Living under a flight path is one of the most common questions people search for. Here is a complete explanation of how flight paths are determined and what you can do about it.
If aircraft regularly fly over your home, you are almost certainly living beneath an approach or departure path for a nearby airport, or under a high-altitude airway that connects major airports.
Aircraft do not fly randomly between airports — they follow defined routes called airways at high altitude, and very specific approach and departure procedures near airports. These routes are designed by air navigation service providers (NATS in the UK) to balance safety, noise distribution, fuel efficiency, and airspace capacity.
The flight paths are not permanent — they can change seasonally, when wind direction changes (aircraft always land and take off into the wind), or when the airport changes its operational procedures.
Flight paths change more often than most people realise. Common reasons include:
Runway changes — airports switch between runways depending on wind direction. Heathrow uses its easterly or westerly runways depending on the wind, which sends aircraft over completely different parts of London.
New flight procedures — airports regularly update their Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) for safety or efficiency reasons.
Temporary restrictions — military exercises, VIP flights, or special events can temporarily reroute civilian traffic.
Seasonal changes — some routes are adjusted in summer and winter to reflect different traffic patterns.
This depends entirely on where you live relative to the airport. Aircraft on final approach to Heathrow are typically at around 2,000-3,000 feet (600-900m) when they are 8-10 miles from the runway.
At 20 miles from the airport they will be at around 5,000-6,000 feet. At 50 miles or more they could be at 15,000 feet or higher and barely audible.
Aircraft departing an airport climb rapidly and will typically be at 3,000-5,000 feet when they are 5 miles from the runway. By 20 miles out they are often above 10,000 feet.
High-altitude en-route traffic — aircraft flying between distant airports — typically cruises at 35,000-41,000 feet (FL350-FL410). These aircraft are so high they are usually only faintly visible and barely audible.
You can check the exact altitude of any aircraft over your home using whatsflyingover.me — it shows the precise altitude, speed, and heading of every aircraft in real time.
Yes — and this is exactly what whatsflyingover.me is built for. Open the site, allow location, and you can see every aircraft overhead right now with the flight number, airline, origin, destination, and altitude.
For understanding patterns over time, scanning at different times of day will reveal which routes regularly pass over you. Flights on the same route tend to follow very similar tracks at predictable times.
In the UK, most major airports have a noise complaints process. Heathrow, Gatwick, and other major airports publish contact details for noise complaints and some have formal community engagement programmes.
NATS (National Air Traffic Services) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are responsible for airspace design. Major airspace changes go through a public consultation process.
Practically speaking, the best mitigation is understanding the pattern — knowing when flights are scheduled helps you plan around the noise. Secondary glazing and loft insulation significantly reduce interior noise levels.
To find out exactly who is flying over your house right now — the airline, flight number, where the aircraft came from, where it is going, and how high it is — you can use our free live tracker at whatsflyingover.me.
Open it in your browser, allow location access, and within seconds you will see every aircraft within your chosen radius. Each one shows the airline name, IATA flight number, origin and destination airports, altitude, speed, and heading. Tap any card to see the full route with a live progress bar showing exactly where the flight is between departure and arrival.
For example, if you see a plane overhead and wonder whether it is a British Airways flight from New York or an easyJet from Amsterdam — the tracker tells you instantly, with no app download or account required.
It works anywhere in the world. Whether you are in London, New York, Sydney, or Dubai, the tracker shows every ADS-B equipped aircraft overhead in real time.
If an aircraft just flew over and you want to identify it, open whatsflyingover.me immediately — the aircraft will still be visible on the tracker for several minutes as it moves through your area.
Look for the aircraft closest to your location in the results list, sorted by proximity. The card will show you the airline, flight number, aircraft type, altitude, and speed. Tap it to reveal the full route — where it departed from and where it is heading.
If the aircraft has already left your radius, try widening the search radius to 15 or 25 miles — it may still be visible further away.