Helicopters over Santa Monica

Live helicopter tracking for Santa Monica, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Santa Monica, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Santa Monica

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 hours.

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

Recent incidents over Santa Monica

The sky over Santa Monica

989helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
104.9
passes per week
4.6
hours overhead per week
1 PM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 1p · this hour (2p) has averaged 90 passes historically

Who flies over Santa Monica

  • Police46%
  • Private42%
  • News7%
  • Sheriff2%
  • Military1%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Santa Monica

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

Who flies over Santa Monica, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Santa Monica

453 of 989 recorded passes over Santa Monica were police helicopters — 46% of the traffic here, 21.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 28 recorded passestypically 200–350 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over Santa Monica

419 of 989 recorded passes over Santa Monica were private and charter helicopters — 42% of the traffic here, 12.5 hours overhead in total.

typically 400–800 ft

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

News helicopters over Santa Monica

73 of 989 recorded passes over Santa Monica were news helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 7.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 6 recorded passestypically 450–950 ft

News helicopters hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after a story is already underway; several at once usually means something is being covered live.

Sheriff's helicopters over Santa Monica

19 of 989 recorded passes over Santa Monica were sheriff's helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 0.6 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.

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

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Santa Monica common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Santa Monica?

Police helicopters account for 46% of the 989 helicopter passes recorded over Santa Monica. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 28 recorded passes. They typically fly at 200–350 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 news helicopter over Santa Monica?

News helicopters account for 7% of the 989 helicopter passes recorded over Santa Monica. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 6 recorded passes. They typically fly at 450–950 ft above sea level. News helicopters hold a wider circle at a higher altitude and arrive after a story is already underway; several at once usually means something is being covered live.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Santa Monica?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 2% of the 989 helicopter passes recorded over Santa Monica. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

How high do helicopters fly over Santa Monica?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 200–350 ft; private and charter helicopters at 400–800 ft; news helicopters at 450–950 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 Santa Monica?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 21.1 hours overhead across 453 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

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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