Helicopters over Valley Village

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

Area briefing

Valley Village, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Valley Village

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 88 minutes ago, heading northeast.

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 Valley Village

The sky over Valley Village

1,389helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
147.3
passes per week
6.0
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 (2p) has averaged 61 passes historically

Who flies over Valley Village

  • Police49%
  • Private33%
  • News16%
  • Fire / medical1%
  • Sheriff0%
  • Other0%

The regulars over Valley Village

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

Who flies over Valley Village, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Valley Village

679 of 1,389 recorded passes over Valley Village were police helicopters — 49% of the traffic here, 37.8 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 20 recorded passestypically 1,100–1,250 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 Valley Village

456 of 1,389 recorded passes over Valley Village were private and charter helicopters — 33% of the traffic here, 9.9 hours overhead in total.

typically 1,200–1,400 ft

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

News helicopters over Valley Village

229 of 1,389 recorded passes over Valley Village were news helicopters — 16% of the traffic here, 8.2 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 10 recorded passestypically 1,200–1,500 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 Valley Village

13 of 1,389 recorded passes over Valley Village were fire and air-medical helicopters — 1% of the traffic here, 0.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LA City Fire (N303FD), 3 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

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.

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 Valley Village common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Valley Village?

Police helicopters account for 49% of the 1,389 helicopter passes recorded over Valley Village. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 20 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,100–1,250 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 Valley Village?

News helicopters account for 16% of the 1,389 helicopter passes recorded over Valley Village. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 10 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,200–1,500 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 Valley Village?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 1% of the 1,389 helicopter passes recorded over Valley Village. The one you see most is LA City Fire (N303FD), 3 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 Valley Village?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 1,100–1,250 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,200–1,400 ft; news helicopters at 1,200–1,500 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 Valley Village?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 37.8 hours overhead across 679 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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