Orlando is within 20 miles of 4 airports with control towers: Orlando Executive, Orlando International, Kissimmee Gateway and Orlando Sanford International. Most planes you see over Orlando 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 Orlando change too.
Right now over Orlando
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Orlando, 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 Orlando.
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 Orlando: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Orlando, 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 Orlando, an aircraft is overhead about 4 minutes a day on average (very roughly 25 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Orlando is about 1.3 miles east-southeast of the center of Orlando, where an aircraft is overhead about 42 minutes a day (very roughly 255 flights), usually around 500 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading east.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Orlando Executive (ORL), 2.9 miles east: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northeast (runway 7) 34% of the time and toward the northwest (runway 31) 27%. When ORL lands toward the northeast, arriving planes line up over or near Orlando on their way in.
- Orlando International (MCO), 8.6 miles south-southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the north (runways 35L, 35R, 36L and 36R) 61% of the time and toward the south (runways 17L, 17R, 18L and 18R) 39%.
- Kissimmee Gateway (ISM), 17.5 miles south-southwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northeast (runway 6) 35% of the time and toward the northwest (runway 33) 27%.
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 Orlando
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Orlando safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- ORLTowerOrlando Executive Tower (ORL)Takeoffs and landings at Orlando ExecutiveThank them →
- MCOTowerOrlando International Tower (MCO)Takeoffs and landings at Orlando InternationalThank them →
- ISMTowerKissimmee Gateway Tower (ISM)Takeoffs and landings at Kissimmee GatewayThank them →
- SFBTowerOrlando Sanford Tower (SFB)Takeoffs and landings at Orlando Sanford InternationalThank them →
- F11Approach controlCentral Florida TRACON (F11)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around OrlandoThank them →
- ZJXEn route centerJacksonville ARTCC (ZJX)Handles flights cruising high over OrlandoThank them →
Why the flight paths over Orlando 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 Orlando. 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 Orlando
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 Orlando are:
- Orlando Executive (ORL)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Kissimmee Gateway (ISM)
- Orlando Sanford International (SFB)
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
🚀 Can you see rocket launches from Orlando? →
Every plane over Orlando is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Orlando a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Orlando about 4 minutes a day on average (very roughly 25 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.3 miles east-southeast of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 42 minutes a day (very roughly 255 flights).
Which way does MCO usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Orlando International landing toward the north (runways 35L, 35R, 36L and 36R) 61% of the time and toward the south (runways 17L, 17R, 18L and 18R) 39%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Orlando?
Planes low over Orlando are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Orlando Executive (ORL), 3 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Orlando 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 Orlando going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Orlando Executive (ORL), Orlando International (MCO), Kissimmee Gateway (ISM), Orlando Sanford International (SFB). 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 Orlando?
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.