Seeing White Sands from a plane
The largest gypsum dunefield on Earth, about 275 square miles of white sand. It's surrounded by a missile range; look for a bright white patch in the Tularosa Basin, unmistakable from cruise.
4 of our routes pass it. New Mexico · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
San Diego to Dallas-Fort Worth: sit on the left, 72 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte to Phoenix | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 179 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Las Vegas | Right | 83 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | 82 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | 72 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 White Sands from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (2 of 4). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see White Sands 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
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