orange County Great Park (3:29pm)
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 Northwood
Who flies over Northwood
- Private71%
- Sheriff18%
- Police6%
- News6%
The regulars over Northwood
The aircraft recorded here most often — the ones you’ll see again.
- Orange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD3 recorded visits· usually 2–5pm· last here Sun 4:05 PM
- VerticalN411MB3 recorded visits· usually 8–11am· last here Fri 11:00 AM
- HelistreamN2331X3 recorded visits· usually 9am–12pm· last here Thu 2:20 PM
- Polar StarN728PG2 recorded visits· last here Fri 10:05 AM
Who flies over Northwood, by the numbers
Private and charter helicopters over Northwood
12 of 17 recorded passes over Northwood were private and charter helicopters — 71% of the traffic here, 0.3 hours overhead in total.
Most often: Helistream (N2331X), 3 recorded passesusually 9am–12pmtypically 800–1,350 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
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Sep 6, 4:04 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50700–775 ft1 minNW
- Sep 6, 3:27 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS50650–750 ft2 minSE
- Sep 4, 10:59 AMVerticalN411MB · AS501,650–1,800 ft1 minSW
- Sep 4, 10:04 AMPolar StarN728PG · R441,000–1,700 ft2 minSW
- Sep 4, 9:58 AMPolar StarN108EH · R44800–1,300 ft1 minNE
- Sep 4, 9:26 AMPolar StarN728PG · R441,700–1,900 ft1 minNE
- Sep 4, 9:09 AMVerticalN411MB · AS501,500–1,575 ft1 minNE
- Sep 4, 7:16 AMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL · B407600–800 ft6 minSW
- Sep 3, 11:13 PMOrange County Sheriff'S DepartmentN183SD · AS501,100–1,350 ft2 minNW
- Sep 3, 7:07 PMVerticalN23HS · AS501,325–1,675 ft1 minNE
- Sep 3, 7:07 PMAnaheim Police DeptN226PD · AS50950–1,200 ft1 minNW
- Sep 3, 4:38 PMVerticalN70727 · R44775–1,050 ft2 minW
- Sep 3, 3:22 PMVerticalN411MB · AS501,350–1,700 ft1 minSW
- Sep 3, 2:18 PMHelistreamN2331X · R22850–1,075 ft2 minW
- Sep 3, 11:27 AMHelistreamN2331X · R22550–900 ft2 minW
- Sep 3, 11:01 AMHelistreamN2331X · R221,125–1,200 ft2 minNE
- Sep 2, 5:58 PMVerticalN723ML · R221,150–1,300 ft2 minSW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Northwood common questions
How high do helicopters fly over Northwood?
From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 800–1,350 ft. These are the middle half of measured altitudes above sea level for each group, not a floor or a ceiling.
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
Tune in. Stay above.
Bring local TV or radio alongside the live map. Follow the aircraft while you watch available station coverage, all inside AirWatch.
Open AirWatch · choose TV or Radio → - 06Personal alerts
Catch the moment.
Choose alerts for police chases and breaking scenes, or every news helicopter launch. Turn on the neighborhood you’re in with one tap, any other from its own page, and manage it all in one place.
Choose my alerts →