Helicopters over Westwood

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

Area briefing

Westwood, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Westwood

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 2 hours.

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
CONCLUDED3:53 PM–4:13 PM

3 news helicopters covered Westwood for 20 minutes. They have gone.

KTLA is reporting on this — their reporting, linked below.

STATION COVERAGE
HOW IT UNFOLDED
🎞️ Watch it back — the recorded flight paths →

◉ measured · ◇ inferred · ▣ our newsroom · last tick 4:13 PM PT

Recent incidents over Westwood

The sky over Westwood

1,015helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
107.7
passes per week
3.9
hours overhead per week
1 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 1p · this hour (2p) has averaged 84 passes historically

Who flies over Westwood

  • Private52%
  • Police32%
  • News11%
  • Sheriff2%
  • Fire / medical2%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Westwood

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

Who flies over Westwood, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Westwood

524 of 1,015 recorded passes over Westwood were private and charter helicopters — 52% of the traffic here, 14.8 hours overhead in total.

typically 600–1,100 ft

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

Police helicopters over Westwood

329 of 1,015 recorded passes over Westwood were police helicopters — 32% of the traffic here, 14 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N213PF), 19 recorded passestypically 800–1,050 ft

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

News helicopters over Westwood

111 of 1,015 recorded passes over Westwood were news helicopters — 11% of the traffic here, 6 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 7 recorded passesusually 3pm–6pmtypically 1,100–1,400 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 Westwood

22 of 1,015 recorded passes over Westwood were sheriff's helicopters — 2% of the traffic here, 0.4 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

Private / civil: Private and civil helicopters are usually in transit, on a charter, or on a survey flight.

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.

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

Recent helicopter activity

Nearby coverage

All neighborhoods →

Helicopters over Westwood common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Westwood?

Police helicopters account for 32% of the 1,015 helicopter passes recorded over Westwood. The one you see most is LAPD (N213PF), 19 recorded passes. They typically fly at 800–1,050 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 Westwood?

News helicopters account for 11% of the 1,015 helicopter passes recorded over Westwood. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 7 recorded passes. They are usually 3pm–6pm here. They typically fly at 1,100–1,400 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 Westwood?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 2% of the 1,015 helicopter passes recorded over Westwood. 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 Westwood?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 600–1,100 ft; police helicopters at 800–1,050 ft; news helicopters at 1,100–1,400 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 Westwood?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 14.8 hours overhead across 524 recorded passes. Private and charter aircraft are usually in transit, on a tour or a survey flight, and pass through without stopping.

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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