Cape Town to London: which side of the plane gets the sun?
On most daytime flights from Cape Town to London, the sun shines in on the left. Sit on the right for shade, or the left for the view of the sun.
Best side for shade
Departure time is local at CPT. Seasons use the solstices and equinoxes.
| Departing | Mar | Jun | Sep | Dec |
|---|
| Morning07:00 | Eithersun on both sides | Eithersun on both sides | Eithersun on both sides | Eithersun on both sides |
|---|
| Midday12:00 | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left |
|---|
| Afternoon16:00 | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left |
|---|
| Evening20:00 | Eithermostly dark | Leftsunrise right | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark |
|---|
The route starts out heading north-northwest. When it happens during the flight, the sunrise is on the right, and the sunset can be on either side, depending on season and time.
About this flight
Cape Town (CPT) to London (LHR) is about 9,682 km on the shortest path, typically around 12h 00m gate to gate. Set your exact departure time above to see where the sun is minute by minute.
How accurate is this?
Real flights don't fly exactly the shortest path, and delays and winds shift the timing, so treat sunrise and sunset times as approximate. At cruise altitude the sun sets 10 to 20 minutes later than on the ground. A bright cloud deck below can reflect glare in on either side. More on accuracy.
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