Seeing Cape Fear from a plane
Named by sailors for Frying Pan Shoals, which reach miles offshore. It marks the mouth of the Cape Fear River below Wilmington. Look for the triangular point of Bald Head Island with pale shoals trailing out to sea.
7 of our routes pass it. North Carolina · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Washington to Miami: sit on the right, 51 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale to New York | Left | 64 min after takeoff |
| Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia | Left | 71 min after takeoff |
| Miami to New York | Left | 69 min after takeoff |
| New York to Miami | Right | 63 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Miami | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 55 min after takeoff |
| Raleigh/Durham to Miami | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 23 min after takeoff |
| Washington to Miami | Right | 51 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Cape Fear from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (4 of 7). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Cape Fear from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on 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
Lake Marion Raleigh Duke University Congaree National Park Charlotte Motor Speedway Fort Lauderdale (FLL) New York (JFK) Philadelphia (PHL) Miami (MIA) All routes