Helicopters over Van Nuys
Live helicopter tracking for Van Nuys, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Van Nuys…
Recent incidents over Van Nuys
- 📺 ✅ Scene coverage concluded after 15 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-van-nuys-a97a6? · Van Nuys
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 15 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-van-nuys-a97a6?src=story
Jul 2, 6:34 PM PT
The sky over Van Nuys
By hour of day
Who flies over Van Nuys
- Police71%
- News19%
- Private7%
- Fire / medical2%
- Military1%
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.
News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.
Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.
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 25, 2:19 AMPoliceN229LA1,075–1,200 ft3 minSE
- Jul 25, 2:06 AMPoliceN229LA1,225–1,275 ft1 minE
- Jul 24, 10:11 PMAIR7N71HD1,300–1,325 ft1 minNW
- Jul 24, 3:25 PMUS NAVY1694486,975–8,550 ft2 minSW
- Jul 24, 1:39 PMPoliceN229LA1,025–1,200 ft7 minSW
- Jul 24, 1:22 PMPoliceN224LA1,100–1,175 ft2 minSE
- Jul 24, 10:33 AMPoliceN232LA1,025–1,125 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 5:17 AMAIR7N71HD1,300–1,475 ft1 minSE
- Jul 24, 12:03 AMPoliceN223LA1,100–1,225 ft5 minSE
- Jul 23, 11:43 PMPoliceN223LA1,250–1,300 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 1:23 PMPrivateN121NC1,325–1,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 10:11 AMPoliceN223LA1,100–1,225 ft2 minN
- Jul 23, 2:47 AMPoliceN226LA1,600–1,700 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 2:14 AMPoliceN226LA1,275–1,400 ft1 minNW
- Jul 23, 2:04 AMPoliceN226LA1,350–1,425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 5:22 PMPoliceN226LA1,175–1,225 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 4:54 PMPoliceN226LA1,225–1,300 ft4 minN
- Jul 22, 1:23 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,200–1,275 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 12:12 PMPoliceN226LA1,175–1,250 ft1 minN
- Jul 22, 11:44 AMUS ARMY10-721651,550–1,600 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 10:59 AMAIR7N71HD1,100–1,150 ft2 minNW
- Jul 22, 12:48 AMPoliceN233LA1,175–1,300 ft1 minE
- Jul 22, 12:32 AMPoliceN233LA1,325–1,375 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 4:51 PMAIR7N71HD1,275–1,350 ft1 minNW
- Jul 21, 7:33 AMAIR7N71HD1,250–1,300 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 5:50 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,150–1,425 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 2:07 AMPoliceN224LA1,000–1,325 ft23 minW
- Jul 21, 1:26 AMPoliceN226LA1,250–1,450 ft4 minS
- Jul 20, 1:38 PMPoliceN226LA1,100–1,150 ft1 minNE
- Jul 20, 6:02 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,300–1,525 ft1 minW
- Jul 20, 5:38 AMPrivateN435AK1,500–1,800 ft1 minS
- Jul 20, 5:20 AMAIR7N71HD1,250–1,375 ft1 minSE
- Jul 19, 10:42 PMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,625–1,800 ft1 minN
- Jul 19, 9:41 PMPoliceN224LA1,175–1,200 ft1 minNE
- Jul 19, 6:00 PMPoliceN224LA1,250–1,350 ft4 minS
- Jul 19, 5:23 PMPrivateN121NC1,350–1,425 ft1 minNW
- Jul 19, 4:34 PMPoliceN224LA1,175–1,325 ft2 minS
- Jul 19, 4:05 PMPoliceN224LA1,150–1,275 ft5 minN
- Jul 19, 1:49 PMPoliceN232LA1,175–1,200 ft4 minN
- Jul 19, 1:24 PMPoliceN232LA1,125–1,175 ft1 minNW
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Van Nuys: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Van Nuys?
Most helicopter activity over Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys?
Based on 229 tracked passes over Van Nuys, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 2am 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.