Helicopters over Wilmington

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

Area briefing

Wilmington, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Wilmington

Nothing overhead now. The last helicopter left 29 minutes ago, heading north.

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 Wilmington

The sky over Wilmington

707helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
75.0
passes per week
4.2
hours overhead per week
2 PM
busiest hour
Private
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 2p · this hour (4p) has averaged 50 passes historically

Who flies over Wilmington

  • Private59%
  • Police21%
  • Sheriff9%
  • News5%
  • Fire / medical4%
  • Other2%

The regulars over Wilmington

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

Who flies over Wilmington, by the numbers

Private and charter helicopters over Wilmington

414 of 707 recorded passes over Wilmington were private and charter helicopters — 59% of the traffic here, 16.7 hours overhead in total.

Most often: Emerald City Aircraft (N7530M), 13 recorded passestypically 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 Wilmington

147 of 707 recorded passes over Wilmington were police helicopters — 21% of the traffic here, 15.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 8 recorded passesusually 8am–11amtypically 400–600 ft

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

Sheriff's helicopters over Wilmington

63 of 707 recorded passes over Wilmington were sheriff's helicopters — 9% of the traffic here, 2.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LASD (N961LA), 6 recorded passesusually 1pm–4pmtypically 500–750 ft

Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

News helicopters over Wilmington

38 of 707 recorded passes over Wilmington were news helicopters — 5% of the traffic here, 2.9 hours overhead in total.

Most often: SkyFOX 11 / SkyCAL (N50Q), 4 recorded passesusually 4pm–7pmtypically 400–1,100 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.

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.

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

News helicopter: News helicopters usually mean live coverage of a developing story — a pursuit, a fire, or a scene the station is broadcasting.

Recent helicopter activity

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Helicopters over Wilmington common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Wilmington?

Police helicopters account for 21% of the 707 helicopter passes recorded over Wilmington. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 8 recorded passes. They are usually 8am–11am here. They typically fly at 400–600 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 sheriff's helicopter over Wilmington?

Sheriff's helicopters account for 9% of the 707 helicopter passes recorded over Wilmington. The one you see most is LASD (N961LA), 6 recorded passes. They are usually 1pm–4pm here. They typically fly at 500–750 ft above sea level. Sheriff's aircraft fly patrol, search and rescue across the county, and orbit a scene the same way police aircraft do.

Is that a news helicopter over Wilmington?

News helicopters account for 5% of the 707 helicopter passes recorded over Wilmington. The one you see most is SkyFOX 11 / SkyCAL (N50Q), 4 recorded passes. They are usually 4pm–7pm here. They typically fly at 400–1,100 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.

How high do helicopters fly over Wilmington?

From the passes recorded here: private and charter helicopters at 600–1,100 ft; police helicopters at 400–600 ft; sheriff's helicopters at 500–750 ft; news helicopters at 400–1,100 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 Wilmington?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are private and charter helicopters: 16.7 hours overhead across 414 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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