Helicopters over Santa Ana
Live helicopter tracking for Santa Ana, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Santa Ana…
The sky over Santa Ana
By hour of day
Who flies over Santa Ana
- Sheriff52%
- Private37%
- News8%
- Police3%
What it usually means
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
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.
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.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 11:10 AMAir MethodsN944AM · EC45925–1,025 ft1 minS
- Jul 25, 9:46 AMOrange Co SheriffN184SD · AS50300–600 ft1 minS
- Jul 25, 9:01 AMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 11:30 PMPoliceN226PD1,100–1,150 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 9:01 AMPrivateN108EH900–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 9:44 PMPrivateN108EH1,100 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 8:36 PMPrivateN108EH1,100 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 6:34 PMPrivateN801561,000–1,075 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 5:15 PMPrivateN108EH1,100–1,200 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 10:15 PMPrivateN944AM1,000 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 9:38 PMPrivateN7096L700–825 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 7:30 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 7:18 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 4:19 PMPrivateN944AM1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 4:01 PMPrivateN944AM800–1,000 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 10:43 AMSheriffN183SD600–650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 22, 5:40 AMOrange Co SheriffN184SD700–800 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 1:40 PMPrivateN723ML650–700 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 1:33 PMPrivateN411MB925–1,400 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 9:11 AMPrivateN496TP900–950 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 5:50 PMPrivateN7096L750–850 ft1 minS
- Jul 20, 10:46 AMPrivateN496TP1,125–1,375 ft1 minNE
- Jul 19, 4:17 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD1,000–1,100 ft1 minSW
- Jul 18, 8:05 PMSheriffN950LA575–650 ft1 minW
- Jul 18, 7:57 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,200–1,300 ft5 minSE
- Jul 18, 7:53 PMSheriffN950LA400–625 ft6 minS
- Jul 18, 4:38 PMOrange Co SheriffN181SD700–800 ft1 minSW
- Jul 18, 3:38 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD700–800 ft1 minS
- Jul 18, 2:52 PMOrange Co SheriffN181SD800–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 17, 10:24 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD900 ft1 minNE
- Jul 17, 11:25 AMOrange Co SheriffN184SD700–800 ft1 minN
- Jul 16, 5:44 PMPrivate6,625 ft1 minSE
- Jul 16, 1:58 PMPrivateN707272,025–2,300 ft1 minW
- Jul 16, 1:58 PMPrivateN7096L725–825 ft1 minS
- Jul 16, 12:48 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD800–900 ft1 minN
- Jul 15, 10:50 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD900–1,000 ft1 minS
- Jul 15, 10:15 PMOrange Co SheriffN184SD900–1,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 15, 5:08 PMPrivateN944AM1,225 ft1 minN
- Jul 15, 4:44 PMPrivateN944AM1,100–1,175 ft1 minS
- Jul 15, 1:25 PMPrivateN411MB850–1,100 ft1 minNE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Santa Ana: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Santa Ana?
Most helicopter activity over Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana?
Based on 110 tracked passes over Santa Ana, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 9pm 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.