Helicopters over Palmdale

Live helicopter tracking for Palmdale, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.

Checking the sky over Palmdale…

Map of Palmdale, Los Angeles — Scanning for choppers over Palmdale — nothing overhead right now. The dashed ring is the 2 km radius this page counts as “over Palmdale”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Who's hovering here?View the full live map

The sky over Palmdale

50helicopter passes tracked over 16 days

21.9

passes per week

0.8

hours overhead per week

9 PM

busiest hour

Sheriff

most common overhead

By hour of day

12a

12p

Busiest hour: 9p · this hour (11a) has averaged 1 pass historically

Who flies over Palmdale

Sheriff62%
Private24%
Fire / medical12%
Military2%

What it usually means

Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

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

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

Recent helicopter activity

Jul 24, 3:21 PMLASD Air Rescue 5N951LB3,725–4,025 ft1 minN
Jul 23, 9:06 PMSheriffN958LA3,175–3,300 ft1 minN
Jul 23, 8:41 PMSheriffN958LA3,175–3,250 ft1 minN
Jul 23, 12:52 AMPrivateN15HX5,200–5,400 ft1 minNW
Jul 22, 10:00 PMSheriffN955LA3,175–3,225 ft1 minNE
Jul 22, 9:54 PMSheriffN955LA3,225–3,275 ft1 minE
Jul 22, 9:17 PMLA Co FDN821LA3,200–3,250 ft1 minSE
Jul 22, 10:41 AMPrivateN39RX2,850–3,200 ft1 minW
Jul 22, 12:29 AMMercy AirN908KB3,475–4,150 ft1 minS
Jul 19, 8:15 PMPrivateN160AM2,900–3,200 ft1 minW
Jul 18, 8:30 AMPrivate42,075–42,425 ft4 minNE
Jul 17, 5:28 PMSheriffN951LA3,175–3,275 ft1 minNW
Jul 17, 5:15 PMSheriffN951LA3,175–3,325 ft4 minSE
Jul 17, 4:34 PMSheriffN951LA3,200 ft11 minN
Jul 17, 4:15 PMSheriffN951LA3,250–3,350 ft1 minNW
Jul 17, 4:38 AMPrivateN160AM3,300–3,500 ft1 minW
Jul 16, 9:56 PMSheriffN951LA3,275–3,350 ft1 minE
Jul 16, 11:15 AMMil / CG10-721677,400–7,800 ft1 minW
Jul 15, 8:43 PMSheriffN951LA3,400–3,425 ft1 minSE
Jul 15, 6:44 PMPrivateN438AS4,550–4,825 ft1 minSE
Jul 15, 4:40 PMSheriffN951LA3,300–3,350 ft1 minN
Jul 14, 10:14 PMSheriffN951LA3,325 ft6 minS
Jul 14, 9:56 PMSheriffN951LA3,125 ft2 minNW
Jul 14, 9:38 PMSheriffN951LA3,000–3,125 ft1 minW
Jul 14, 9:36 PMFire/EMSN822LA2,500–3,075 ft1 minS
Jul 14, 9:24 PMFire/EMSN822LA2,500–2,850 ft2 minN
Jul 14, 9:16 PMSheriffN951LA3,175–3,200 ft2 minN
Jul 14, 4:12 PMPrivateN160AM3,300–3,500 ft1 minW
Jul 14, 9:04 AMPrivateN810CE3,425–3,650 ft1 minN
Jul 13, 9:00 PMSheriffN953LA3,175–4,225 ft5 minW
Jul 13, 4:47 PMSheriffN953LA2,825–3,100 ft8 minE
Jul 12, 9:31 PMSheriffN953LA3,225–3,250 ft1 minE
Jul 12, 9:03 PMSheriffN953LA3,125–3,150 ft1 minNW
Jul 12, 5:05 PMSheriffN953LA2,975–3,175 ft2 minN
Jul 10, 6:10 PMLA Co FDN190LA3,075–3,125 ft1 minNW
Jul 10, 4:31 PMLASD Air Rescue 5N951LB2,675–3,950 ft1 minS
Jul 10, 4:23 PMLASD Air Rescue 5N951LB2,625–3,675 ft3 minSW
Jul 9, 11:28 PMPrivateN15HX4,300–4,400 ft1 minNW
Jul 9, 10:44 PMPrivateN15HX3,800–3,900 ft1 minSE
Jul 9, 1:55 PMPrivateN160XP8,825–9,075 ft1 minNW

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Helicopters over Palmdale: common questions

Why is there a helicopter over Palmdale?

Most helicopter activity over Palmdale 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 Palmdale?

Based on 50 tracked passes over Palmdale, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 9pm 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.