Jet WindowWindow seat by route · JFK to KEF
New York JFK to Reykjavik: which side of the plane?
Sun side turns with season and hour.
The sun is on the left on 4 and the right on 2 of the 6 daylight departures we modeled, so the season and the hour decide it. Find yours in the table.
The sun, by departure time
Where the light will be.
Departure times are local to New York. About 5 h 15 min in the air over 2,248 nautical miles.
| Leaving at | Winter (mid-December) | Summer (mid-June) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | Right · sunset about 5 hours in | Right · sun on this side |
| Noon | Left · sunset about 2.5 hours in | Left · sun on this side |
| 5 p.m. | Dark the whole way | Left · sun on this side |
| 10 p.m. | Dark the whole way | Left · sunrise about 3.5 hours in |
On a dark crossing, the left side faces north. If there is an aurora that night, that is where it will be. Jet Window checks the aurora forecast for your actual flight.
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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