Helicopters over Topanga
Live helicopter tracking for Topanga, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Topanga…
The sky over Topanga
By hour of day
Who flies over Topanga
- Private43%
- Police38%
- Sheriff10%
- Fire / medical7%
- Military2%
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.
Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.
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 23, 6:32 PMPoliceN223LA1,875–2,125 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 6:09 PMPrivateN444NC2,000–2,400 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 5:43 PMPrivateN108LG1,750–2,200 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 3:19 PMPoliceN223LA1,825–1,925 ft2 minNE
- Jul 22, 8:56 PMPrivateN108EH3,600–3,700 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 7:36 PMPrivateN444NC1,800–2,200 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 2:38 PMPrivateN444NC1,900–2,300 ft1 minSW
- Jul 21, 12:48 PMPrivateN308EH1,500–1,700 ft2 minS
- Jul 20, 6:26 PMFire/EMSN307FD1,950–2,450 ft3 minSW
- Jul 19, 9:44 AMFire/EMSN302FD1,425–1,850 ft1 minS
- Jul 18, 2:09 PMSheriffN957LA1,800–2,200 ft1 minW
- Jul 18, 11:20 AMPoliceN213PF1,300–1,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 18, 9:19 AMPoliceN232LA2,100–2,125 ft1 minS
- Jul 17, 11:09 AMPrivateN13FR2,100–2,425 ft1 minW
- Jul 17, 11:04 AMPrivateN8900X3,250–3,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 4:31 PMPrivateN831HA1,700–1,825 ft1 minNW
- Jul 16, 3:31 PMPrivateN152AE2,700–3,025 ft1 minE
- Jul 16, 3:22 PMPoliceN226LA2,075–2,175 ft1 minNE
- Jul 16, 3:06 PMPoliceN226LA1,675–1,775 ft1 minS
- Jul 16, 1:47 PMPoliceN226LA2,400–2,500 ft1 minE
- Jul 16, 1:10 PMPrivateN444NC2,100–2,500 ft1 minSW
- Jul 15, 4:28 PMPoliceN232LA1,550–1,650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 15, 1:29 PMPrivateN8900X3,425–3,575 ft1 minSE
- Jul 15, 12:04 PMPoliceN232LA1,650–1,850 ft1 minN
- Jul 14, 7:22 PMPrivateN444NC2,100–2,400 ft1 minS
- Jul 14, 6:58 PMPoliceN230LA1,575–1,775 ft1 minN
- Jul 14, 6:15 PMSheriffN958LA1,900–2,075 ft1 minW
- Jul 14, 2:55 PMFire/EMSN302FD1,625–1,975 ft1 minS
- Jul 12, 5:06 PMPoliceN224LA2,225–2,575 ft1 minS
- Jul 12, 3:30 PMSheriffN954LA1,500–2,300 ft1 minS
- Jul 12, 11:18 AMPoliceN224LA1,625–1,750 ft2 minN
- Jul 11, 11:35 AMPoliceN224LA1,450–1,750 ft1 minN
- Jul 11, 10:31 AMPrivateN831HA1,675–2,450 ft1 minE
- Jul 10, 6:44 PMPrivateN112MT2,825–3,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 10, 11:08 AMPrivateN444NC1,800–2,300 ft1 minS
- Jul 9, 11:47 AMUS Coast Guard60552,050–2,175 ft1 minW
- Jul 9, 11:23 AMPoliceN232LA1,700–2,050 ft1 minN
- Jul 8, 4:24 PMPoliceN213PF1,475–2,350 ft3 minW
- Jul 8, 3:31 PMPoliceN224LA1,525–1,550 ft2 minS
- Jul 8, 1:05 PMPrivateN295SJ1,775–2,000 ft1 minSE
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Topanga: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Topanga?
Most helicopter activity over Topanga 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 Topanga?
Based on 60 tracked passes over Topanga, 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.