Helicopters over Sun Valley

Live helicopter tracking for Sun Valley, Los Angeles County — updated every few seconds.

Area briefing

Sun Valley, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Sun Valley

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 6 minutes ago, heading northwest.

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 Sun Valley

The sky over Sun Valley

2,600helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
275.8
passes per week
21
hours overhead per week
5 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 5p · this hour (1p) has averaged 165 passes historically

Who flies over Sun Valley

  • Private50%
  • Police23%
  • News19%
  • Fire / medical4%
  • Sheriff3%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Sun Valley

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

Who flies over Sun Valley, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Sun Valley

1,311 of 2,600 recorded passes over Sun Valley were private and charter helicopters — 50% of the traffic here, 116.7 hours overhead in total.

typically 700–800 ft

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

Police helicopters over Sun Valley

597 of 2,600 recorded passes over Sun Valley were police helicopters — 23% of the traffic here, 55.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Glendale PD (N818PD), 19 recorded passestypically 1,100–1,300 ft

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 Sun Valley

483 of 2,600 recorded passes over Sun Valley were news helicopters — 19% of the traffic here, 14.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 29 recorded passestypically 1,300–1,500 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.

Fire and air-medical helicopters over Sun Valley

105 of 2,600 recorded passes over Sun Valley were fire and air-medical helicopters — 4% of the traffic here, 4 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LA Co FD (N120LA), 4 recorded passes

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

What it usually means

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

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.

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

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Helicopters over Sun Valley common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Sun Valley?

Police helicopters account for 23% of the 2,600 helicopter passes recorded over Sun Valley. The one you see most is Glendale PD (N818PD), 19 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,100–1,300 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 Sun Valley?

News helicopters account for 19% of the 2,600 helicopter passes recorded over Sun Valley. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 29 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,300–1,500 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.

Why is a fire helicopter over Sun Valley?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 4% of the 2,600 helicopter passes recorded over Sun Valley. The one you see most is LA Co FD (N120LA), 4 recorded passes. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

How high do helicopters fly over Sun Valley?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 700–800 ft; police helicopters at 1,100–1,300 ft; news helicopters at 1,300–1,500 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 Sun Valley?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 116.7 hours overhead across 1,311 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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