Helicopters over Porter Ranch
Live helicopter tracking for Porter Ranch, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Porter Ranch…
Recent incidents over Porter Ranch
- 🚨 LAPD is pursuing a vehicle westbound on the 118 Freeway with an airship overhead in the San Fernando Valley. · 34.266, -118.554
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 6 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-la--116?src=story
Jun 18, 7:44 AM PT
The sky over Porter Ranch
By hour of day
Who flies over Porter Ranch
- Police66%
- Private17%
- News9%
- Fire / medical8%
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.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.
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 24, 3:56 PMPrivateN825VJ4,600–4,700 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 3:28 PMPrivateN844AT1,750–1,850 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 1:54 PMPoliceN229LA1,700–1,950 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 7:22 PMPoliceN223LA1,550–1,725 ft5 minNE
- Jul 23, 6:55 PMPoliceN223LA2,000–2,075 ft2 minW
- Jul 23, 6:47 PMPoliceN223LA1,650–1,775 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 12:33 PMPoliceN226LA1,675–1,825 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 11:43 AMPoliceN226LA1,525–1,575 ft1 minSW
- Jul 22, 9:44 AMLA Co FDN76CG1,700–2,400 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 9:25 AMLA Co FDN76CG1,900–2,300 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 5:46 PMSky5N925TV1,800–1,900 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 5:02 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV2,100–2,300 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 4:47 PMPoliceN229LA1,525–1,675 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 4:10 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,800–2,125 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 4:08 PMPoliceN229LA1,625–1,925 ft2 minSW
- Jul 21, 3:49 PMSky5N925TV1,700–1,850 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 3:40 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,900–2,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 2:25 PMABC NewsCopterN828AP1,700–1,800 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 11:52 AMPoliceN233LA1,375–1,600 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 11:49 AMPoliceN230LA1,450–1,750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 9:34 AMPoliceN224LA1,550–2,050 ft4 minNW
- Jul 21, 8:55 AMPoliceN224LA1,575–1,675 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 7:43 PMPoliceN226LA1,725–2,075 ft2 minW
- Jul 20, 2:28 PMPoliceN226LA1,950–2,050 ft3 minNW
- Jul 20, 1:55 PMFire/EMSN305FD4,450–4,475 ft1 minN
- Jul 20, 11:36 AMPoliceN233LA1,575–1,975 ft2 minS
- Jul 19, 9:53 PMPoliceN224LA1,650–1,725 ft1 minW
- Jul 19, 7:19 PMPoliceN213PF1,525–2,200 ft4 minE
- Jul 19, 5:44 PMPoliceN224LA1,525–1,725 ft5 minSE
- Jul 18, 7:56 PMPrivateN844AT1,475–1,700 ft1 minE
- Jul 18, 3:07 PMPoliceN230LA1,450–1,850 ft1 minSE
- Jul 18, 3:04 AMPoliceN668PD1,625–1,725 ft1 minSW
- Jul 18, 2:21 AMPoliceN668PD1,400–1,450 ft1 minW
- Jul 17, 7:30 PMPoliceN213PF1,575–1,825 ft1 minS
- Jul 17, 7:19 PMPoliceN213PF1,950–2,100 ft5 minSE
- Jul 17, 9:34 AMPoliceN668PD1,525–1,800 ft2 minW
- Jul 17, 8:11 AMLA Co FDN76CG2,200–2,500 ft1 minW
- Jul 15, 7:20 PMPrivateN844AT1,600–1,725 ft1 minE
- Jul 15, 6:01 PMPrivateN844AT1,725–1,850 ft1 minSW
- Jul 15, 2:12 PMLA Co FDN76CG2,400–3,400 ft2 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Porter Ranch: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Porter Ranch?
Most helicopter activity over Porter Ranch 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 Porter Ranch?
Based on 96 tracked passes over Porter Ranch, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 7pm 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.