Helicopters over Palms

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

Area briefing

Palms, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Palms

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 5 hours.

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 Palms

The sky over Palms

142helicopter passes tracked over 56 days
17.8
passes per week
0.7
hours overhead per week
5 PM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 5p · this hour (1p) has averaged 7 passes historically

Who flies over Palms

  • Police42%
  • News30%
  • Private26%
  • CHP1%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Palms

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

Who flies over Palms, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Palms

59 of 142 recorded passes over Palms were police helicopters — 42% of the traffic here, 2.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 9 recorded passesusually 11pm–2amtypically 500–800 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 Palms

42 of 142 recorded passes over Palms were news helicopters — 30% of the traffic here, 1.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 13 recorded passesusually 5am–8amtypically 900–1,200 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.

Private and charter helicopters over Palms

37 of 142 recorded passes over Palms were private and charter helicopters — 26% of the traffic here, 1.2 hours overhead in total.

usually 4pm–7pmtypically 700–1,100 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

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.

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

CHP: CHP aircraft are usually working a freeway incident, a pursuit, or a traffic investigation.

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

All neighborhoods →

Helicopters over Palms common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Palms?

Police helicopters account for 42% of the 142 helicopter passes recorded over Palms. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 9 recorded passes. They are usually 11pm–2am here. They typically fly at 500–800 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 Palms?

News helicopters account for 30% of the 142 helicopter passes recorded over Palms. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 13 recorded passes. They are usually 5am–8am here. They typically fly at 900–1,200 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 Palms?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 500–800 ft; news helicopters at 900–1,200 ft; private and charter helicopters at 700–1,100 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 Palms?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 2.7 hours overhead across 59 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.

More from GTLA

Your way into GTLA.

From the aircraft overhead to the story on your block.