Helicopters over San Pedro
Live helicopter tracking for San Pedro, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over San Pedro…
The sky over San Pedro
By hour of day
Who flies over San Pedro
- Private69%
- Police19%
- Sheriff6%
- Fire / medical4%
- News2%
- Other1%
What it usually means
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
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 25, 10:01 AMLA City FireN703WP · AS50500–1,050 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 4:10 PMPrivateN744261,400 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 1:43 PMPrivate875–1,175 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 1:22 PMPrivate1,375–1,450 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 12:36 PMPrivateN4060W1,150–1,425 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 12:35 PMPrivateN821JP1,325–1,375 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 12:32 PMPrivate1,375–1,525 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 11:05 AMPoliceN226LA475–725 ft7 minNE
- Jul 24, 10:31 AMPrivateN821JP1,300–1,450 ft3 minNE
- Jul 24, 10:22 AMPoliceN233LA275–400 ft4 minSE
- Jul 24, 10:13 AMPoliceN233LA375–875 ft1 minSW
- Jul 24, 9:03 AMPrivateN4007X1,075–1,575 ft10 minNW
- Jul 24, 8:41 AMPrivateN8312T750–1,500 ft4 minE
- Jul 24, 8:15 AMPrivateN8312T1,450–1,525 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 7:56 AMPrivateN9081N750–1,400 ft4 minNW
- Jul 24, 7:42 AMPrivateN9081N1,300–1,325 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 7:39 PMPoliceN226LA500–825 ft7 minN
- Jul 23, 4:18 PMSheriffN959LA775–875 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 3:33 PMPrivateN4007X1,425–1,475 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 3:18 PMPrivateN559DD800 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 2:52 PMPrivateN559DD1,500–1,600 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 2:43 PMPrivateN244RH1,375–1,450 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 2:40 PMPrivate1,225–1,250 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 2:39 PMPrivateN8312T1,525–1,650 ft2 minSE
- Jul 23, 2:35 PMPrivateN4007X1,425–1,450 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 2:09 PMPoliceN232LA575–1,050 ft36 minE
- Jul 23, 1:57 PMPrivateN4007X1,325–1,500 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 1:54 PMPoliceN232LA725–950 ft2 minSW
- Jul 23, 1:48 PMPrivateN559DD700–1,100 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 1:46 PMPrivateN683W1,275–1,375 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 1:44 PMPrivateN244RH1,350–1,475 ft2 minSE
- Jul 23, 1:32 PMPrivateN339KB1,175–1,225 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 1:24 PMPrivateN559DD1,300–1,500 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 1:05 PMPrivateN8312T1,450–1,575 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 12:58 PMPrivateN4007X1,425–1,500 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:40 PMPrivateN244RH1,500–1,700 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:27 PMPrivateN4007X1,425–1,600 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:20 PMMercy AirN908KB1,075 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:00 PMPrivateN8312T1,050–1,350 ft4 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:56 AMPrivateN244RH1,400–1,550 ft1 minSE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over San Pedro: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over San Pedro?
Most helicopter activity over San Pedro 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 San Pedro?
Based on 233 tracked passes over San Pedro, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 11am 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.