Helicopters over Signal Hill
Live helicopter tracking for Signal Hill, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Signal Hill…
The sky over Signal Hill
By hour of day
Who flies over Signal Hill
- Private88%
- Police8%
- News2%
- Sheriff2%
- Fire / medical0%
- Other0%
What it usually means
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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.
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, 11:24 AMPrivateN644WB · R4450–550 ft2 minN
- Jul 25, 11:06 AMPrivateN995NR · R22400 ft7 minE
- Jul 25, 11:04 AMPrivateN841MC · R22500 ft4 minE
- Jul 25, 10:46 AMPrivateN7024U · R22100–600 ft4 minW
- Jul 25, 10:20 AMSpitzer HelicopterN74426 · R22500 ft4 minW
- Jul 25, 9:53 AMPrivateN74426 · R22500 ft7 minE
- Jul 25, 7:34 AMPrivateN853MH600 ft7 minS
- Jul 25, 7:26 AMPrivateN850MH300–700 ft1 minS
- Jul 25, 12:01 AMLong Beach PDN29LB400–900 ft8 minN
- Jul 24, 11:18 PMLong Beach PDN29LB700–900 ft14 minS
- Jul 24, 10:36 PMPrivateN930DK325 ft8 minSW
- Jul 24, 10:21 PMPrivateN992VA300–600 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 9:25 PMPrivateN995NR100 ft10 minN
- Jul 24, 9:18 PMPrivateN930DK600 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 8:34 PMLong Beach PDN29LB400–700 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 8:05 PMPrivateN995NR500 ft19 minW
- Jul 24, 7:53 PMPrivateN995NR—1 minN
- Jul 24, 7:50 PMPrivateN930DK550 ft2 minSW
- Jul 24, 7:28 PMPrivateN850MH600 ft3 minW
- Jul 24, 7:07 PMPrivateN74426600 ft4 minW
- Jul 24, 7:04 PMPrivateN853MH600 ft5 minW
- Jul 24, 7:03 PMPrivateN851MH600 ft7 minW
- Jul 24, 6:50 PMPrivateN74426600–700 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 6:41 PMPrivateN995NR100–600 ft7 minN
- Jul 24, 6:30 PMPrivateN544FA550 ft7 minW
- Jul 24, 6:15 PMPrivateN544FA550 ft7 minS
- Jul 24, 6:09 PMPrivateN74426700 ft14 minS
- Jul 24, 6:06 PMPrivateN995NR100–500 ft4 minNW
- Jul 24, 4:44 PMPrivateN74426600 ft4 minW
- Jul 24, 4:44 PMPrivateN365PA100–500 ft8 minN
- Jul 24, 4:22 PMPrivateN74426500–600 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 3:50 PMPrivateN74426200–700 ft2 minS
- Jul 24, 3:47 PMPrivateN197SH—1 min—
- Jul 24, 3:42 PMPrivateN365PA100–575 ft13 minE
- Jul 24, 3:41 PMPrivateN197SH200 ft3 minW
- Jul 24, 3:24 PMPrivateN197SH575–650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 3:00 PMPrivateN74426700 ft11 minW
- Jul 24, 2:52 PMPrivateN197SH550 ft6 minW
- Jul 24, 2:48 PMPrivateN841MC200 ft7 minW
- Jul 24, 2:47 PMPrivateN74426500 ft1 minE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Signal Hill: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Signal Hill?
Most helicopter activity over Signal Hill 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 Signal Hill?
Based on 1436 tracked passes over Signal Hill, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 1pm 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.