South Ozone Park is within 20 miles of 4 airports with control towers: John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, Teterboro and Newark Liberty International. Most planes you see over South Ozone Park 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 South Ozone Park change too.
Right now over South Ozone Park
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of South Ozone Park, 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 South Ozone Park.
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 South Ozone Park: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for South Ozone Park, 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 South Ozone Park, an aircraft is overhead about 3 minutes a day on average (very roughly 20 flights).
- The busiest flight path near South Ozone Park is about 1.4 miles southwest of the center of South Ozone Park, where an aircraft is overhead about 18 minutes a day (very roughly 110 flights), usually around 1,600 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading west.
- It’s busiest on days the wind blows from the northwest (about 38 minutes a day), and quieter when it blows from the northeast (7 minutes).
Which way the wind sets the runways
- John F. Kennedy International (JFK), 3.0 miles southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 31L and 31R) 37% of the time and toward the southwest (runways 22L and 22R) 34%. When JFK is using the northwest runways, departing planes climb out toward South Ozone Park.
- LaGuardia (LGA), 7.9 miles north-northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runway 31) 37% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 22) 34%.
- Teterboro (TEB), 17.7 miles northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southwest (runway 24) 38% of the time and toward the north (runway 1) 33%.
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 South Ozone Park
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over South Ozone Park safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- JFKTowerJFK International Tower (JFK)Takeoffs and landings at John F. Kennedy InternationalThank them →
- LGATowerLaGuardia Tower (LGA)Takeoffs and landings at LaGuardiaThank them →
- TEBTowerTeterboro Tower (TEB)Takeoffs and landings at TeterboroThank them →
- EWRTowerNewark Liberty Tower (EWR)Takeoffs and landings at Newark Liberty InternationalThank them →
- N90Approach controlNew York TRACON (N90)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around South Ozone ParkThank them →
- ZNYEn route centerNew York ARTCC (ZNY)Handles flights cruising high over South Ozone ParkThank them →
Why the flight paths over South Ozone Park 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 South Ozone Park. 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 South Ozone Park
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 South Ozone Park are:
- John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
- LaGuardia (LGA)
- Teterboro (TEB)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
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
- Queens, NY
- Brooklyn, NY
- New York, NY
- Manhattan, NY
- The Bronx, NY
- Jersey City, NJ
- New Rochelle, NY
- Staten Island, NY
Every plane over South Ozone Park is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over South Ozone Park a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of South Ozone Park about 3 minutes a day on average (very roughly 20 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.4 miles southwest of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 18 minutes a day (very roughly 110 flights).
Which way does JFK usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored John F. Kennedy International landing toward the northwest (runways 31L and 31R) 37% of the time and toward the southwest (runways 22L and 22R) 34%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over South Ozone Park?
Planes low over South Ozone Park are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as John F. Kennedy International (JFK), 3 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over South Ozone Park 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 South Ozone Park going to?
The closest airports with control towers are John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Teterboro (TEB), Newark Liberty International (EWR). 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 South Ozone Park?
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.