What you're seeing over Phoenix
The airliner over Phoenix is most likely heading to or from Sky Harbor International, a major American Airlines hub and a big Southwest base just three miles east of downtown. Sky Harbor's three parallel east-west runways sit almost in the middle of the metro, so arrivals and departures fly over a lot of the city.
Phoenix is also one of the busiest flight-training regions in the country, thanks to clear skies most of the year. Small planes from schools at Deer Valley, Falcon Field, Chandler and Mesa Gateway buzz around the outskirts, and Luke Air Force Base, west of the city, is where the Air Force trains F-35 pilots. Add business jets heading to Scottsdale and Grand Canyon tour flights, and the sky is rarely empty. The live map lets you tell a training Cessna from an airliner at a glance, and our guide on airliners, bizjets and military jets helps with the rest.
Airports near Phoenix
- major hubPHXPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
KPHX · 4 miles east of downtown
An American Airlines hub and major Southwest base near downtown Phoenix. Live traffic at PHX ↗ - commercialAZAPhoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
KAZA · 26 miles east of downtown
A former Air Force base in Mesa, now home to Allegiant flights and flight training. Live traffic at AZA ↗ - general aviationDVTPhoenix Deer Valley Airport
KDVT · 17 miles north of downtown
One of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, dominated by flight training. Live traffic at DVT ↗ - relieverSCFScottsdale Airport
KSDL · 15 miles northeast of downtown
A business-jet airport that gets especially busy during big events such as golf tournaments and car auctions. Live traffic at SCF ↗ - militaryLUFLuke Air Force Base
KLUF · 19 miles west of downtown
The Air Force's main F-35A training base, west of Phoenix. Live traffic at LUF ↗
Common traffic over Phoenix
American runs a big hub at Sky Harbor, flying A321s, A320s and 737s, plus regional jets. Southwest is just as visible, with a large schedule of 737s. Frontier, Delta, United and Alaska add smaller operations, and a handful of international flights connect Phoenix with Mexico, Canada and the UK.
Sky Harbor typically operates in west flow, landing and departing toward the west, during much of the day. That puts arrivals over Tempe and the east valley and departures over west Phoenix. When winds come from the east, often in the early morning, the airport switches to east flow, which sends departures out over Tempe and arrivals over the west side. The airport is boxed in by the city, so aircraft on approach or climb are low over neighborhoods within a few miles of the runways.
Military aviation is a big part of the Phoenix sky:
- Luke AFB trains F-35A pilots, and the jets fly over the west valley in pairs and four-ships.
- Tankers and transports occasionally visit, and the Arizona Air National Guard flies KC-135s from Sky Harbor.
Helicopters include Phoenix Police, news crews, medevac services and Boeing's AH-64 Apache factory in Mesa, which produces test flights over the east valley. Summer monsoon storms, dust storms known as haboobs and extreme heat all affect operations.
Aircraft you'll often see here
Boeing 737-800
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A321
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A320
narrowbody airliner
Boeing 737 MAX 8
narrowbody airliner
Bombardier CRJ900
regional jet
Cessna 172 Skyhawk
single-engine piston airplane
Piper PA-28 Cherokee family
single-engine piston airplane
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
military aerial refueling tanker
Plane-spotting tips for Phoenix
Sky Harbor's PHX Sky Train and parking garages offer elevated views of the runways, and the city's Rio Salado Habitat area along the Salt River gives a quiet place to watch departures climbing out in west flow. At Deer Valley, the airport restaurant overlooks flight training traffic. For Luke F-35s, roads near the base perimeter offer glimpses of jets on approach. From downtown, look east toward Tempe to see arrival lines. Summer heat can produce strong shimmer close to the ground, so early mornings give the best photos. The Commemorative Air Force museum at Falcon Field in Mesa has warbirds on display, and Tempe Town Lake is a pleasant place to watch west-flow arrivals pass overhead on final.
Phoenix sky questions
Why are there fighter jets over the west valley?
Luke Air Force Base, west of Phoenix, is the Air Force's primary F-35A training base. Student pilots fly regular training sorties over the west valley and nearby ranges.
Why are so many small planes flying around Phoenix?
Phoenix has excellent flying weather most of the year, so many flight schools are based at Deer Valley, Falcon Field, Chandler and Mesa Gateway. Training aircraft fly patterns and practice maneuvers around these airports.
Which way is Sky Harbor landing today?
Sky Harbor usually operates in west flow during the day, landing toward the west over Tempe. With east winds, often in the early morning, it switches and lands toward the east.
Nearby cities
Planes over Tucson (106 mi) · Planes over Las Vegas (256 mi) · Planes over San Diego (299 mi) · Planes over Riverside (308 mi)