Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Washington to Charlotte. While the left side has some merit at departure, the right side wins overall. During the flight south-southwest, the right side faces west and picks up the Blue Ridge Mountains as a continuous ridgeline through central Virginia and the Carolinas — one of the most consistently scenic features on any East Coast route. The landing view of Lake Norman and Charlotte on the right seals it.

During takeoff from Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. IAD typically departs southwest on runway 19L/19R or southeast on runway 1R/1L. On a southwesterly departure, the left side gets a clear view of the Dulles corridor and then the northern Virginia suburbs. On the more common eastward climb-out toward CLT, the left side faces south and picks up the Potomac River valley and the Washington DC skyline in the distance to the northeast. Notable sights include: Potomac River valley, northern Virginia suburban sprawl, Blue Ridge Mountains foothills to the west, Dulles Access Road corridor below.

When landing at Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), sit on the Right side for the best views. CLT typically lands on runways 18C/36C or 18L/36L, with approaches from the north. On a northerly approach, the right side faces west and picks up the Charlotte skyline clearly as the aircraft descends, along with Lake Norman to the northwest — one of the most visually striking features near any major US airport. Notable sights include: Charlotte Douglas skyline, Lake Norman, Lake Wylie to the southwest, Catawba River corridor.

The flight from Washington Dulles International (IAD) to Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) takes Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

The flight tracks roughly south-southwest over the Virginia piedmont, crossing the James River valley near Lynchburg, then into the North Carolina piedmont. The Blue Ridge Mountains run parallel to the right side of the aircraft for much of the Virginia segment, visible as a long corrugated ridgeline 30-50 miles to the west. The Piedmont Triad region around Greensboro and Winston-Salem is visible below in the final third of the flight before descending into Charlotte.