Which side of plane to sit on to get best aerial pictures of SF?
Oct 25, 2010, 8:38 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: A Brit living in Los Angeles, California
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For SFO-LAX I would sit on the right. In my experience, most of the time the turn occurs before reaching the city, so you'll get a good view of the city from the plane.
Here's taking off from the 28s sitting on the right passing north of the city after the turn right over the GGB (fogged in)
Taking off from the 1s going to east, sitting on left
T/o from 1s going to LAX on a sunday morning, sitting on right
Basically if you're going east and taking off on the 1s, sit on the left. Otherwise, sit on the right.
Here's taking off from the 28s sitting on the right passing north of the city after the turn right over the GGB (fogged in)
Taking off from the 1s going to east, sitting on left
T/o from 1s going to LAX on a sunday morning, sitting on right
Basically if you're going east and taking off on the 1s, sit on the left. Otherwise, sit on the right.
Oct 26, 2010, 1:13 pm
#17
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA USA
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One other possibility - If the winds are from the south, when a weather front is approaching, you will take off on 10R or 10L to the southwest and you won't see anything of the city. 
But my own experience agrees with PTravel - take off on 1L, immediate left turn of about 30-40 degrees, and further left turns well before you reach the city. Here is a typical pattern from flightaware -
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL858
but you can put in just about any other SFO departure heading for southern Calif and see the same thing.
But my own experience agrees with PTravel - take off on 1L, immediate left turn of about 30-40 degrees, and further left turns well before you reach the city. Here is a typical pattern from flightaware -
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL858
but you can put in just about any other SFO departure heading for southern Calif and see the same thing.
Mar 21, 2015, 6:03 am
#18
Suspended
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Location: LAX
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I've probably flown this route a hundred times or more. Most times, LAX-bound planes turn left quite after take off. This is well before getting over the city. If you want to see any of the famous landmarks you would, therefore, have to sit on the right side of the plane. There have been a few very rare occasions when the left turn was delayed and we actually flew up to the tip of the peninsula before turning and got a spectacular view of SF from the left side. It all depends on what ATC is doing, but I really wouldn't count on seeing any of SF on takeoff.
ditto :-:
Mar 21, 2015, 3:32 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2007
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There is a "best case" option for this - especially when headed to SoCal destinations - but you have to be lucky to get it.
There is a departure out of SFO unofficially known as the "Bay Tour" departure - however the only way you'll get it is if the pilot specifically requests it, and only on days with good weather over San Francisco and the bay.
Bay Tour departs from 1L, then turns left and follows the bay at a height of 3000ft. When you get to SF, it turns left and heads over the Golden Gate bridge before starting the climb up to normal altitude and turning to head (normally) south. As a result you get an amazing view of the city (and from only 3000 feet!) as well as the bay, the golden gate bridge, etc - mostly out the left-hand side of the plane.
I've been lucky enough to have been on flights taking this departure twice. The first time I lucked out and was in an A seat on the left-hand side. Since then, any flights I take to SoCal and even destinations to the north like Seattle I always sit on the left, just in case...
There is a departure out of SFO unofficially known as the "Bay Tour" departure - however the only way you'll get it is if the pilot specifically requests it, and only on days with good weather over San Francisco and the bay.
Bay Tour departs from 1L, then turns left and follows the bay at a height of 3000ft. When you get to SF, it turns left and heads over the Golden Gate bridge before starting the climb up to normal altitude and turning to head (normally) south. As a result you get an amazing view of the city (and from only 3000 feet!) as well as the bay, the golden gate bridge, etc - mostly out the left-hand side of the plane.
I've been lucky enough to have been on flights taking this departure twice. The first time I lucked out and was in an A seat on the left-hand side. Since then, any flights I take to SoCal and even destinations to the north like Seattle I always sit on the left, just in case...
Mar 25, 2015, 11:48 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco
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Posts: 3,289
I've probably flown this route a hundred times or more. Most times, LAX-bound planes turn left quite after take off. This is well before getting over the city. If you want to see any of the famous landmarks you would, therefore, have to sit on the right side of the plane. There have been a few very rare occasions when the left turn was delayed and we actually flew up to the tip of the peninsula before turning and got a spectacular view of SF from the left side. It all depends on what ATC is doing, but I really wouldn't count on seeing any of SF on takeoff.
By contrast, the left side gets mostly Peninsula action. Pretty, but not so special.