Planespotting San Francisco — KSFO
If you want volume and variety, San Francisco delivers. The SFO Museum and dramatic parallel landings. Below: the best vantage points and the typical daily rhythm — plus Spotterra to alert you when a rare frame is on approach.
- UAL1479 A21N
- .N152UW A321
- .N929JB A321
- FFT3439 A20N
- OPS12
- LN401HC
- OPS13
- UAL2000 A21N
Conditions right now
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody55%
- Widebody22%
- Cargo8%
- Bizjet7%
- Turboprop5%
- Military3%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
SFO Museum / Bayfront
The SFO Museum and dramatic parallel landings. The signature vantage point for arrivals — best light in the afternoon, aircraft low and overhead.
Terminal viewing terrace
Comfortable overview of the apron and taxiways — a good place to start and to log registrations between banks.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Expect European narrowbodies (A320 family, 737) all day, long-haul A330/777/787 on the banks, the odd freighter and business jets on the GA apron. Exactly the mix where a rare tail hides — and where Spotterra earns its keep.
FAQ
What's that plane over San Francisco?
Open Spotterra's live map — you'll see every aircraft over San Francisco in real time, with type, registration and route. Free, no install, straight from the ADS-B network.
Where's the best spot at KSFO?
SFO Museum / Bayfront is the go-to. Which runway is active depends on the wind — Spotterra predicts it from the live METAR so you know where to stand.
How do I get alerts for interesting aircraft?
Sign up, set your location and radius, pick your categories (military, cargo, rare types) and the alert arrives by push, Telegram or email — often 10-30 minutes before a long-haul arrival.
Spotterra watches the sky over San Francisco
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
Start spotting freeMore in North America: Los Angeles · New York JFK · Miami · Chicago O'Hare · Dallas/Fort Worth · Seattle · All 100 airports →