Helicopters over Sierra Madre
Live helicopter tracking for Sierra Madre, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Sierra Madre…
The sky over Sierra Madre
By hour of day
Who flies over Sierra Madre
- Police65%
- Private10%
- Sheriff8%
- Fire / medical8%
- News7%
- Other2%
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.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 24, 10:10 PMPoliceN239PS1,800–1,900 ft3 minE
- Jul 24, 6:36 PMPoliceN239PS2,000–2,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 6:29 PMPoliceN239PS1,600–2,100 ft3 minW
- Jul 24, 6:03 PMPoliceN239PS2,100–2,200 ft2 minNE
- Jul 24, 3:47 PMPoliceN239PS2,100–2,200 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 2:55 PMPoliceN239PS2,100–2,200 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 2:06 PMPrivateN825VJ5,600 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 6:48 PMPoliceN224KB1,900–2,300 ft4 minNW
- Jul 23, 6:14 PMPoliceN224KB2,100 ft2 minE
- Jul 23, 12:53 PMPrivateN810CE2,225–2,350 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 11:04 AMPoliceN224KB1,700–2,000 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 10:42 AMPoliceN224KB2,100–2,300 ft1 minE
- Jul 23, 9:24 AMSoCal EdisonN413CE2,025–2,300 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 9:01 AMLASD Air Rescue 5N951LB1,475–1,500 ft1 minW
- Jul 22, 5:50 PMPoliceN224KB1,800–1,900 ft2 minSW
- Jul 22, 5:15 PMPoliceN224KB1,900–2,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 2:42 PMPoliceN224KB2,600–2,800 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 7:09 AMLA Co FDN110LA2,200–2,300 ft1 minW
- Jul 21, 5:51 PMPoliceN8NF2,000–2,100 ft2 minE
- Jul 21, 6:46 AMLA Co FDN110LA2,000–2,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 10:23 PMPoliceN8NF1,500–1,800 ft1 minNW
- Jul 20, 9:41 PMPoliceN8NF2,000–2,100 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 6:07 PMPoliceN8NF1,900–2,000 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 2:45 PMPoliceN8NF1,800–2,000 ft2 minW
- Jul 20, 9:50 AMPoliceN8NF2,100–2,200 ft2 minSE
- Jul 19, 9:36 PMPoliceN224KB1,300–1,500 ft2 minW
- Jul 19, 6:08 PMPoliceN224KB1,800–2,000 ft2 minSW
- Jul 18, 11:25 PMPoliceN224KB1,900–2,100 ft2 minNW
- Jul 18, 9:24 PMUS ARMY17-209291,775 ft1 minW
- Jul 18, 8:15 PMPoliceN224KB1,600–1,800 ft5 minSW
- Jul 18, 7:56 PMPoliceN8NF2,100–2,300 ft1 minE
- Jul 18, 7:01 PMPoliceN8NF2,000–2,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 18, 5:35 PMPoliceN224KB1,800–2,100 ft3 minNW
- Jul 18, 4:58 PMPoliceN224KB2,000–2,100 ft1 minE
- Jul 18, 4:51 PMPrivateN411CE2,575–2,625 ft1 minE
- Jul 18, 4:43 PMPoliceN224KB1,600–2,000 ft8 minNW
- Jul 18, 3:52 PMSheriffN954LA1,200–1,900 ft1 minSW
- Jul 18, 9:15 AMLASD Air Rescue 5N952JH2,725–2,900 ft1 minE
- Jul 17, 7:57 PMPoliceN8NF2,300 ft1 minE
- Jul 17, 2:29 PMPoliceN8NF2,100–2,300 ft1 minE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Sierra Madre: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Sierra Madre?
Most helicopter activity over Sierra Madre 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 Sierra Madre?
Based on 155 tracked passes over Sierra Madre, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 5pm 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.