Jet WindowWindow seat by route · DEN to ORD
Denver to Chicago: which side of the plane?
Sun on the right.
The sun is on the right on 4 of the 5 daylight departures we modeled. Sit right for the light and any sunset; sit left to keep the glare off and the ground easier to photograph.
The sun, by departure time
Where the light will be.
Departure times are local to Denver. About 2 h in the air over 770 nautical miles.
| Leaving at | Winter (mid-December) | Summer (mid-June) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | Right · sun on this side | Right · sun on this side |
| Noon | Right · sun on this side | Right · sun on this side |
| 5 p.m. | Dark the whole way | Left · sun on this side |
| 10 p.m. | Dark the whole way | Dark the whole way |
Out of the window
What you can look for.
Out on the high plains at over a mile above the sea.
Along the way
- The Great Lakes, big enough to have a horizon of their own on the left, in daylight
Arriving in Chicago
Flat Midwest grid in every direction; on a clear westerly approach the Chicago skyline and the edge of Lake Michigan show to the southeast.
How this was worked out
The same engine as the app.
These answers come from the model Jet Window uses on your phone: the sun's position from the cabin's own horizon at cruise, sampled along the great-circle path, with the landmark and airport notes the app shows. This page has to assume a departure time and a flight time, and a real flight bends with winds, airways and the runway in use. Cloud is not modeled.
In the app, Jet Window works it out for your actual flight, at its real departure time, and tells you when to look.
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