Helicopters over Silver Lake

Live helicopter tracking for Silver Lake, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Silver Lake, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Silver Lake

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 40 minutes ago, heading southeast.

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 Silver Lake

The sky over Silver Lake

327helicopter passes tracked over 65 days
35.2
passes per week
1.4
hours overhead per week
10 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 10a · this hour (1p) has averaged 22 passes historically

Who flies over Silver Lake

  • Police71%
  • Private16%
  • News9%
  • Sheriff2%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Silver Lake

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

Who flies over Silver Lake, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Silver Lake

232 of 327 recorded passes over Silver Lake were police helicopters — 71% of the traffic here, 9.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 19 recorded passestypically 850–1,150 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over Silver Lake

51 of 327 recorded passes over Silver Lake were private and charter helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 1.1 hours overhead in total.

typically 1,200–1,600 ft

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

News helicopters over Silver Lake

28 of 327 recorded passes over Silver Lake were news helicopters — 9% of the traffic here, 1.4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: AIR7 (N71HD), 7 recorded passesusually 5am–8amtypically 1,100–1,500 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

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.

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

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Silver Lake common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Silver Lake?

Police helicopters account for 71% of the 327 helicopter passes recorded over Silver Lake. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 19 recorded passes. They typically fly at 850–1,150 ft above sea level. 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 Silver Lake?

News helicopters account for 9% of the 327 helicopter passes recorded over Silver Lake. The one you see most is AIR7 (N71HD), 7 recorded passes. They are usually 5am–8am here. They typically fly at 1,100–1,500 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 Silver Lake?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 850–1,150 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,200–1,600 ft; news helicopters at 1,100–1,500 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 Silver Lake?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 9.4 hours overhead across 232 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.

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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