Seeing South Pars gas field flares from a plane
Photo: Hadi Karimi, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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South Pars, shared with Qatar's North Field, is part of the largest natural gas field on Earth. At night the refineries along Iran's Gulf coast flare in clusters of bright orange points; look for them on the shore.
2 of our routes pass it. Iran
The easy pick
Miami to Dubai: sit on the left, 779 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Miami to Dubai | Left | 779 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Dubai | Left | 820 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 South Pars gas field flares from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (2 of 2). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see South Pars gas field flares from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.
Can you see South Pars gas field flares 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.