Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tacoma to Kirtland A.f.b.. While takeoff favors the right, the landing view of the Sandia Mountains' dramatic escarpment is geographically more striking and visually rewarding than the departure. The left side captures the flight's most distinctive geological feature during descent.

During takeoff from Mc Chord Afb (TCM), sit on the Right side for the best views. McChord AFB typically departs eastbound (Runway 16L/R). Right-side seats face south initially, offering views of the Puget Sound shoreline, the Olympic Mountains across the water, and the Seattle metropolitan area sprawl to the south before the aircraft turns southeast. Notable sights include: Puget Sound (immediate west), Olympic Mountains (western horizon across water), Seattle-Tacoma urban corridor (south), Mount Rainier (southeast, visible as the aircraft climbs and turns).

When landing at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), sit on the Left side for the best views. Albuquerque typically lands from the west on Runway 26L/R. Left-side seats face south during approach, providing direct views of the Sandia Mountains' dramatic eastern escarpment, the Rio Grande valley floor, and the city grid of Albuquerque spread across the high desert plain. Notable sights include: Sandia Mountains (dominant eastern face), Rio Grande valley (linear north-south feature), Albuquerque city grid (urban sprawl), West Mesa volcanic plateau (western background).

The flight from Mc Chord Afb (TCM) to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) takes Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Cascade Range (volcanic peaks including Mount Hood visible to the southeast around 1 hour out), then transitions over the high desert plateau of central Oregon and northern California. The Blue Mountains and Wallowa Range appear in eastern Oregon. By midpoint, the landscape shifts to the Great Basin's sagebrush plateau. The flight then crosses into New Mexico, passing over the Colorado Plateau's southern edge, with the Rio Puerco valley and scattered mesas visible before descent into the Albuquerque basin.