Helicopters over Seal Beach

Private and charter helicopters over Seal Beach

984 of 1,601 recorded passes over Seal Beach were private and charter helicopters — 61% of the traffic here, 26.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: City Of Long Beach (N28LB), 19 recorded passestypically 500–900 ft

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

News helicopters over Seal Beach

231 of 1,601 recorded passes over Seal Beach were news helicopters — 14% of the traffic here, 32.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: ABC NewsCopter (N828AP), 29 recorded passestypically 800–1,200 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.

Military helicopters over Seal Beach

207 of 1,601 recorded passes over Seal Beach were military helicopters — 13% of the traffic here, 6.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: US ARMY (20-21169), 6 recorded passesusually 10am–1pmtypically 600–1,650 ft

Military aircraft are almost always transiting between bases or on training flights; they rarely orbit a neighborhood.

Police helicopters over Seal Beach

111 of 1,601 recorded passes over Seal Beach were police helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 4.5 hours overhead in total.

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 Seal Beach?

News helicopters account for 14% of the 1,601 helicopter passes recorded over Seal Beach. The one you see most is ABC NewsCopter (N828AP), 29 recorded passes. They typically fly at 800–1,200 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.

Why is a police helicopter circling over Seal Beach?

Police helicopters account for 7% of the 1,601 helicopter passes recorded over Seal Beach. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

How high do helicopters fly over Seal Beach?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 500–900 ft; news helicopters at 800–1,200 ft; military helicopters at 600–1,650 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 Seal Beach?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are news helicopters: 32.4 hours overhead across 231 recorded passes. 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.

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 Live 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.