Seeing Greenland ice sheet (west coast) from a plane5 ★
About 660,000 square miles, up to about 2 miles thick. On the west side, summer melt leaves bright blue lakes on the surface. Look for turquoise pools and streams on white ice.
5 of our routes pass it. Greenland · rated 10 of 10
The easy pick
San Francisco to Frankfurt: sit on the right, 365 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Portland to Reykjavik | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 312 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Reykjavik | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 351 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Frankfurt | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 330 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Frankfurt | Right | 365 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Doha | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 263 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 Greenland ice sheet (west coast) from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (4 of 5). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Greenland ice sheet (west coast) 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.