View allAll Photos Tagged PlaneWatching
My wife and I spent some time at Nellis in November 2020 - great experience but our photos sucked big time. I think operator error on our settings. We decided to drive back down (10.5 hours) to Las Vegas in December 2020 to get some more practice. Overall the photos turned out much better but still not where we want to be quality wise - especially when trying to photography fighters taking off. Any advice? The landing shots look much better but we had better lighting and slower aircraft speeds.
We caught the tail end of one of the weapon school courses so it was a hopping place - we didn't mind that at all!
I was in southern Florida in mid-October 2021 and had some spare time so I stopped at the airplane viewing area at Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL). It's a nice area to relax right at the end of the north runway; the only drawbacks are the chainlink fence and heat haze. Air traffic is starting to pick up again so it was busy while I was there. I will definitely be back there!
I had a few hours free before my flight home. I went back to a nice spotting area at the end of the 26s for coffee and breakfast. After checking in for my flight I spent time in the American Airlines gate area. I took these photos at the beginning of December 2022.
I flew into LAX at the end of March 2022 to attend WonderCon in Anaheim. I came down early to do some plane watching and aviation photography. Because of the insane price of rental cars and gas I opted to stay at the H Hotel, famous for their 12th floor terrace. Air traffic definitely has picked up since my last visit. A lot of heavies were active and international traffic seems back to normal. About the only negatives were very few special liveries and the same murky, gray, blah sky that always happens when I'm there. Oh well, maybe next time!
I took these photos at the end of March 2022 at LAX.
Photos from another day in the Premier Inn Terminal 4 at Heathrow taking care of a sick wife. Unfortunately it was yet another day of easterly operations. 10 days in London and not one with westerly operations - how often does that happen. Oh well, mustn't grumble. At least there was a great mix of heavies and special liveries to keep me interested. I took these photos at the end of April 2022.
Please see my high quality aviation videos
in 4K Ultra HD with many from London Stansted Airport www.youtube.com/user/bananamanuk
Filmed during Storm Georgina at London Stansted Airport on 24 January 2018 this was a nice visitor in the shape of Swiss Bombardier CS100
Please see the video here youtu.be/W_tawsZqG_M
I took these photos on our last day in Las Vegas in August 2021. We had a chance to check out Red Flag 21-3 - always a great experience. On this day we had to make the Raceway-Cheyenne shuffle several times - but it was worth it. Not only was the Red Flag activity awesome, we also caught the USAF Thunderbirds returning from an air show. Very impressive! We are already looking forward to more trips to LV and Red Flag.
The wife and I went to San Diego to visit family in August 2021. One of our must do activities is to picnic on Dog Run Beach on Coronado Island. We find a spot almost at the end of the runway at NAS North Island and hope for the best. Air activity is always so unpredictable. On this day no fighters were up and about but we did see a cool mix of trainers, a C-130 dropping paratroopers, and some other rare types (for us) plus a few Navy ships. We had awesome skies and good food too. Definitely not a bad way to spend a few hours!
I had a short layover at SFO on the way from Orlando to Boise. I was stuck in Alaska's Terminal D - it offers a good vantage point but you have to shoot through thick windows with weird film mesh - not the best for aviation photography. Hopefully next time I'm at SFO I'll have a chance to find better shooting spots.
I took these photos at the end of February 2021.
After attending the 2022 WonderCon I stayed close to LAX at the H Hotel. I do love their terrace. It was cool to see so many heavies landing. Unfortunately I seem to visit whenever Los Angeles has murky, blah skies - what a bummer. I took these photos in early April 2022.
We had not planned on doing any plane watching while on Kauai. We were actually headed to a nearby lighthouse when we were realized we were driving very close to the active runway. Nice area so for the next two afternoons we packed a picnic and came here for a few hours. It's not a very busy airport and most of the traffic is Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest but the setting is awesome, right next to the Pacific Ocean.
We love heading to Nellis Air Force Base 1-2 times a year to catch the Red Flag Exercise. There is usually a really good mix of US and international forces. This year there were RAF Typhoons and a tanker. I understand the Australians headed for it but didn't make it by the time we were there. We lucked out in that many of the takeoffs involved Flex West departures which put the fighters banking right over the Speedway. We had really good weather (except for the wind) and really enjoyed this trip. We were there for 2.5 days in late January 2023.
