Which side of the plane from Washington (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA)?

Washington Dulles International Airport, United States → Frankfurt Airport, Germany

Quick answer

It depends on when you leave. Morning departures from Washington to Frankfurt: sit on the left side (seat A) for shade. Afternoon departures: sit on the right side (seats F/K).

The route runs mostly east-northeast, and the sun swings from the eastern sky in the morning to the western sky in the afternoon, so the two end up on opposite sides of the cabin.

Check your exact flight

Seasons and departure times change the answer. Enter yours and CabinShade tracks the sun along the whole route.

Shady side by departure time and season

Each cell shows the window side that stays out of the sun for a departure at that local time on the 15th of the month. A = left side, F/K = right side, Any = little direct sun, Dark = night flight.

Departs	Jan	Apr	Jul	Oct
6 am	A	A	A	A
9 am	A	A	A	A
noon	A	A	F/K	A
3 pm	A	F/K	F/K	F/K
6 pm	Dark	F/K	F/K	F/K
9 pm	A	Any	F/K	A

Sunrise and sunset views

Sunset on the left side (seat A): 9 am departures in April and July; noon and 6 pm departures in April, July and October; 3 pm departures year-round.
Sunset on the right side (seats F/K): 6 am departures in January, April and October; 9 am departures in January and October; noon departures in January.
Sunrise on the left side (seat A): 6 pm departures in April, July and October; 9 pm departures in April and July.
Sunrise on the right side (seats F/K): 6 am departures year-round; 9 pm departures in January and October.

About the IAD–FRA route

Distance: 6,548 km (4,069 miles) along the great circle.
Estimated flight time: 8h 24m. Real schedules vary with winds and routing.
Direction: leaves heading northeast, is flying east-northeast at the halfway point, and arrives heading east-southeast.

Window seat letters: A is the left window on almost every airline. The right window is the last letter in the row: usually F on single-aisle jets and K (sometimes J or L) on wide-bodies. How seat letters work.

Questions about this flight

Which side of the plane is shady from Washington to Frankfurt?

Flying Washington (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA)? Morning flights: sit on the left (A) for shade; afternoon flights: the right (F/K).

Which side has the sunset or sunrise view?

Most often the sunset is on the left side (seat A); it depends on the departure time and season. Use the calculator with your exact date to be sure.

How is this calculated?

CabinShade follows the great-circle route in 60 steps and computes the sun's position at each step, then counts how long each side of the cabin faces the sun. More on the method.

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