Seeing Alta Wind Energy Center from a plane
Photo: Z22, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
One of the largest wind farms in the US, about 1,500 megawatts, spread across the Tehachapi Pass. Look for rows of turbines climbing the brown hills between the Mojave Desert and the Tehachapi Mountains.
12 of our routes pass it. California
The easy pick
Los Angeles to Boise: sit on the right, 12 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Boise | Right | 12 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Medford | Right | 12 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Fresno | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Sacramento | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Hailey | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Calgary | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to London | Right | 14 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Redmond | Right | 14 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Edmonton | Right | 15 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Fresno | Left (the right side is better for the whole flight) | 51 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Bakersfield | Right (the left side is better for the whole flight) | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Palm Springs | Left | 46 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Alta Wind Energy Center from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (10 of 12). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Alta Wind Energy Center from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Double Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain Lake Isabella Bakersfield Hollywood Burbank Airport Los Angeles (LAX) Sacramento (SMF) London (LHR) Phoenix (PHX) All routes