Seeing Moffett Field and Hangar One from a plane
Hangar One was built in 1933 to house the Navy airship USS Macon and covers about 8 acres, one of the largest freestanding structures in the world. Look for its huge curved shell, plus two even bigger wartime blimp hangars nearby.
11 of our routes pass it. California · rated 5 of 10
The easy pick
San Francisco to Los Angeles: sit on the left, on the climb, 8 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to San Francisco | Left | on the way down |
| Denver to San Francisco | Left | on the way down |
| Honolulu to San Francisco | Right | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to San Francisco | Left | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to San Francisco | Right | on the way down |
| Minneapolis to San Francisco | Right | on the way down |
| New York to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Portland to San Francisco | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| San Diego to San Francisco | Right | on the way down |
| San Francisco to Los Angeles | Left | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Washington to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
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 Moffett Field and Hangar One from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (6 of 11). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Moffett Field and Hangar One 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.
Can you see Moffett Field and Hangar One at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
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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