We had a layover at Sea-Tac and took advantage of a day lounge pass for the lounge in the North Terminal. Excellent choice. With our elite status we have access to lounges in many airports and this one was one of the best. Planes were landing and taking off from the South so landing had the planes turning off the runways before we could see them. I took these photos in mid-September 2022 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
We had a few hours to kill before turning in the rental car so my wife let me sneak in some plane spotting time. Another reason to keep her. We headed for Clutters Park until it got too cold and windy. We tried to park at the Proud Bird but the parking lot was chained shut so we just parked on a nearby side street that had a number of plane spotters there. Good people! I took these photos near LAX in November 2020.
After a pleasant drive from Los Angeles I arrived in Las Vegas on a lovely afternoon. Before heading to the hotel I decided to sit near the end of 26L and watch some planes come and go. Nice choice. A steady stream of planes landing in a beautiful late afternoon sky. I found a spot in a little strip mall and had a really nice view. Not a bad way to spend about two hours. I took these photos in early December 2022.
My wife and I drove to NAF El Centro to catch the Blue Angels practice for their first air show of the season. We were also fortunate enough to see some of the T-45 Goshawks trainers and other aircraft in town for the air show. Excellent day weather-wise. I took these photos in mid-March 2023 - what a great day!
I visited Las Vegas mainly to watch the Red Flag exercise being held in January 2022 at Nellis AFB. We have been to several exercises before and expected a bunch of activity but on the 1st Monday of the 2nd week, not too much was going on. It looked like a normal training day. We could see the B-52s and B-2 on the flight line but they never moved during the day. Also working against us was the very high winds in the area. Very few Flex West departures, most were straight out. Oh well, here's hoping to a better day tomorrow!
I took these photos on 31 January 2022 outside of Nellis AFB, Las Vegas.
LAX is a plane watching paradise - it's always busy and there is a great mix of domestic and international airlines. I try to stay near there a few times a year. On this trip I had just finished attending the WonderCon in Anaheim so I stayed a day at the H Hotel, famous for their 12th floor terrace. This terrace provides good views of both the 24 and 25 runways but lighting and obstructions are a problem - but it's still fun! I took these photos at the end of March 2023.
We had a layover at Sea-Tac and took advantage of a day lounge pass for the lounge in the North Terminal. Excellent choice. With our elite status we have access to lounges in many airports and this one was one of the best. Planes were landing and taking off from the South so landing had the planes turning off the runways before we could see them. I took these photos in mid-September 2022 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
LAX is a plane watching paradise - it's always busy and there is a great mix of domestic and international airlines. I try to stay near there a few times a year. On this trip I had just finished attending the WonderCon in Anaheim so I stayed a day at the H Hotel, famous for their 12th floor terrace. This terrace provides good views of both the 24 and 25 runways but lighting and obstructions are a problem - but it's still fun! I took these photos at the end of March 2023.
After attending the 2022 WonderCon I stayed close to LAX at the H Hotel. I do love their terrace. It was cool to see so many heavies landing. Unfortunately I seem to visit whenever Los Angeles has murky, blah skies - what a bummer. I took these photos in early April 2022.
We love heading to Nellis Air Force Base 1-2 times a year to catch the Red Flag Exercise. There is usually a really good mix of US and international forces. This year there were RAF Typhoons and a tanker. I understand the Australians headed for it but didn't make it by the time we were there. We lucked out in that many of the takeoffs involved Flex West departures which put the fighters banking right over the Speedway. We had really good weather (except for the wind) and really enjoyed this trip. We were there for 2.5 days in late January 2023.
I had a few hours free before my flight home. I went back to a nice spotting area at the end of the 26s for coffee and breakfast. After checking in for my flight I spent time in the American Airlines gate area. I took these photos at the beginning of December 2022.
Checked in for my flight home, had some time to sit in the Cathay Pacific lounge in LHR T-3. Our favorite lounge. Fairly good for airplane watching but the tinted windows affect photography. C'est la vie! What an awesome trip but it's time to go home.
