Helicopters over Orange
Live helicopter tracking for Orange, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Orange…
The sky over Orange
By hour of day
Who flies over Orange
- Private63%
- Sheriff20%
- Police12%
- Fire / medical3%
- News1%
- Other1%
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.
Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 9:30 AMAir MethodsN944AM · EC451,175 ft2 minN
- Jul 25, 9:30 AMPrivateN944AM1,175 ft2 minN
- Jul 25, 9:03 AMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 11:20 PMPrivateN944AM1,075 ft3 minSW
- Jul 24, 10:37 PMPrivateN944AM1,375 ft2 minN
- Jul 24, 10:04 PMPrivateN944AM1,300 ft4 minN
- Jul 24, 9:10 PMPrivateN944AM1,275 ft3 minN
- Jul 24, 8:37 PMPrivateN944AM525 ft3 minSW
- Jul 24, 8:12 PMPrivateN738AM675 ft3 minSE
- Jul 24, 7:47 PMPrivateN738AM875 ft5 minSW
- Jul 24, 7:06 PMPrivateN738AM725 ft3 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:35 PMPrivateN738AM1,175 ft24 minNW
- Jul 24, 3:50 PMPoliceN226PD1,400–1,575 ft2 minW
- Jul 24, 2:27 AMPoliceN226PD800–875 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 8:28 PMPoliceN226PD1,125–1,150 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 3:51 PMPrivateN944AM700 ft3 minSE
- Jul 23, 3:51 PMPoliceN226PD700–1,075 ft7 minW
- Jul 23, 2:25 PMPrivateN944AM1,100 ft2 minNE
- Jul 23, 2:22 PMMercy AirN908KB900–1,075 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 2:13 PMPrivateN944AM825 ft3 minSW
- Jul 23, 11:44 AMFire/EMSN411FA1,075–1,425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:07 AMCHPN984HP875–1,025 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 8:52 AMPrivateN944AM—5 min—
- Jul 22, 11:08 PMPrivateN944AM1,025 ft3 minSW
- Jul 22, 10:33 PMPrivateN944AM850 ft3 minW
- Jul 22, 10:17 PMPrivateN944AM1,075 ft4 minW
- Jul 22, 9:52 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,100–1,150 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 9:36 PMPrivateN7096L800–875 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 7:29 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–900 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 4:21 PMPrivateN944AM1,050 ft4 minN
- Jul 22, 3:42 PMPrivateN944AM1,150 ft3 minNE
- Jul 22, 2:23 PMPrivateN944AM400–1,375 ft2 minN
- Jul 22, 12:06 PMPrivateN826PD925–1,450 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 10:44 AMSheriffN183SD650–750 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 10:49 PMPrivateN944AM1,000 ft3 minW
- Jul 21, 10:11 PMPrivateN944AM800 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 9:56 PMPrivateN944AM1,125 ft3 minW
- Jul 21, 8:56 PMPrivateN944AM1,100 ft2 minN
- Jul 21, 7:09 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–900 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 3:36 PMPrivateN496TP2,275–3,025 ft2 minS
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Orange: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Orange?
Most helicopter activity over Orange 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 Orange?
Based on 177 tracked passes over Orange, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 3pm 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.