Helicopters over USC

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

Area briefing

USC, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Tonight over USC

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 18 minutes ago, heading north.

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 USC

The sky over USC

1,300helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
137.9
passes per week
7.5
hours overhead per week
7 PM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 7p · this hour (7p) has averaged 101 passes historically

Who flies over USC

  • Police65%
  • Private19%
  • News14%
  • Sheriff1%
  • CHP0%
  • Other1%

The regulars over USC

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

Who flies over USC, by the numbers

Police helicopters over USC

848 of 1,300 recorded passes over USC were police helicopters — 65% of the traffic here, 52.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 36 recorded passestypically 600–800 ft

Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

Private and charter helicopters over USC

243 of 1,300 recorded passes over USC were private and charter helicopters — 19% of the traffic here, 6.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Maverick (N852MH), 7 recorded passesusually 5pm–8pmtypically 900–1,200 ft

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

News helicopters over USC

183 of 1,300 recorded passes over USC were news helicopters — 14% of the traffic here, 9.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 13 recorded passestypically 900–1,400 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.

Sheriff's helicopters over USC

15 of 1,300 recorded passes over USC were sheriff's helicopters — 1% of the traffic here, 1.9 hours overhead in total.

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

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

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Helicopters over USC common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over USC?

Police helicopters account for 65% of the 1,300 helicopter passes recorded over USC. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 36 recorded passes. They typically fly at 600–800 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 USC?

News helicopters account for 14% of the 1,300 helicopter passes recorded over USC. The one you see most is SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 (N39CL), 13 recorded passes. They typically fly at 900–1,400 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.

Is that a sheriff's helicopter over USC?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 1% of the 1,300 helicopter passes recorded over USC. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

How high do helicopters fly over USC?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 600–800 ft; private and charter helicopters at 900–1,200 ft; news helicopters at 900–1,400 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 USC?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 52.2 hours overhead across 848 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

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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