We had some time to kill at DFW before our flight to LHR so we went to the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. Great lounge with an awesome view. It seems like 95% of the traffic is American Airlines but we did see some heavies and international airliners there. We also got to see fire fighting training going on - it was unnerving at first but they did it several times while we were there. I took these photos in January 2025.
We love heading to Nellis Air Force Base 1-2 times a year to catch the Red Flag Exercise. There is usually a really good mix of US and international forces. This year there were RAF Typhoons and a tanker. I understand the Australians headed for it but didn't make it by the time we were there. We lucked out in that many of the takeoffs involved Flex West departures which put the fighters banking right over the Speedway. We had really good weather (except for the wind) and really enjoyed this trip. We were there for 2.5 days in late January 2023.
Photos from my 2nd day at the 22-1 Red Flag Exercises held at Nellis AFB outside of Las Vegas. The morning was very slow but things picked up shortly after noon. A number of fighters took off, followed by 2 B-52s, 3 B-2s, and a number of support aircraft. A major wind event was coming into Las Vegas and I think that led to a lot of last minute Flex West departure cancellations. It also made things very dusty, gritty, and hazy. For recovery operations everyone made a beeline to the Cheyenne Avenue spots. Excellent day but it was freezing by the time the last B-2 landed shortly after sunset. I took these photos on 2/1/2022.
The USAF Thunderbirds were the main draw at the 2023 Gowen Thunder air show at Boise Airport. I wanted to catch the practice on the day before the show. I couldn't find the schedule, so I guessed the start time, and missed it by 15 minutes. That sucked that I missed a bunch of practice but what I did see was worth it. Sky conditions were weird - so many variations, and definitely a lot of heat haze. I took these photos at the end of August 2023 in Boise, Idaho,
We flew into London from Istanbul on a gorgeous morning in mid-April 2020. I hoped to do some aviation photography and take multiple trips during our 10 days in London but the gods had different ideas. My wife and I both had nasty head colds from Istanbul (we tested negative for COVID). We landed on 27L and I was excited but by the time we cleared Passport Control, collected our bags and headed to the hotel, I noticed planes were taking off on 9R. Believe it or not, easterly operations lasted all 10 days we were there. We barely left the hotel in the first few days. Not a very good start to a long awaited trip.
Some aviation photography I did in the morning and evening hours from the Premier Inn Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport. It's always cool seeing so many heavies and special liveries. I took these photos in late-April 2022. Once again it was another day of easterly operations - blah!
LAX is a plane watching paradise - it's always busy and there is a great mix of domestic and international airlines. I try to stay near there a few times a year. On this trip I had just finished attending the WonderCon in Anaheim so I stayed a day at the H Hotel, famous for their 12th floor terrace. This terrace provides good views of both the 24 and 25 runways but lighting and obstructions are a problem - but it's still fun! I took these photos at the end of March 2023.
My wife and I spent some time at Nellis in November 2020 - great experience but our photos sucked big time. I think operator error on our settings. We decided to drive back down (10.5 hours) in December 2020 to get some more practice. Overall the photos turned out much better but still not where we want to be quality wise - especially when trying to photography fighters taking off. Any advice? The landing shots look much better but we had better lighting and slower aircraft speeds.
We caught the tail end of one of the weapon school courses so it was a hopping place - we didn't mind that at all!
My wife and I drove to NAF El Centro to catch the Blue Angels practice for their first air show of the season. We were also fortunate enough to see some of the T-45 Goshawks trainers and other aircraft in town for the air show. Excellent day weather-wise. I took these photos in mid-March 2023 - what a great day!
After a pleasant drive from Los Angeles I arrived in Las Vegas on a lovely afternoon. Before heading to the hotel I decided to sit near the end of 26L and watch some planes come and go. Nice choice. A steady stream of planes landing in a beautiful late afternoon sky. I found a spot in a little strip mall and had a really nice view. Not a bad way to spend about two hours. I took these photos in early December 2022.
