Helicopters over Santa Monica
Live helicopter tracking for Santa Monica, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Santa Monica…
The sky over Santa Monica
By hour of day
Who flies over Santa Monica
- Police44%
- Private43%
- News9%
- Sheriff2%
- Military2%
- Other0%
What it usually means
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.
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.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 11:08 AMLAPDN224LA · AS50150–250 ft1 minSE
- Jul 25, 9:31 AMPrivateN850MH300–1,000 ft2 minE
- Jul 25, 9:31 AMMaverickN850MH · EC30300–1,000 ft2 minE
- Jul 25, 9:20 AMPrivateN108YG525–1,300 ft4 minNW
- Jul 25, 9:06 AMPoliceN230LA275–300 ft1 minSE
- Jul 25, 8:57 AMPoliceN230LA275–325 ft1 minNW
- Jul 25, 12:20 AMPoliceN230LA250–325 ft2 minSE
- Jul 24, 8:41 PMPoliceN230LA475–725 ft16 minNE
- Jul 24, 8:11 PMPrivateN825VJ400–700 ft2 minSE
- Jul 24, 6:43 PMPoliceN230LA250–275 ft2 minSE
- Jul 24, 6:01 PMPrivateN844AT250–825 ft2 minNE
- Jul 24, 5:57 PMPrivateN844AT275–325 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 5:18 PMSheriffN950LA425–675 ft14 minW
- Jul 24, 5:02 PMPoliceN226LA300–375 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 4:15 PMPoliceN224LA350–425 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 4:09 PMPoliceN224LA350–400 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 2:11 PMPrivateN7089Q800–1,000 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 1:35 PMPrivateN767ER300–850 ft2 minNE
- Jul 24, 1:21 PMPrivateN7UM825–900 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 1:11 PMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL400–500 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:58 AMPoliceN226LA225–300 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:41 AMPoliceN224LA375–425 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:39 AMPrivateN767ER400–450 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:35 AMPoliceN224LA500–525 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 11:15 AMPrivateN7089Q900 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 10:07 AMPrivateN7UM200–400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 6:49 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,125–1,400 ft13 minN
- Jul 24, 1:01 AMPoliceN226LA400–500 ft2 minSE
- Jul 23, 8:12 PMPrivateN825VJ300–1,100 ft2 minNE
- Jul 23, 7:59 PMPoliceN223LA275–325 ft2 minNW
- Jul 23, 6:21 PMPrivateN444NC500–600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 6:15 PMPrivateN825VJ500 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 5:40 PMPoliceN233LA500–600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 5:11 PMPrivateN825VJ500–1,400 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 2:43 PMPrivateN935M900–1,000 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 1:45 PMPoliceN223LA225–275 ft2 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:41 PMPoliceN233LA475–750 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 12:38 PMPrivateN825VJ400–500 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 12:32 PMPoliceN233LA350–425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:22 AMPrivateN825VJ600–900 ft1 minN
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Santa Monica: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Santa Monica?
Most helicopter activity over Santa Monica 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 Monica?
Based on 317 tracked passes over Santa Monica, 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.