Helicopters over San Clemente

Live helicopter tracking for San Clemente, Orange County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

San Clemente, Orange County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over San Clemente

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

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 San Clemente

342helicopter passes tracked over 63 days
38.0
passes per week
1.7
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (3p) has averaged 29 passes historically

Who flies over San Clemente

  • Private55%
  • Sheriff23%
  • Military15%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • News2%
  • Other2%

The regulars over San Clemente

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

Who flies over San Clemente, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over San Clemente

187 of 342 recorded passes over San Clemente were private and charter helicopters — 55% of the traffic here, 6.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Helinet (N435AK), 15 recorded passestypically 700–1,600 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 San Clemente

80 of 342 recorded passes over San Clemente were sheriff's helicopters — 23% of the traffic here, 6.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N183SD), 48 recorded passestypically 350–1,000 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 San Clemente

53 of 342 recorded passes over San Clemente were military helicopters — 15% of the traffic here, 1.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: US ARMY (18-20978), 3 recorded passestypically 500–5,950 ft

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

Fire and air-medical helicopters over San Clemente

8 of 342 recorded passes over San Clemente were fire and air-medical helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 0.4 hours overhead in total.

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

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.

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

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Helicopters over San Clemente common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over San Clemente?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 23% of the 342 helicopter passes recorded over San Clemente. The one you see most is LASD (N183SD), 48 recorded passes. They typically fly at 350–1,000 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 fire helicopter over San Clemente?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 2% of the 342 helicopter passes recorded over San Clemente. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

How high do helicopters fly over San Clemente?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 700–1,600 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 350–1,000 ft; military helicopters at 500–5,950 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 San Clemente?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are sheriff's helicopters: 6.3 hours overhead across 80 recorded passes. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

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 San Clemente?

Based on 342 tracked passes over San Clemente, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 10am 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.

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