Helicopters over Westlake

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

Checking the sky over Westlake…

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

Who's hovering here?View the full live map

Recent incidents over Westlake

🚨 SkyCAL / SkyFOX 11 + LASD tracking a pursuit over Arts District · Arts District
✅ Pursuit coverage concluded after 10 min — aircraft breaking off. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/pursuit-arts-district--772?src=story
Jul 24, 2:09 PM PT Watch the replay
🚁 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
📺 ABC7: Venezuelans search rubble for survivors after 2 strong quakes kill at least 188 · Carson
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 39 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-carson-a4044?src=story
Jun 25, 12:46 PM PT
📺 ABC7: 210 Freeway accident update: Dashcam video shows moments before big rig crash on 210 Freeway that killed 1, injured 32 in Irwindale, California · Boyle Heights
✅ Scene coverage concluded after 21 min — news helicopters departing. Replay + alerts: gtla.live/i/swarm-boyle-heights-a4044?src=story
Jun 22, 6:17 PM PT

The sky over Westlake

570helicopter passes tracked over 25 days

159.6

passes per week

6.5

hours overhead per week

6 PM

busiest hour

Police

most common overhead

By hour of day

12a

12p

Busiest hour: 6p · this hour (11a) has averaged 28 passes historically

Who flies over Westlake

Police82%
News8%
Private8%
Sheriff1%
Fire / medical1%
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.

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.

Sheriff (LASD): Sheriff's helicopters typically orbit for a search, a pursuit, or to support deputies on the ground.

Recent helicopter activity

Jul 25, 11:16 AMLAPDN229LA · AS50850–1,025 ft1 minS
Jul 25, 10:53 AMLAPDN229LA · AS50875–975 ft2 minNW
Jul 25, 10:52 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50900–1,325 ft1 minE
Jul 25, 9:45 AMLAPDN226LA · AS50800–950 ft1 minE
Jul 25, 7:15 AMPoliceN230LA1,175–1,200 ft1 minN
Jul 25, 2:47 AMPoliceN229LA975–1,025 ft1 minNW
Jul 25, 1:42 AMPoliceN230LA1,050–1,100 ft1 minSE
Jul 24, 11:18 PMPoliceN230LA1,050–1,250 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 10:40 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q1,100–1,400 ft3 minW
Jul 24, 10:04 PMAIR7N71HD1,250–1,300 ft1 minNW
Jul 24, 10:00 PMPrivateN825VJ1,700–1,900 ft1 minNW
Jul 24, 7:12 PMPrivateN825VJ1,100–1,700 ft3 minNW
Jul 24, 6:10 PMPoliceN224LA975–1,175 ft3 minS
Jul 24, 6:08 PMAIR7N71HD1,325–1,375 ft2 minNW
Jul 24, 5:15 PMPoliceN226LA950–1,000 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 4:38 PMPoliceN226LA900–925 ft1 minSW
Jul 24, 2:22 PMAIR7 (backup)N29HD1,700–1,800 ft1 minNW
Jul 24, 1:25 PMPoliceN229LA775–1,125 ft7 minNW
Jul 24, 12:41 PMPoliceN226LA700–1,025 ft13 minNE
Jul 24, 11:09 AMPoliceN224LA1,050–1,150 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 10:55 AMPoliceN224LA1,450–1,600 ft1 minW
Jul 24, 10:11 AMNewsChopper 4N358TV1,150–1,450 ft2 minNW
Jul 24, 9:13 AMSkyCAL / SkyFOX 11N39CL1,200–1,300 ft1 minE
Jul 24, 8:30 AMPoliceN232LA725–1,025 ft1 minS
Jul 24, 1:28 AMPoliceN223LA850–975 ft2 minW
Jul 24, 12:25 AMPoliceN223LA750–975 ft2 minS
Jul 23, 11:50 PMPoliceN226LA850–875 ft1 minNW
Jul 23, 11:43 PMPoliceN226LA800–975 ft3 minSW
Jul 23, 11:18 PMPoliceN226LA825–1,000 ft1 minW
Jul 23, 10:23 PMPoliceN233LA700–950 ft3 minSW
Jul 23, 8:01 PMPoliceN226LA725–875 ft2 minS
Jul 23, 7:56 PMPoliceN226LA950–1,175 ft2 minN
Jul 23, 7:42 PMPoliceN223LA1,100–1,200 ft2 minNW
Jul 23, 6:53 PMPoliceN226LA1,000–1,175 ft1 minSW
Jul 23, 6:38 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q900–1,600 ft2 minE
Jul 23, 6:36 PMPrivateN329JK1,075–1,350 ft3 minW
Jul 23, 6:18 PMPoliceN226LA650–850 ft4 minW
Jul 23, 6:12 PMPoliceN233LA1,100–1,200 ft1 minS
Jul 23, 5:52 PMPoliceN233LA925–1,100 ft2 minE
Jul 23, 5:08 PMPrivateN703WP950–1,075 ft1 minS

Nearby coverage

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Helicopters over Westlake: common questions

Why is there a helicopter over Westlake?

Most helicopter activity over Westlake 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 Westlake?

Based on 570 tracked passes over Westlake, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 6pm 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.