Margate is within 20 miles of 5 airports with control towers: Fort Lauderdale Executive, Pompano Beach Airpark, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and North Perry. Most planes you see over Margate 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 Margate change too.
Right now over Margate
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Margate, 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 Margate.
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Tap the map to see how often planes pass over that spot. Zoom in with + and –, or pinch with two fingers. 📍 shows where you are. ⤢ goes back to the full view.
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 Margate: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Margate, 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 Margate, an aircraft is overhead about 5 minutes a day on average (very roughly 35 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Margate is about half a mile southeast of the center of Margate, where an aircraft is overhead about 7 minutes a day (very roughly 45 flights), usually around 1,800 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading northwest.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE), 3.9 miles southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southeast (runway 13) 36% of the time and toward the east (runway 9) 34%. When FXE lands toward the southeast, arriving planes line up over or near Margate on their way in.
- Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP), 5.9 miles east: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southeast (runway 15) 27% of the time and toward the east (runway 10) 24%. When PMP lands toward the east, arriving planes line up over or near Margate on their way in.
- Boca Raton (BCT), 11.1 miles north-northeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northeast (runway 5) 59% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 23) 41%.
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 Margate
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Margate safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- FXETowerFort Lauderdale Executive Tower (FXE)Takeoffs and landings at Fort Lauderdale ExecutiveThank them →
- PMPTowerPompano Beach Tower (PMP)Takeoffs and landings at Pompano Beach AirparkThank them →
- BCTTowerBoca Raton Tower (BCT)Takeoffs and landings at Boca RatonThank them →
- FLLTowerFort Lauderdale Tower (FLL)Takeoffs and landings at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood InternationalThank them →
- HWOTowerNorth Perry Tower (HWO)Takeoffs and landings at North PerryThank them →
- MIAApproach controlMiami TRACON (MIA)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around MargateThank them →
- ZMAEn route centerMiami ARTCC (ZMA)Handles flights cruising high over MargateThank them →
Why the flight paths over Margate 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 Margate. 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 Margate
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 Margate are:
- Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE)
- Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP)
- Boca Raton (BCT)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL)
- North Perry (HWO)
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
- Coconut Creek, FL
- North Lauderdale, FL
- Tamarac, FL
- Coral Springs, FL
- Parkland, FL
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Oakland Park, FL
- Lauderhill, FL
Every plane over Margate is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Margate a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Margate about 5 minutes a day on average (very roughly 35 flights).
Which way does FXE usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Fort Lauderdale Executive landing toward the southeast (runway 13) 36% of the time and toward the east (runway 9) 34%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Margate?
Planes low over Margate are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE), 4 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Margate 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 Margate going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE), Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP), Boca Raton (BCT), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL), North Perry (HWO). 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 Margate?
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.