Helicopters over San Pedro

Live helicopter tracking for San Pedro, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

San Pedro, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over San Pedro

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 25 minutes ago, heading east.

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 Pedro

1,406helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
149.1
passes per week
12
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 (1p) has averaged 152 passes historically

Who flies over San Pedro

  • Private82%
  • Police10%
  • Sheriff4%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • News1%
  • Other2%

The regulars over San Pedro

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

Who flies over San Pedro, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over San Pedro

1,150 of 1,406 recorded passes over San Pedro were private and charter helicopters — 82% of the traffic here, 87.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Robinson Helicopter Company (N777UH), 41 recorded passesusually 12pm–3pmtypically 600–1,000 ft

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

Police helicopters over San Pedro

136 of 1,406 recorded passes over San Pedro were police helicopters — 10% of the traffic here, 17.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 5 recorded passesusually 8am–11amtypically 300–650 ft

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

Sheriff's helicopters over San Pedro

55 of 1,406 recorded passes over San Pedro were sheriff's helicopters — 4% of the traffic here, 3.1 hours overhead in total.

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

Fire and air-medical helicopters over San Pedro

26 of 1,406 recorded passes over San Pedro were fire and air-medical helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 4.4 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.

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

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Helicopters over San Pedro common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over San Pedro?

Police helicopters account for 10% of the 1,406 helicopter passes recorded over San Pedro. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 5 recorded passes. They are usually 8am–11am here. They typically fly at 300–650 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.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over San Pedro?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 4% of the 1,406 helicopter passes recorded over San Pedro. 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 Pedro?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 2% of the 1,406 helicopter passes recorded over San Pedro. 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 Pedro?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 600–1,000 ft; police helicopters at 300–650 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 Pedro?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 87.2 hours overhead across 1,150 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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