Helicopters over Woodland Hills

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

Area briefing

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County

Checking the sky overhead…

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

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

Today over Woodland Hills

Nothing overhead now — quiet for the last 5 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

Recent incidents over Woodland Hills

The sky over Woodland Hills

795helicopter passes tracked over 66 days
84.3
passes per week
3.5
hours overhead per week
11 AM
busiest hour
Police
most common overhead

By hour of day

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
Busiest hour: 11a · this hour (2p) has averaged 44 passes historically

Who flies over Woodland Hills

  • Police54%
  • Private27%
  • Fire / medical10%
  • News7%
  • Sheriff1%
  • Other1%

The regulars over Woodland Hills

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

Who flies over Woodland Hills, by the numbers

Police helicopters over Woodland Hills

429 of 795 recorded passes over Woodland Hills were police helicopters — 54% of the traffic here, 21.3 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LAPD (N232LA), 37 recorded passestypically 1,350–1,450 ft

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

Private and charter helicopters over Woodland Hills

217 of 795 recorded passes over Woodland Hills were private and charter helicopters — 27% of the traffic here, 4.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LADWP (N704WP), 16 recorded passesusually 8am–11amtypically 1,550–1,900 ft

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

Fire and air-medical helicopters over Woodland Hills

82 of 795 recorded passes over Woodland Hills were fire and air-medical helicopters — 10% of the traffic here, 2.5 hours overhead in total.

Most often: LA Co FD (N822LA), 15 recorded passesusually 10am–1pmtypically 1,450–1,600 ft

Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

News helicopters over Woodland Hills

55 of 795 recorded passes over Woodland Hills were news helicopters — 7% of the traffic here, 4.1 hours overhead in total.

Most often: NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 3 recorded passes

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

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.

Fire / medical: Fire and air-medical helicopters mean a fire response, a rescue, or a hospital transport — often brief, and often at low altitude.

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 Woodland Hills common questions

Why is a police helicopter circling over Woodland Hills?

Police helicopters account for 54% of the 795 helicopter passes recorded over Woodland Hills. The one you see most is LAPD (N232LA), 37 recorded passes. They typically fly at 1,350–1,450 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.

Why is a fire helicopter over Woodland Hills?

Fire and air-medical helicopters account for 10% of the 795 helicopter passes recorded over Woodland Hills. The one you see most is LA Co FD (N822LA), 15 recorded passes. They are usually 10am–1pm here. They typically fly at 1,450–1,600 ft above sea level. Fire and air-medical aircraft respond to fires, rescues and hospital transports — often brief, often low, and often straight in and out.

Is that a news helicopter over Woodland Hills?

News helicopters account for 7% of the 795 helicopter passes recorded over Woodland Hills. The one you see most is NewsChopper 4 (N358TV), 3 recorded passes. 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 Woodland Hills?

From the passes recorded here: police helicopters at 1,350–1,450 ft; private and charter helicopters at 1,550–1,900 ft; fire and air-medical helicopters at 1,450–1,600 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 Woodland Hills?

Most passes are brief — a minute or two straight through. The aircraft that stay longest here are police helicopters: 21.3 hours overhead across 429 recorded passes. Police aircraft typically fly tight, repeated orbits over one spot to support officers on the ground, and can hold for a long time.

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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