What you're seeing over Pittsburgh
Most airliners over Pittsburgh are flying to or from Pittsburgh International, which sits in the hills about 15 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon townships. PIT was once a giant US Airways hub with a sprawling midfield terminal; today Southwest and American are the biggest carriers, joined by Delta, United, JetBlue, Spirit and a few others, and the airport serves mostly point-to-point flights.
Because PIT is so far west of the city, the jets you see over downtown and the eastern neighborhoods are usually several thousand feet up on arrival and departure routes, not on short final. The airport also hosts two military flying units, the Air Force Reserve's 911th Airlift Wing with C-17s and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 171st Air Refueling Wing with KC-135 tankers, so big gray jets are a common sight over the western suburbs. Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin adds business jets. After dark, the city's overlooks are excellent places to watch landing lights line up to the west, and our guide to spotting planes at night explains how to read them.
Airports near Pittsburgh
- commercialPITPittsburgh International Airport
KPIT · 13 miles west of downtown
A former US Airways hub west of the city, now with Southwest and American as the biggest carriers and two military units on the field. Live traffic at PIT ↗ - relieverAGCAllegheny County Airport
KAGC · 7 miles southeast of downtown
A 1930s-era airport in West Mifflin used by business jets and general aviation. Live traffic at AGC ↗ - commercialLBEArnold Palmer Regional Airport
KLBE · 33 miles east of downtown
A regional airport in Latrobe named for the golfer, with limited airline service. Live traffic at LBE ↗ - general aviationBTPPittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport
KBTP · 23 miles north of downtown
A general aviation airport north of the city. Live traffic at BTP ↗
Common traffic over Pittsburgh
Southwest flies 737-800s and MAX 8s from PIT, and American runs a large schedule with A319s, A321s and regional jets to its hubs. Delta, United, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant add more, and FedEx and UPS freighters serve PIT.
PIT has four runways, three of them parallel and running roughly east-west, so its flows are fairly simple:
- West flow, the most common configuration with prevailing west winds: arrivals approach from the east over Coraopolis, Moon and the Ohio River valley, and departures climb out to the west over Beaver County.
- East flow: arrivals come in from the west over Beaver County and departures climb east over Moon and Robinson townships before turning.
The hills around PIT mean arrivals are often visible from ridgetops long before they land.
Military flying comes from the Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station and the 171st Air Refueling Wing on the airport's grounds. The 911th Airlift Wing flies C-17s, and the 171st flies KC-135 tankers, often on training sorties over western Pennsylvania. Helicopters include STAT MedEvac and other medevac services serving the city's hospitals, Allegheny County Police and news crews. Overflights between the East Coast and Chicago or the Midwest pass over the region constantly at cruise altitude, so a jet at 37,000 feet over Pittsburgh is usually on its way somewhere else.
Aircraft you'll often see here
Boeing 737-800
narrowbody airliner
Boeing 737 MAX 8
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A319
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A321
narrowbody airliner
Embraer E175
regional jet
Bombardier CRJ900
regional jet
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
military strategic airlifter
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
military aerial refueling tanker
Plane-spotting tips for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's hills and overlooks make it a great city for watching high traffic. The overlooks on Mount Washington, above the Monongahela, give wide views of the sky over downtown and the rivers, especially at sunset. Near the airport, the roads around the runway ends in Moon and Findlay townships give views of arrivals and departures,. Allegheny County Airport's Art Deco terminal is worth a visit. From downtown, look west toward PIT for arrivals and departures. The region's cloudy winters can hide aircraft for days, while fall offers clear, crisp skies and colorful hills. Point State Park, where the rivers meet, offers another wide view of the sky right downtown.
Pittsburgh sky questions
What are the big military planes at Pittsburgh's airport?
They are C-17s from the Air Force Reserve's 911th Airlift Wing and KC-135 tankers from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 171st Air Refueling Wing, both based at PIT.
Why are planes so high over downtown Pittsburgh?
PIT is about 15 miles west of downtown, so jets over the city are usually climbing, descending or passing through at moderate altitudes rather than on final approach.
Which way is PIT landing today?
PIT usually operates in west flow, landing toward the west with west winds. When winds shift to the east, arrivals come in from the west instead.
Nearby cities
Planes over Cleveland (115 mi) · Planes over Columbus (162 mi) · Planes over Buffalo (179 mi) · Planes over Washington, D.C. (190 mi)