What you're seeing over Tampa
Over Tampa, most airliners are going to or from Tampa International, which sits on the Westshore side of the city right on Old Tampa Bay. Southwest is the airport's biggest airline, with Delta, American, JetBlue, Spirit and many others in the mix, and the traffic swells in winter as snowbirds and tourists fly south.
TPA's parallel runways run north-south. When it lands toward the south, arrivals come down over the bay and the northwest suburbs; when it lands toward the north, they pass over South Tampa and the bay to the south, close to MacDill Air Force Base. Across the bay, St. Pete–Clearwater International adds low-cost flights and a Coast Guard air station, and MacDill's KC-135 tankers are a familiar sight. The water everywhere makes the region a great place to watch planes, since there are few obstructions. Higher up, a steady line of jets heads down the Gulf coast toward South Florida and Latin America, often drawing contrails on cool, humid days.
Airports near Tampa
- commercialTPATampa International Airport
KTPA · 5 miles west of downtown
The region's main airport, with Southwest as its largest carrier. Live traffic at TPA ↗ - commercialPIESt. Pete–Clearwater International Airport
KPIE · 14 miles west of downtown
An Allegiant-focused airport that hosts Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater. Live traffic at PIE ↗ - militaryMCFMacDill Air Force Base
KMCF · 8 miles southwest of downtown
Home of the 6th Air Refueling Wing and the headquarters of US Central Command and US Special Operations Command. Live traffic at MCF ↗ - cargoLALLakeland Linder International Airport
KLAL · 27 miles east of downtown
An Amazon Air hub and home of the NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft, east of Tampa. Live traffic at LAL ↗ - commercialSRQSarasota Bradenton International Airport
KSRQ · 39 miles south of downtown
A growing commercial airport south of the bay. Live traffic at SRQ ↗
Common traffic over Tampa
Southwest flies the most flights at TPA, with 737 MAX 8s and 737-800s, while Delta, American, United, JetBlue, Spirit and Frontier fly A320-family jets and 737s. Canadian and British carriers add winter and seasonal service, and a few transatlantic flights operate. PIE is mostly Allegiant.
The flows are fairly simple:
- South flow, landing toward the south: arrivals come in over Oldsmar, Town 'n' Country and Old Tampa Bay; departures head south over South Tampa and the bay.
- North flow, landing toward the north: arrivals approach from the south over the bay and South Tampa; departures climb out to the north over Town 'n' Country and Citrus Park.
MacDill's 6th Air Refueling Wing flies KC-135 tankers, often in patterns over the bay, and transports bringing in senior officials and special operations forces visit regularly. The Coast Guard at Clearwater flies HC-130J search aircraft and MH-60 helicopters across the Gulf and Caribbean.
Amazon's Lakeland hub adds freighters at night, and FedEx and UPS serve TPA. Helicopters include Bayflite and other medevac services, Tampa Police, sheriff aviation units and news crews. Summer thunderstorms and hurricane season can scramble the flows, and overflights heading between the Northeast and South Florida or Latin America pass high over the region.
Aircraft you'll often see here
Boeing 737 MAX 8
narrowbody airliner
Boeing 737-800
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A320
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A321
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A320neo
narrowbody airliner
Embraer E175
regional jet
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
military aerial refueling tanker
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
military tactical airlifter
Plane-spotting tips for Tampa
The shoreline parks along the Courtney Campbell Causeway, west of the airport, give wide views across Old Tampa Bay of aircraft arriving and departing. At TPA, the top levels of the airport's parking garages give elevated views of the field. Across the bay, the waterfront near PIE gives looks at Coast Guard aircraft. MacDill's base is closed to the public, but tankers are easy to spot from South Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard. Summer afternoon storms build quickly, so mornings and winter days usually have clearer skies. Davis Islands, just south of downtown, has its own small airport, Peter O. Knight, and a waterfront with views of MacDill traffic over the bay.
Tampa sky questions
What are the big gray planes over South Tampa?
They are usually KC-135 tankers from the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, at the southern tip of the Interbay Peninsula.
Why is Tampa's airport so busy in winter?
Winter brings snowbirds and tourists from the Northeast, Midwest and Canada, and airlines add seasonal flights to meet the demand.
Which way is TPA landing today?
Watch the arrivals on the live map. If they are coming down over Oldsmar and the north end of Old Tampa Bay, TPA is landing to the south; if they come from over the bay and South Tampa, it is landing to the north.
Nearby cities
Planes over Orlando (77 mi) · Planes over Jacksonville (172 mi) · Planes over Miami (206 mi) · Planes over Atlanta (417 mi)