Helicopters over USC

Live helicopter tracking for USC, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.

Checking the sky over USC…

Map of USC, Los Angeles — Scanning for choppers over USC — nothing overhead right now. The dashed ring is the 2 km radius this page counts as “over USC”; inner rings mark one-third and two-thirds of that distance.

Who's hovering here?View the full live map

Recent incidents over USC

🚁 News Swarm · Pico-Union
2 news helicopters converging over Pico-Union.
Jul 22, 6:16 AM PT Watch the replay
🚨 LAPD is pursuing burglary suspects in Central Division near Downtown Los Angeles. · Downtown
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 8 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-downtown--597?src=story
Jul 14, 9:05 PM PT Watch the replay
🚁 News Swarm · USC
3 news helicopters converging over USC.
Jul 3, 9:11 PM PT
📺 KTLA: 1 killed, 4 hospitalized in Moreno Valley crash · Pico-Union
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 28 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-pico-union-a4044?src=story
Jun 17, 8:48 PM PT
🚁 News Swarm · Pico-Union
3 news helicopters converging over Pico-Union.
Jun 2, 6:28 PM PT

The sky over USC

408helicopter passes tracked over 25 days

114.2

passes per week

6.3

hours overhead per week

9 PM

busiest hour

Police

most common overhead

By hour of day

12a

12p

Busiest hour: 9p · this hour (11a) has averaged 25 passes historically

Who flies over USC

Police61%
Private20%
News16%
Sheriff3%
CHP0%
Other0%

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

Jul 25, 10:00 AMMaverickN850MH · EC301,200–1,300 ft1 minE
Jul 25, 8:04 AMPoliceN230LA675–725 ft1 minS
Jul 25, 7:55 AMPoliceN230LA575–725 ft1 minS
Jul 24, 11:35 PMPoliceN230LA700–750 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 9:57 PMPrivateN825VJ1,000–1,400 ft2 minNE
Jul 24, 6:56 PMPoliceN230LA725–800 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 6:23 PMPrivateN850MH900–1,100 ft2 minNE
Jul 24, 4:43 PMPoliceN226LA750–1,025 ft2 minW
Jul 24, 4:02 PMPoliceN226LA800–950 ft1 minE
Jul 24, 2:53 PMPoliceN229LA600–825 ft6 minNW
Jul 24, 12:58 PMPrivateN329JK675–750 ft1 minN
Jul 24, 12:33 PMPoliceN226LA850–925 ft1 minE
Jul 24, 10:59 AMPoliceN224LA650–775 ft3 minE
Jul 24, 9:02 AMPrivateN821JP1,025–1,275 ft3 minN
Jul 24, 8:38 AMPoliceN232LA650–750 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 6:15 AMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL1,200–1,400 ft8 minE
Jul 24, 1:25 AMPoliceN223LA725–775 ft1 minNE
Jul 23, 11:06 PMPoliceN233LA725–800 ft1 minE
Jul 23, 10:12 PMPoliceN233LA550–775 ft5 minNE
Jul 23, 8:04 PMPoliceN226LA525–875 ft12 minE
Jul 23, 6:47 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,300–1,400 ft5 minE
Jul 23, 6:47 PMSheriffN950LA600–725 ft3 minW
Jul 23, 6:41 PMPoliceN226LA800–875 ft1 minW
Jul 23, 5:07 PMPoliceN233LA650–850 ft2 minS
Jul 23, 4:56 PMPrivateN825VJ1,100–1,200 ft2 minNE
Jul 23, 4:33 PMPoliceN233LA725–925 ft3 minW
Jul 23, 2:45 PMPrivateN544FA1,225–1,350 ft1 minNE
Jul 23, 2:41 PMPoliceN223LA775–875 ft1 minNW
Jul 23, 2:00 PMPoliceN223LA625–825 ft5 minNW
Jul 23, 12:21 PMPrivateN825VJ1,000–1,300 ft2 minNE
Jul 23, 11:14 AMPoliceN233LA700–775 ft1 minN
Jul 23, 10:25 AMPoliceN232LA625–700 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 9:52 AMPoliceN232LA800–825 ft1 minW
Jul 23, 3:18 AMPoliceN226LA1,050–1,075 ft1 minW
Jul 23, 2:35 AMPoliceN233LA1,300–1,925 ft5 minS
Jul 23, 2:16 AMPoliceN233LA675–800 ft1 minW
Jul 22, 11:43 PMPoliceN230LA675–850 ft1 minS
Jul 22, 11:10 PMPoliceN233LA675–700 ft1 minSE
Jul 22, 10:21 PMPoliceN233LA675 ft1 minNW
Jul 22, 9:52 PMSky5N925TV925–1,000 ft2 minSW

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over USC: common questions

Why is there a helicopter over USC?

Most helicopter activity over USC 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 USC?

Based on 408 tracked passes over USC, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 9pm 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.