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KSFOSFOLarge AirportUnited States — San Francisco 13 ft elev.

San Francisco International Airport

Welcome to San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), a bustling hub that promises an exciting experience for plane spotters! With four active runways, including the long 11,870-foot RWY 10L/28R and an impressive variety of international and domestic traffic, you'll witness everything from sleek commercial jets to unique cargo aircraft soaring above. The airport's location offers stunning views against the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline, particularly when you position yourself at popular spots like Coyote Point Recreation Area and Coyote Point Beach, where you can catch low-altitude landings as planes approach 28L. For a closer view of arrivals on the 10L, head to Seventh Avenue and Walnut Park, just a short stroll away. With diverse traffic and scenic vistas, KSFO is a must-visit destination for any avid aviation enthusiast!

Runways
4
10L/28R, 10R/28L, 1L/19R, 1R/19L
Aircraft (30d)
1,725
within 10 km below 3,000 ft
Top category
airliner
86% of traffic
Peak hour
1 AM
Sundays are busiest
Service
Scheduled
Commercial flights

ATC Frequencies

TypeDescriptionFrequency
ATISATIS113.700 MHz
TWRTWR120.500 MHz
GNDGND121.800 MHz
APPNORCAL APP128.325 MHz
APPNORCAL APP SECONDARY133.950 MHz
APPNORCAL APP INITIAL CONTACT134.500 MHz
DEPNORCAL DEP NW-EAST120.900 MHz
DEPNORCAL DEP SE-WEST135.100 MHz
CLDCLNC DEL118.200 MHz
AWOSAWOS 1118.050 MHz
MISCUSCG34.500 MHz
UNICUNICOM122.950 MHz

For monitoring and reference only. Always use official Jeppesen/AIRAC data for navigation.

Nearby Navigation Aids

TypeIdentNameFrequency
NDBCCKanan335 kHz
VOR-DMECCRConcord117.000 MHz
TACANNUQMoffett117.600 MHz
VORTACOAKOakland116.800 MHz
VORTACOSIWoodside113.900 MHz
VORTACPYEPoint Reyes113.700 MHz
VORTACSAUSausalito116.200 MHz
NDBSFBrijj379 kHz
VOR-DMESFOSan Francisco115.800 MHz
VOR-DMESJCSan Jose114.100 MHz

Runways

DesignatorsHeadingsLengthSurface
10L / 28R118° / 298°11,870 ftASP
10R / 28L118° / 298°11,381 ftASP
1L / 19R28° / 208°7,650 ftASP
1R / 19L28° / 208°8,660 ftASP

Traffic Snapshot — Last 30 Days

Aircraft categories

CategorySightingsShare
airliner1,47886%
light18010%
helicopter503%
cargo151%
unknown20%

Top callsigns

CallsignOperatorCategorySightings
C6531helicopter12
N359SHhelicopter10
FLC71light7
UAL1116United Airlinesairliner7
SJX011airliner6
UAL1960United Airlinesairliner6
UAL1763United Airlinesairliner6
UAL949United Airlinesairliner6
REH7helicopter5
AAL2421American Airlinesairliner5

Best Spotting Times

Based on 675 unique aircraft passes below 3,000ft logged in this area over 30 daysSundays are the busiest day — 146 unique aircraft passes1 AM is the peak hour — 43 unique aircraft passes89% of traffic is airliner
HourRelative trafficPasses
Midnight
39
1 AM
43
2 AM
43
4 AM
41
5 AM
40
4 PM
43
7 PM
39
8 PM
43

Nearby Spotting Locations

Public locations near San Francisco International Airport identified from OpenStreetMap data, ranked by spotting suitability.

Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
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Planespotting location SFO
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
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ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
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ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines

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