Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Washington to Knoxville. While the left side has a decent departure view, the right side wins overall because it tracks the Blue Ridge and Appalachian ridgelines throughout the cruise portion and delivers the most dramatic payoff on approach — the Great Smoky Mountains panorama on final into Knoxville is one of the better mountain approach views in the eastern US.

During takeoff from Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Dulles typically departs east on runway 01R/19L or uses runways oriented northeast, then turns southwest toward Knoxville. A left-side seat captures the Dulles terminal and control tower complex, then the Virginia piedmont rolling away to the south. As the aircraft banks left and heads southwest, you get a clear look at the Bull Run Mountains and the broader Northern Virginia landscape. Notable sights include: Dulles terminal and air traffic control tower, Bull Run Mountains to the southwest, Shenandoah Valley opening up in the distance, Loudoun County farmland patchwork below.

When landing at Mc Ghee Tyson (TYS), sit on the Right side for the best views. McGhee Tyson Airport sits just south of Knoxville and typically lands on runway 23L, meaning the approach comes from the northeast over the Tennessee Valley. A right-side seat on final approach looks south and southwest directly toward the Great Smoky Mountains, with the prominent ridgelines of the Smokies and the Tennessee River valley laid out clearly below. Notable sights include: Great Smoky Mountains ridgelines to the south, Tennessee River and Fort Loudoun Lake visible below, downtown Knoxville skyline to the north, Clinch and Holston River valleys converging in the distance.

The flight from Washington Dulles International (IAD) to Mc Ghee Tyson (TYS) takes Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

The flight crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains over Virginia, then the Ridge and Valley Appalachian province with its distinctive parallel forested ridges visible from altitude. Shenandoah Valley, the New River Valley, and the clinch Mountain area of southwest Virginia are all crossed. The right side tracks these ridgelines most of the way, while the left side looks back toward the Virginia Piedmont and eventually the Cumberland Plateau.