Long Beach is within 20 miles of 5 airports with control towers: Long Beach International, Zamperini Field, Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal, Fullerton Municipal and Los Angeles International. Most planes you see over Long Beach are taking off from or landing at one of them. Airports take off and land into the wind, so when the wind changes, the paths over Long Beach change too.
Right now over Long Beach
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Long Beach, updated every 30 seconds.
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Which way the airports are landing right now
Planes take off and land into the wind. Here is the wind at each airport right now, and what it means for the planes over Long Beach.
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Arriving planes don’t fly straight to the runway. Controllers line them up like cars merging onto a highway, often 10 to 20 miles or more from the airport, and fly them along the side of the airport before turning them toward the runway. That is why a town several miles from an airport can sit right under the line of arriving planes, and why it changes when the airport switches direction.
Flight paths over Long Beach: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Long Beach, and which way the wind sets the runways at each nearby airport. These are averages: any single day can be quieter or busier.
- Over the center of Long Beach, an aircraft is overhead about 6 minutes a day on average (very roughly 35 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Long Beach is about 1.5 miles northwest of the center of Long Beach, where an aircraft is overhead about 17 minutes a day (very roughly 100 flights), usually around 1,500 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading south.
- It’s busiest on days the wind blows from the southeast (about 35 minutes a day).
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Long Beach International (LGB), 4.1 miles north-northeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the west (runways 26L and 26R) 47% of the time and toward the southeast (runway 12) 37%.
- Zamperini Field (TOA), 9.0 miles west-northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 29L and 29R) 63% of the time and toward the southeast (runways 11L and 11R) 37%.
Estimated from the past year’s hourly winds (Nov 2025 to Oct 2026), counting the hours with at least a light breeze. The wind leads, but controllers also weigh noise rules, traffic and runway work, so the runway in use doesn’t always match.
Is your street under a flight path? Check your exact address →
Who controls the sky over Long Beach
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Long Beach safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- LGBTowerLong Beach Tower (LGB)Takeoffs and landings at Long Beach InternationalThank them →
- TOATowerTorrance Zamperini Tower (TOA)Takeoffs and landings at Zamperini FieldThank them →
- HHRTowerJack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Tower (HHR)Takeoffs and landings at Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne MunicipalThank them →
- FULTowerFullerton Municipal Tower (FUL)Takeoffs and landings at Fullerton MunicipalThank them →
- LAXTowerLos Angeles International Tower (LAX)Takeoffs and landings at Los Angeles InternationalThank them →
- SCTApproach controlSouthern California TRACON (SCT)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around Long BeachThank them →
- ZLAEn route centerLos Angeles ARTCC (ZLA)Handles flights cruising high over Long BeachThank them →
Why the flight paths over Long Beach change
The wind
Airports use the runway that points most into the wind. When the wind swings around, arrivals and departures flip to the other end of the runway, and planes can start crossing a different part of Long Beach. That often happens when a front or a line of storms moves through.
Storms
Controllers steer planes around thunderstorms, so on stormy afternoons flights can show up where you normally never see them, sometimes lower and closer together than usual.
Busy times
At busy times, controllers space arrivals a few miles apart and may extend the line of planes farther out, which can stretch the arrival path over more neighborhoods.
Training and small planes
Smaller airports nearby are home to flight schools. Student pilots practice takeoffs, landings and approaches, so you may see the same small plane circle back again and again.
Questions about aircraft noise in Long Beach
Aircraft noise is handled by the airport, not by air traffic control. Each airport (usually run by a city, county or airport authority) has its own noise office and wants to hear about specific flights, so note the date and time. The airports near Long Beach are:
- Long Beach International (LGB)
- Zamperini Field (TOA)
- Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal (HHR)
- Fullerton Municipal (FUL)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
To find the right noise office, search the airport’s name with the word “noise,” or use the FAA’s airport locator. If the airport can’t help, the FAA’s noise ombudsman can. FAA: Noise complaints and inquiries → · Find your airport’s noise office, and what helps at home →
Nearby towns
- Torrance, CA
- Downey, CA
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Garden Grove, CA
- Anaheim, CA
- Santa Ana, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Irvine, CA
🚀 Can you see rocket launches from Long Beach? →
Every plane over Long Beach is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Long Beach a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Long Beach about 6 minutes a day on average (very roughly 35 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.5 miles northwest of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 17 minutes a day (very roughly 100 flights).
Which way does LGB usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Long Beach International landing toward the west (runways 26L and 26R) 47% of the time and toward the southeast (runway 12) 37%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Long Beach?
Planes low over Long Beach are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Long Beach International (LGB), 4 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Long Beach some days?
Mostly because of the wind. Airports take off and land into the wind, so a wind shift can send arrivals or departures over different neighborhoods. Storms and busy travel days can also move or stretch the usual paths.
Which airport are the planes over Long Beach going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Long Beach International (LGB), Zamperini Field (TOA), Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal (HHR), Fullerton Municipal (FUL), Los Angeles International (LAX). Low planes are usually using one of these; higher jets are often passing over on the way somewhere else.
Who do I contact about airplane noise in Long Beach?
The noise office of the airport the plane was using, not the control tower. Have the date and time ready. If the airport can't help, the FAA's noise ombudsman takes inquiries through faa.gov/noise.