Helicopters overhead

Heard a helicopter? Start here.

We track live aircraft alongside the fire and EMS channels, so when something circles your neighborhood there's usually an answer below.

Checking the skies… Live aircraft data loads in a moment.

In the air right now

Positions via ADS-B (adsb.fi open data) · refreshes every 30 seconds · distances from the county center

Who flies over Fairfield County

LifeStar Hartford Hospital's medevac helicopters. If one lands at a hospital or a highway scene, someone is being flown to a trauma center. The most common helicopter you'll hear.

State police — Trooper One Connecticut State Police aviation. Circling low and slow usually means a search — a missing person or a suspect. Often paired with K-9 units on the ground.

Sikorsky test flights The Sikorsky plant in Stratford test-flies new aircraft over the Sound and the coastline. Large, loud, and completely routine — they don't use the channels we monitor.

News helicopters NY-market news choppers occasionally work stories along I-95 and the coast. If one is hovering high over a highway, check the Now page for a crash below it.