I'm flying to Monterey CA next week, connecting through SFO in both directions. What's the typical flight path for these flights, would the better views be on the left or right side? Both are Emb-120, I'm in 9C for SFO-MRY late afternoon, and 3A for MRY-SFO early morning.

This may help - seems to vary a bit from flight to flight, and by runway patterns, etc. though:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/S...023Z/KSFO/KMRY

You can look at different flights on the same route (and reverse) to see where historical flights have flown.

Looks like you'll get an interesting view from either side with a chance of a better view of the coast from the A side on the way to MRY and C side on the way to SFO.

To be honest, I would let the sun dictate where you sit (so I would sit on the left (A) for both flghts). That way you won't be staring into the sun when you look out the window.

With those flight times, it's a roll of the dice whether everything will be covered in fog anyway, although seeing bits of SF and the bay area topography peeking through the fog like islands is pretty spectacular, too...

Thanks.

Think I'm going to go with 9C both ways, so (weather permitting) SFO-MRY I have a shot at seeing San Francisco and then later the Monterey Peninsula during downwind. On the return, the Monterey Bay coastline and San Jose. Sun may be an issue outbound once we turn south but not during climbout from SFO Rwy 1 or downwind at MRY. Hopefully on return it's early enough (530AM) that it'll be a non-issue.

This is a great time of year to see it fog-free. Enjoy!

SFO-MRY in the afternoon you usually get a better view of SF Bay and the coastline from the port side so 3A. In the morning it is just the opposite except you will usually have minimal views of SF Bay except the South Bay mud flats. I like the starboard for MRY-SFO as you can also usually see the parallel runway unless special SFO FAA Rule 1-2-3 is in effect (1 cloud - 2 airplanes - and a 3 hour delay)

It is better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here!

Questions such as these are historically placed in the regional travel forums; I will move this to the San Fransciso Forum.

FlyinHawaiian, Co-Moderator
United MileagePlus Forum

Unless you're horribly delayed, yup. No sun for you! (in my best Soup Nazi voice...)

Next week is forecasting showers/overcast. The suntimes are around 7:30am and 6:20pm.

The early am flight look to try to be able to see the San Fran skyline.?..provided it turns and lands from the north.

Assuming the normal runway use - landing 28L and R and departing runway 1L and R --

SFO to MRY - depart runway 1, turn left and proceed west over the coastline, then turn south and fly down the coast but over the ocean. If you are on the right side, you will initially see downtown SF and the Golden Gate Bridge but once over the coastline, you will see only ocean. If you are on the left side, initially you will see the cities of the peninsula as you proceed to the coastline and then the coastline down to the Monterey peninsula. If you land on runway 10, the right side will give you the Monterey Peninsula and the left side the area north along Monterey Bay. If you land on runway 28, you will fly eastward downwind parallel to runway 10, make a right 180 to land on 28.

MRY to SFO - departing either runway 28 or 10 - proceed north to about the middle of Monterey Bay, then turn northeast crossing the coastline at Santa Cruz and proceeding north over the Santa Cruz mountains until reaching SF Bay, then turn northwest for a typical landing on 28L or 28R. Before reaching the coastline, from the left side you will see mostly water, the right side you will see the coast. After crossing the coastline, you will see land either way. Once turning onto final approach for 28L, from the left side you see the west side of the Bay - Palo Alto, San Carlos, etc. From the right side you will see the Bay and in the distance the East Bay - Fremont, Hayward - but pretty far away.

If you get a chance to talk to the pilots before takeoff on the SFO-MRY leg, ask them if they could do a "Bay visual" departure.

Depending on the time of day and the traffic from both SFO and OAK it's possible they will not be able to, but if they ask for it and if ATC approves it then you're in for a treat - especially if you're on the left hand side of the plane.

Bay Visual involves taking off from 1L, and then turning left and staying above the bay at a relatively low altitude, tracking around to the Golden Gate bridge, and then climbing as per normal.

I've been on flights that have flown it twice (always when headed south), and it's probably the best departure of any airport I've flown out of anywhere in the world. (Sydney heading north over the city being a close second!)