Helicopters over Signal Hill

Live helicopter tracking for Signal Hill, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Signal Hill, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Signal Hill

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 4 minutes ago, heading southwest.

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 Signal Hill

The sky over Signal Hill

4,039helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
428.4
passes per week
68
hours overhead per week
7 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 7p · this hour (2p) has averaged 267 passes historically

Who flies over Signal Hill

  • Private57%
  • Sheriff28%
  • Police11%
  • News3%
  • Military0%
  • Other0%

The regulars over Signal Hill

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

Who flies over Signal Hill, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Signal Hill

2,301 of 4,039 recorded passes over Signal Hill were private and charter helicopters — 57% of the traffic here, 514.9 hours overhead in total.

typically 100–150 ft

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

Sheriff's helicopters over Signal Hill

1,150 of 4,039 recorded passes over Signal Hill were sheriff's helicopters — 28% of the traffic here, 77.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N959LA), 16 recorded passestypically 100–150 ft

Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

Police helicopters over Signal Hill

449 of 4,039 recorded passes over Signal Hill were police helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 37.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Long Beach PD (N29LB), 10 recorded passesusually 10pm–1am

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

News helicopters over Signal Hill

118 of 4,039 recorded passes over Signal Hill were news helicopters — 3% of the traffic here, 6.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyFOX 11 / SkyCAL (N50Q), 9 recorded passesusually 8pm–11pmtypically 100–1,100 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.

What it usually means

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.

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.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over Signal Hill common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Signal Hill?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 28% of the 4,039 helicopter passes recorded over Signal Hill. The one you see most is LASD (N959LA), 16 recorded passes. They typically fly at 100–150 ft above sea level. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

Why is a police helicopter circling over Signal Hill?

Police helicopters account for 11% of the 4,039 helicopter passes recorded over Signal Hill. The one you see most is Long Beach PD (N29LB), 10 recorded passes. They are usually 10pm–1am here. 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 Signal Hill?

News helicopters account for 3% of the 4,039 helicopter passes recorded over Signal Hill. The one you see most is SkyFOX 11 / SkyCAL (N50Q), 9 recorded passes. They are usually 8pm–11pm here. They typically fly at 100–1,100 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.

How high do helicopters fly over Signal Hill?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 100–150 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 100–150 ft; news helicopters at 100–1,100 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 Signal Hill?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 514.9 hours overhead across 2,301 recorded passes. Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

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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