Seeing Channel Islands from a plane
Five of the eight islands form a national park sometimes called the Galápagos of North America. Look for dry, rugged islands off the Santa Barbara coast, with kelp beds along their shores.
10 of our routes pass it. California · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
Los Angeles to Honolulu: sit on the right, 13 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu to Las Vegas | Right | 269 min after takeoff |
| Honolulu to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 11 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Honolulu | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 46 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to San Jose | Left | 21 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 25 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to San Diego | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 35 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 38 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 Channel Islands from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (7 of 10). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Channel Islands 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
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