Helicopters over Rancho Palos Verdes

Live helicopter tracking for Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Rancho Palos Verdes

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 31 minutes ago, heading southeast.

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 Rancho Palos Verdes

567helicopter passes tracked over 64 days
62.0
passes per week
3.3
hours overhead per week
2 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 2p · this hour (2p) has averaged 85 passes historically

Who flies over Rancho Palos Verdes

  • Private82%
  • Sheriff7%
  • Police5%
  • Military3%
  • Fire / medical1%
  • Other2%

The regulars over Rancho Palos Verdes

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

Who flies over Rancho Palos Verdes, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Rancho Palos Verdes

466 of 567 recorded passes over Rancho Palos Verdes were private and charter helicopters — 82% of the traffic here, 22.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Robinson Helicopter (N645PV), 19 recorded passesusually 12pm–3pmtypically 750–1,300 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 Rancho Palos Verdes

38 of 567 recorded passes over Rancho Palos Verdes were sheriff's helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 2.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N961LA), 6 recorded passesusually 3pm–6pmtypically 150–500 ft

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

Police helicopters over Rancho Palos Verdes

28 of 567 recorded passes over Rancho Palos Verdes were police helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 2.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N233LA), 3 recorded passesusually 8am–11amtypically 150–300 ft

Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

Military helicopters over Rancho Palos Verdes

19 of 567 recorded passes over Rancho Palos Verdes were military helicopters — 3% of the traffic here, 0.8 hours overhead in total.

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.

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.

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

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Helicopters over Rancho Palos Verdes common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Rancho Palos Verdes?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 7% of the 567 helicopter passes recorded over Rancho Palos Verdes. The one you see most is LASD (N961LA), 6 recorded passes. They are usually 3pm–6pm here. They typically fly at 150–500 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.

Why is a police helicopter circling over Rancho Palos Verdes?

Police helicopters account for 5% of the 567 helicopter passes recorded over Rancho Palos Verdes. The one you see most is LAPD (N233LA), 3 recorded passes. They are usually 8am–11am here. They typically fly at 150–300 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.

How high do helicopters fly over Rancho Palos Verdes?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 750–1,300 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 150–500 ft; police helicopters at 150–300 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 Rancho Palos Verdes?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 22.3 hours overhead across 466 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.

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