Helicopters over Signal Hill

Private and charter helicopters over Signal Hill

4,218 of 7,121 recorded passes over Signal Hill were private and charter helicopters — 59% of the traffic here, 853.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: City Of Long Beach (N28LB), 25 recorded passestypically 100–300 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

1,962 of 7,121 recorded passes over Signal Hill were sheriff's helicopters — 28% of the traffic here, 138 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N956LA), 23 recorded passestypically 100–200 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

651 of 7,121 recorded passes over Signal Hill were police helicopters — 9% of the traffic here, 51.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyKnight (N930DK), 9 recorded passes

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

232 of 7,121 recorded passes over Signal Hill were news helicopters — 3% of the traffic here, 13.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Sky5 (N925TV), 5 recorded passesusually 7am–10amtypically 100–1,350 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.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over Signal Hill?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 28% of the 7,121 helicopter passes recorded over Signal Hill. The one you see most is LASD (N956LA), 23 recorded passes. They typically fly at 100–200 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 9% of the 7,121 helicopter passes recorded over Signal Hill. The one you see most is SkyKnight (N930DK), 9 recorded passes. 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 7,121 helicopter passes recorded over Signal Hill. The one you see most is Sky5 (N925TV), 5 recorded passes. They are usually 7am–10am here. They typically fly at 100–1,350 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 100–300 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 100–200 ft; news helicopters at 100–1,350 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: 853.5 hours overhead across 4,218 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 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.