Helicopters over Piñon Hills

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

Area briefing

Piñon Hills, Los Angeles

Checking the sky overhead…

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

Map of Piñon Hills, Los Angeles
Scanning
Live map — checking for helicopters over Piñon Hills… The dashed ring is the 12 km radius this page counts as “over Piñon Hills”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Last night over Piñon Hills

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 4 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

The sky over Piñon Hills

123helicopter passes tracked over 30 days
28.7
passes per week
2.2
hours overhead per week
5 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

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

Who flies over Piñon Hills

  • Private62%
  • Sheriff20%
  • Military15%
  • Police2%
  • Fire / medical1%

The regulars over Piñon Hills

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

Who flies over Piñon Hills, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Piñon Hills

76 of 123 recorded passes over Piñon Hills were private and charter helicopters — 62% of the traffic here, 5.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: REACH (N36RX), 10 recorded passestypically 4,250–5,900 ft

Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

Sheriff's helicopters over Piñon Hills

25 of 123 recorded passes over Piñon Hills were sheriff's helicopters — 20% of the traffic here, 2.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: San Bernardino Sheriff (N831SB), 7 recorded passesusually 3pm–6pmtypically 3,600–4,450 ft

Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

Military helicopters over Piñon Hills

19 of 123 recorded passes over Piñon Hills were military helicopters — 15% of the traffic here, 1.1 hours overhead in total.

typically 4,850–6,450 ft

Military aircraft are almost always transiting between bases or on training flights; they rarely orbit a neighborhood.

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.

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

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.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over Piñon Hills common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Piñon Hills?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 20% of the 123 helicopter passes recorded over Piñon Hills. The one you see most is San Bernardino Sheriff (N831SB), 7 recorded passes. They are usually 3pm–6pm here. They typically fly at 3,600–4,450 ft above sea level. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

How high do helicopters fly over Piñon Hills?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 4,250–5,900 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 3,600–4,450 ft; military helicopters at 4,850–6,450 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 Piñon Hills?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 5.2 hours overhead across 76 recorded passes. Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

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.