Helicopters over Sun Valley
Live helicopter tracking for Sun Valley, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Sun Valley…
The sky over Sun Valley
By hour of day
Who flies over Sun Valley
- Police38%
- News25%
- Private23%
- Fire / medical8%
- Sheriff6%
- Other1%
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.
News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.
Recent helicopter activity
- Jul 25, 11:14 AMRs Aviation ServicesN47CD · R22800–1,600 ft1 minS
- Jul 25, 11:02 AMRs Aviation ServicesN47CD · R22800–1,700 ft5 minS
- Jul 25, 11:02 AMHelinetN818HA1,200–1,700 ft16 minW
- Jul 25, 10:28 AMRs Aviation ServicesN47CD · R221,000–1,400 ft14 minSW
- Jul 25, 9:56 AML A Gyroplane AviationN108YG · GYRO2,200–2,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 25, 9:27 AMPoliceN226LA1,000–1,275 ft8 minW
- Jul 25, 9:27 AMLAPDN226LA · AS501,000–1,275 ft8 minW
- Jul 25, 4:52 AMPrivateN318RX3,425–4,000 ft1 minSW
- Jul 25, 2:21 AMPrivateN318RX3,325–4,325 ft1 minNE
- Jul 24, 8:58 PMPoliceN229LA1,075–1,700 ft2h 24mE
- Jul 24, 8:55 PMPoliceN818PD1,375 ft7 minS
- Jul 24, 8:49 PMFire/EMSN306FD1,425–1,775 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 5:45 PMPrivateN825VJ1,500 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 5:29 PMSky5N925TV1,600–1,650 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 4:21 PMPrivateN76FL2,800–3,200 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 4:09 PMPrivateN95MG2,225–2,250 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 3:44 PMSky5N925TV1,450–1,475 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 3:16 PMPoliceN818PD1,150 ft6 minS
- Jul 24, 2:22 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,500–1,575 ft1 minW
- Jul 24, 1:41 PMPrivateN818HA800–1,900 ft17 minW
- Jul 24, 10:07 AMPrivateN818HA700–2,000 ft50 minW
- Jul 24, 6:40 AMLA Co FDN110LA1,300 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 5:25 AMPrivateN433AK1,200–1,500 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 10:32 PMSheriffN958LA1,450–1,525 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 4:02 PMSheriffN958LA1,450–1,550 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 3:13 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,600–1,700 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 3:02 PMPoliceN818PD1,975 ft30 minS
- Jul 23, 2:12 PMPoliceN818PD—1 minE
- Jul 23, 1:40 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,525–1,600 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 1:34 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,600–1,750 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:45 AMFire/EMSN307FD1,350–1,650 ft1 minW
- Jul 23, 9:55 AMSky5N925TV1,225–1,275 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 9:48 AMFire/EMSN307FD1,325–1,375 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 8:11 AMSky5N925TV1,200–1,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 7:43 AMPoliceN818PD1,050 ft3 minS
- Jul 23, 6:48 AMPoliceN818PD800 ft4 minSE
- Jul 22, 11:17 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,575–1,675 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 10:43 PMSheriffN955LA1,350–1,375 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 10:34 PMPrivateN308EH1,400 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 10:11 PMSky5N925TV1,450–1,550 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Sun Valley: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Sun Valley?
Most helicopter activity over Sun Valley 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 Sun Valley?
Based on 360 tracked passes over Sun Valley, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 11am 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.