Honolulu, Oahu to Los Angeles: which side of the plane gets the sun?
On Honolulu, Oahu to Los Angeles, the shady side depends on when you fly: check the table for your departure time and season.
Best side for shade
Departure time is local at HNL. Seasons use the solstices and equinoxes.
| Departing | Mar | Jun | Sep | Dec |
|---|
| Morning07:00 | Left | Eithersun high, ahead or behind | Left | Leftsunrise right |
|---|
| Midday12:00 | Left | Rightsunset left | Left | Left |
|---|
| Afternoon16:00 | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Eithersun high, ahead or behind |
|---|
| Evening20:00 | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark |
|---|
The route starts out heading east-northeast. When it happens during the flight, the sunrise is on the right, and the sunset is on the left.
About this flight
Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) to Los Angeles (LAX) is about 4,108 km on the shortest path, typically around 5h 25m 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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