North Lauderdale is within 20 miles of 5 airports with control towers: Fort Lauderdale Executive, Pompano Beach Airpark, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Boca Raton and North Perry. Most planes you see over North Lauderdale 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 North Lauderdale change too.
Right now over North Lauderdale
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of North Lauderdale, 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 North Lauderdale.
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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 North Lauderdale: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for North Lauderdale, 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 North Lauderdale, an aircraft is overhead about 4 minutes a day on average (very roughly 25 flights).
- The busiest flight path near North Lauderdale is about 1.5 miles east of the center of North Lauderdale, where an aircraft is overhead about 7 minutes a day (very roughly 45 flights), usually around 1,100 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading northwest.
- It’s busiest on days the wind blows from the west (about 11 minutes a day).
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE), 3.7 miles east-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 North Lauderdale on their way in. When FXE lands toward the east, arriving planes line up over or near North Lauderdale on their way in.
- Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP), 7.4 miles east-northeast: 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%.
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL), 11.0 miles south-southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the east (runways 10L and 10R) 70% of the time and toward the west (runways 28L and 28R) 30%.
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 North Lauderdale
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over North Lauderdale 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 →
- FLLTowerFort Lauderdale Tower (FLL)Takeoffs and landings at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood InternationalThank them →
- BCTTowerBoca Raton Tower (BCT)Takeoffs and landings at Boca RatonThank 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 North LauderdaleThank them →
- ZMAEn route centerMiami ARTCC (ZMA)Handles flights cruising high over North LauderdaleThank them →
Why the flight paths over North Lauderdale 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 North Lauderdale. 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 North Lauderdale
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 North Lauderdale are:
- Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE)
- Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL)
- Boca Raton (BCT)
- 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
- Tamarac, FL
- Margate, FL
- Coconut Creek, FL
- Coral Springs, FL
- Lauderhill, FL
- Plantation, FL
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Parkland, FL
Every plane over North Lauderdale is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over North Lauderdale a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of North Lauderdale about 4 minutes a day on average (very roughly 25 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.5 miles east of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 7 minutes a day (very roughly 45 flights).
Which way does FLL usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International landing toward the east (runways 10L and 10R) 70% of the time and toward the west (runways 28L and 28R) 30%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over North Lauderdale?
Planes low over North Lauderdale 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 North Lauderdale 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 North Lauderdale going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE), Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL), Boca Raton (BCT), 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 North Lauderdale?
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.