Helicopters over Seal Beach
Live helicopter tracking for Seal Beach, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Seal Beach…
The sky over Seal Beach
By hour of day
Who flies over Seal Beach
- Private65%
- News11%
- Police11%
- Military8%
- Sheriff3%
- Other3%
What it usually means
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.
Military: Military aircraft are usually transiting between bases or on a training route rather than responding to anything local.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 8:48 PMPrivateN995NR3,000 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 3:42 PMPrivateN851MH900–1,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 1:11 PMPrivate1,075–1,150 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 11:09 AMPrivate600–650 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 11:06 AMPrivateN7024U800 ft2 minNW
- Jul 24, 10:11 AMPrivateN7024U500–1,000 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 7:05 PMPrivateN7096L800–1,000 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 5:48 PMPrivateN7096L1,000–1,075 ft2 minNW
- Jul 23, 3:40 PMPrivateN995NR2,600–2,900 ft2 minNE
- Jul 23, 1:45 PMMercy AirN908KB550–600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 12:52 PMPrivateN7096L850–1,000 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:42 AMUS ARMY17-209261,050–1,075 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 11:42 AMPrivateN7096L675–1,025 ft2 minNW
- Jul 23, 10:05 AMFire/EMSN302FD325–400 ft2 minNW
- Jul 22, 10:58 PMMercy AirN908KB2,600–2,625 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 9:13 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft4 minW
- Jul 22, 7:00 PMPrivateN323TH400–600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 6:55 PMPrivateN323TH500–600 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 2:39 PMMercy AirN908KB825–850 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 10:07 AMLong Beach PDN29LB500–600 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 6:47 PMPrivateN7096L1,275–1,375 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 4:15 PMPrivateN7096L1,000–1,100 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 3:02 PMPrivateN7096L825–1,000 ft2 minNW
- Jul 21, 11:57 AMPrivateN707271,175–1,450 ft2 minNW
- Jul 20, 6:06 PMUS ARMY18-209801,100 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 3:42 PMPrivateN323TH400–500 ft1 minSE
- Jul 20, 1:01 PMFire/EMSN305FD300–450 ft2 minW
- Jul 19, 7:19 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV725–1,250 ft1 minNW
- Jul 19, 3:54 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB225–450 ft2 minSE
- Jul 19, 1:54 PMPrivateN850MH500–600 ft1 minE
- Jul 18, 10:32 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–800 ft4 minN
- Jul 18, 2:50 PMPrivateN995NR1,500–1,600 ft2 minSE
- Jul 18, 2:28 PMPrivateN995NR2,500–2,600 ft2 minNE
- Jul 18, 1:17 PMPrivateN338JD350–375 ft1 minNW
- Jul 17, 7:09 PMHuntington Beach PDN683HB450–650 ft2 minE
- Jul 17, 6:11 PMPrivateN70727825–975 ft1 minSE
- Jul 17, 5:37 PMPrivateN544FA750–825 ft1 minNW
- Jul 17, 5:27 PMPrivateN544FA725–775 ft1 minSE
- Jul 17, 2:47 PMPrivateN995NR2,400–2,500 ft1 minNE
- Jul 17, 2:24 PMPrivateN644WB500–675 ft1 minSE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Seal Beach: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Seal Beach?
Most helicopter activity over Seal Beach 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 Seal Beach?
Based on 131 tracked passes over Seal Beach, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 2pm 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.