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MSP destination photo
TUS destination photo

MSPTUS

Our Recommendation
8.2

Right Side of the Plane

The right side offers superior views of the dramatic transition from the Great Plains to the high-altitude peaks of the Southern Rockies and the rugged Santa Catalina Mountains upon descent.

Right Side Highlights
8.2
🛤️

Platte River Valley

The historic transit corridor across Nebraska, following the path of the Oregon Trail.

🏔️

Front Range Rockies

Distant views of the Colorado Rockies, including the prominent 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak.

🏜️

Sandia Peak

The massive granite face overlooking Albuquerque, offering incredible depth and shadow detail.

🌲

Gila Wilderness

Vast stretches of high-elevation pine forest and deep canyons in western New Mexico.

⛰️

Santa Catalina Mountains

A spectacular close-up of Mount Lemmon and the Finger Rock formations during the descent into Tucson.

The right side is ideal for afternoon flights to catch the golden hour light hitting the Sandia and Santa Catalina mountain faces. During the descent into TUS, the aircraft often flies parallel to the Santa Catalinas, providing an intimate look at the rugged desert canyons. Keep your camera ready as you pass Albuquerque for the best mountain profiles.

Left Side Highlights
7.4
🌊

Missouri River Crossing

View the winding Missouri River as the flight path moves from the Midwest into the Great Plains.

🌾

Kansas High Plains

Observe the geometric patterns of center-pivot irrigation circles across the vast agricultural landscape.

⬜

White Sands National Park

A rare opportunity to see the stark, brilliant white gypsum dunes of New Mexico from high above.

⛰️

Organ Mountains

Sharp, jagged peaks rising dramatically near Las Cruces, visible during the final third of the flight.

🌵

Santa Rita Mountains

Rugged desert ranges south of the Tucson basin, often visible as the aircraft aligns for its final approach.

Sit on the left for morning flights to keep the sun behind you. This side provides the best view of the White Sands gypsum field in southern New Mexico, which appears as a bright white patch in the desert. Watch for the 'Sky Islands'—isolated mountain ranges rising out of the desert floor—as you enter Arizona.

Top Activities in Tucson
Route Information

Distance: 2,087 km (1,297 miles)

Approximate Flight Time: 2 hrs 47 min

Departure: MSP (44.882, -93.221802)

Arrival: TUS (32.116100311279304, -110.94100189208984)

Route Type: Domestic

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