I took advantage of an Alaska Air fare sale to MCO, rented a car, and headed to MIA and FLL for a few days. The photography gods were with me on this trip. Very good weather and a nice variety of airplanes.The only negative was the ongoing construction at the Holes - hopefully it is finished sometime soon.
I took these photos in mid-December 2021 at Miami International Airport.
Beautiful day in London. The wife wanted to sleep in so I had a chance to catch some 27L departures. Since it was bitterly cold we decided to just hang out at the Premier Inn Terminal 4 for the day. When the runway switch happened at 1500 I went to the Myrtle Avenue field. Despite the cold and windy conditions there were a bunch of plane spotters hanging out - that is dedication, or possibly insanity. Beautiful sky make it worthwhile!
Arriving at London Stansted AIrport on 19 Jan 2018 were two Ukraine Air Alliance Antonov An-12BK propeller aircraft. Both approaching 50 years in the air. A great sight and sound, unfortunately photography was a little difficult as direct into low winter sun so some backlighting.
UPDATE - This aircraft crash landed at Lvin-Danylo Halytsky Airport in Ukraine on 3 October 2019 killing 5 out of 8 people on board.
Please check out my video of these two aircraft in 4K Ultra HD here www.youtube.com/watch?v=91LaO6RidRw
Slim picking for this day of plane watching at Miami International Airport. Landings and take-offs were from the east and I have yet to find a good area to watch operations from this end. Late in the afternoon ATC changed operations to the west so I went back to El Dorado for a few hours before sunset. I took these photos in mid-October 2021.
I stopped at the Hibiscus parking garage at FLL to spend a few hours plane watching. Beautiful day outside and air traffic is picking up finally. Unfortunately I didn't pay enough attention to my camera settings and some of the photos are not tack sharp - I hate that. FLL is very spotter friendly and I see a return trip in my future!
I took these photos in mid-December 2021.
I took advantage of some great air fares and hotel rates to make a quick trip to do some plane watching and aviation photography at LAX. The plane watching was great, the photography was iffy due to a lot of heat haze and smoggy blah skies. Most of these photos are from the terrace of the H Hotel/Homewood Suites. From the terrace you get a good view of the approach ends of both Runways 24 R/L and 25 R/L.
Since my last trip here a few months earlier I noticed a big increase in domestic and international traffic. I also shot a bunch of special liveries, 737 Max, and some cool charter flights. All in all a good trip.
I took these photos toward the end of May 2021.
These photos are from our second day the Red Flag 23-1 at Nellis Air Force Base in last January 2023. The day started off good with a bunch of Flex West departures. For some reason which we can't figure out, all the departures switched to straight out departures - pretty boring and not good for photography. Later in the afternoon we headed to Cheyenne Avenue for the recovery operations - and we weren't disappointed but it seems like the heavies landed on 21L instead. Oh well!
After attending the 2022 WonderCon I stayed close to LAX at the H Hotel. I do love their terrace. It was cool to see so many heavies landing. Unfortunately I seem to visit whenever Los Angeles has murky, blah skies - what a bummer. I took these photos in early April 2022.
This WW II vintage aircraft, a B-17 belonging to the Commemorative Air Force, makes an annual visit to the War Hawk Museum. It's always a joy to see her but dang, can we get some clear weather? We are suffering from eye, nose, and throat irritating wildfire smoke. When she was in the air I could hear her long before anyone could see her. Fortunately, checking out my wife is always good for my sore eyes!
I took these photos at the Nampa Airport in mid-August 2021
Please see my video of this aircraft landing at London Stansted here www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPocCC7WOTI&feature=youtu.be
Please check out my aviation video of this aircraft www.youtube.com/watch?v=buHxRePPGCw&t=87s
from London Stansted Airport
#Boeing #Boeing757 #Aviation #Planes #Video
My wife and I spent some time at Nellis in November 2020 - great experience but our photos sucked big time. I think operator error on our settings. We decided to drive back down (10.5 hours) in December 2020 to get some more practice. Overall the photos turned out much better but still not where we want to be quality wise - especially when trying to photography fighters taking off. Any advice? The landing shots look much better but we had better lighting and slower aircraft speeds.
We caught the tail end of one of the weapon school courses so it was a hopping place - we didn't mind that at all!