Jet WindowWindow seat by route · HNL to SFO
Honolulu to San Francisco: which side of the plane?
Sun right by day, left in the evening.
It turns with the clock. On morning and midday departures the sun is mostly on the right; leave in the evening and it is mostly on the left. Find your departure time in the table.
The sun, by departure time
Where the light will be.
Departure times are local to Honolulu. About 4 h 45 min in the air over 2,083 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 · sunset about 4 hours in | Left · sun on this side |
| 5 p.m. | Left · sunset 45 minutes in | Left · sunset about 2 hours in |
| 10 p.m. | Dark the whole way | Left · sunrise about 4.5 hours in |
Out of the window
What you can look for.
On the south shore of Oahu, hemmed by ocean and green ridges. Out on the edge of San Francisco Bay.
Arriving in San Francisco
A long final low over the water of the Bay, with the Bay Bridge, the city skyline and, on a clear day, the Golden Gate to the north.
Best from the right, because the busiest west-flow arrivals (Runways 28L/R) come in from the southeast, keeping the Bay and city to the north, on the right.
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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