Helicopters over South El Monte

Live helicopter tracking for South El Monte, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

South El Monte, Los Angeles

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Last night over South El Monte

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 hours.

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 South El Monte

The sky over South El Monte

239helicopter passes tracked over 27 days
62.0
passes per week
2.7
hours overhead per week
3 PM
busiest hour
Sheriff
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 3p · this hour (5a) has averaged 2 passes historically

Who flies over South El Monte

  • Sheriff48%
  • Private22%
  • News16%
  • CHP5%
  • Fire / medical3%
  • Other5%

The regulars over South El Monte

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

Who flies over South El Monte, by the numbers

Sheriff's helicopters over South El Monte

115 of 239 recorded passes over South El Monte were sheriff's helicopters — 48% of the traffic here, 4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N956LA), 27 recorded passestypically 800–1,100 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over South El Monte

53 of 239 recorded passes over South El Monte were private and charter helicopters — 22% of the traffic here, 1.2 hours overhead in total.

usually 12pm–3pmtypically 850–1,300 ft

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

News helicopters over South El Monte

39 of 239 recorded passes over South El Monte were news helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 2.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 10 recorded passesusually 2pm–5pmtypically 1,000–1,400 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.

CHP helicopters over South El Monte

12 of 239 recorded passes over South El Monte were CHP helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 0.6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: CHP (N979HP), 8 recorded passesusually 8pm–11pmtypically 950–1,300 ft

CHP aircraft work the freeways — pursuits, major collisions and traffic enforcement — and usually pass through rather than hold.

What it usually means

Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.

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.

CHP: CHP aircraft are usually working a freeway incident, a pursuit, or a traffic investigation.

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

All neighborhoods →

Helicopters over South El Monte common questions

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over South El Monte?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 48% of the 239 helicopter passes recorded over South El Monte. The one you see most is LASD (N956LA), 27 recorded passes. They typically fly at 800–1,100 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.

Is that a news helicopter over South El Monte?

News helicopters account for 16% of the 239 helicopter passes recorded over South El Monte. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 10 recorded passes. They are usually 2pm–5pm here. They typically fly at 1,000–1,400 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 South El Monte?

From the passes recorded here: sheriff's helicopters at 800–1,100 ft; private and charter helicopters at 850–1,300 ft; news helicopters at 1,000–1,400 ft; CHP helicopters at 950–1,300 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 South El Monte?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are sheriff's helicopters: 4 hours overhead across 115 recorded passes. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

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.