Helicopters over Wilmington
Live helicopter tracking for Wilmington, Los Angeles — updated every few seconds.
Checking the sky over Wilmington…
The sky over Wilmington
By hour of day
Who flies over Wilmington
- Police43%
- Private38%
- News8%
- Sheriff5%
- Fire / medical5%
- Other1%
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
- Jul 25, 10:02 AMLA City FireN703WP · AS50475–650 ft2 minN
- Jul 24, 3:01 PMPrivateN329JK550–575 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 11:11 AMPoliceN226LA250–600 ft10 minN
- Jul 24, 11:04 AMPoliceN226LA550–600 ft1 minS
- Jul 24, 10:51 AMPoliceN233LA350–500 ft1 minN
- Jul 24, 10:34 AMPoliceN233LA250–450 ft11 minS
- Jul 24, 10:09 AMPoliceN233LA450–750 ft1 minS
- Jul 23, 7:46 PMPoliceN226LA575–650 ft1 minNE
- Jul 23, 5:24 PMPrivateN703WP725–925 ft2 minS
- Jul 23, 4:41 PMPrivateN544FA1,075–1,450 ft1 minSE
- Jul 23, 3:33 PMPrivateN995NR1,900–2,600 ft2 minSE
- Jul 23, 2:46 PMPoliceN232LA525–625 ft1 minN
- Jul 23, 1:52 PMPoliceN232LA550–700 ft1 minS
- Jul 22, 9:27 PMPrivateN995NR1,500–1,600 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 5:18 PMLADWPN704WP700–1,000 ft2 minS
- Jul 22, 12:26 PMPrivateN559DD500–900 ft1 minNW
- Jul 22, 12:24 PMPrivateN852MH800–900 ft1 minSE
- Jul 22, 10:00 AMPoliceN230LA275–400 ft5 minN
- Jul 21, 7:48 PMFire/EMSN302FD950–1,000 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 7:18 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q600–700 ft1 minN
- Jul 21, 7:10 PMFire/EMSN306FD550–600 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 7:08 PMSkyFOX 11 / SkyCALN50Q700–800 ft1 minS
- Jul 21, 3:30 PMPrivateN852MH900 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 3:23 PMPrivateN496TP3,975–4,050 ft1 minE
- Jul 21, 3:16 PMPrivateN852MH1,500–1,700 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 2:13 PMPrivateN852MH800 ft1 minSE
- Jul 21, 2:01 PMPrivateN852MH1,300–1,700 ft1 minSE
- Jul 20, 10:19 AMPoliceN230LA550–650 ft1 minN
- Jul 19, 11:18 AMPrivateN329JK475–500 ft1 minN
- Jul 18, 8:41 PMPrivateN329JK450–550 ft1 minN
- Jul 18, 11:06 AMLADWPN704WP475–600 ft2 minN
- Jul 18, 10:42 AMFire/EMSN305FD700–725 ft1 minSW
- Jul 17, 6:46 PMPrivateN329JK425–500 ft1 minN
- Jul 17, 5:20 PMPrivateN329JK475–550 ft1 minN
- Jul 17, 5:03 PMPrivateN329JK450–500 ft1 minN
- Jul 17, 2:36 PMPrivateN995NR2,000–3,000 ft3 minSE
- Jul 16, 6:31 PMPoliceN232LA550–600 ft1 minN
- Jul 16, 5:02 PMPrivateN703WP575–675 ft2 minS
- Jul 16, 10:02 AMPrivateN703WP550–700 ft2 minN
- Jul 16, 9:40 AMPoliceN224LA475–575 ft4 minN
Nearby coverage
Helicopters over Wilmington: common questions
Why is there a helicopter over Wilmington?
Most helicopter activity over Wilmington 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 Wilmington?
Based on 115 tracked passes over Wilmington, the most common hour for helicopter activity is around 5pm 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.