View allAll Photos Tagged PlaneWatching
Please check out my videos of Wizz Air aircraft at London Luton Airport including this www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdKt5B4PWMU
I was on my way from Boise to Los Angeles to photograph a Comic Con. I was able to route my flight thru Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with enough time to visit Alaska Airlines' lounge in the North Concourse. It was a nice morning; clear sky, and a great selection of air traffic. The only problem was the glare from the windows - what a bummer. Despite that it was a nice way to start the trip!
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.
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!
Since we were in Las Vegas, the wife suggested we go to Nellis Air Force Base to see if anything interested was going on. This was our first time in this area so we weren't sure where to go. We found a nice spot by the Speedway. The air traffic was great - we probably saw about 70 different aircraft takeoff and land - F-15s, F-16s. F-22s, F-35s, a KC-135, some Drakens, and a few US Navy Hawkeyes.
It was a great experience but neither of us got any excellent photos. I'm not sure if we were using the wrong camera settings, or if it was the distance and speed of the planes, if the heat haze was a factor, but most of our shots were grainy, blurry, and just not tack sharp. What a bummer, but we decided to come back in the near future.
I took these photos in mid-November 2020.
I was riding the LA Metro Rail from Downtown LA to Mariposa Station. I decided to get off at the Aviation/Century Station and see how the plane watching was. It actually was very good - I had a view on aircraft landing on the north runway (24R) and the south runway (25L). The south runway was slightly closer. On this initial trip I only had a 70-180mm lens with me but the photos still looked nice, even with a little heat haze,
There are covered benches at this station and no one bothered me. The station had several Metro volunteers there to help travelers with question. From time to time one would pop over to see if I saw any good planes or basic questions about cameras. There were a few wacky passengers making transfers but they were on there for a few minutes. All in all I found this to be a good alternative to some of the other sites,
Keep in mind there is a constant breeze on the platform. In July it was welcome but not sure how it would feel other times of the year.
After spending (wasting) two days at Nellis I headed back to my hotel near LAS. Beautiful weather so I found a spot in a small strip mall near the LaQuinta and just relaxed. I was fortunate to capture some special liveries and new planes (to me). I took these photos at the end of November 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.
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.
Please see my video of this aircraft departing London Stansted Airport along with Air Force One and German Airforce (Luftwaffe) Airbus A319 following the Nato summit in London December 2019
Seen at London Heathrow Airport in October 2018. This aircraft and many more in my 4K ultra-HD video here youtu.be/yRvwXhEmfHA
Some last minute photos from London Heather Terminal 5 while waiting to board our flight home. I need to find some good spots for Runway 9L landings for future reference.
Beautiful clear day so I drove over to Gowen Field (KBOI) to watch the Warthogs land. By the time I got to my spot the traffic pattern changed so the planes were landing from the East. Grrrr. I went an alternate location but the A-10s had already landed. I stuck around for a little bit thankful the sky was finally clear of wildfire smoke. Better luck next time! I took these photos in October 2020.
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 was a lovely day to be outside of Nellis AFB watching Red Flag 21-1 take place. A bunch of fighters started the day off, followed by tankers and then the bombers. Decent blue skies made better photos. I have a hard time getting tack sharp photos for most takeoffs but things look better when everything comes home.
I took these photos outside of Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada in early February 2021.
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.
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.
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!
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!
We flew into Heathrow on an early morning flight from Munich. The wife was tired and sent me on my way so she could sleep in peace and then chill out. After the runway switch I went to Myrtle Field to join a bunch of other people checking out the busy arrivals at Heathrow. I took these photos in mid-October 2022.
Another day spent inside the Premier Inn T4 at Heathrow Airport caring for a sick wife. Decent plane watching but still dealing with easterly operations and shooting through double pane/glazed windows. It was still nice to see a wide variety of heavies and special liveries. I took these photos at the end of April 2022.
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!
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.
I took these photos from one of the parking garages at LAS. I checked in early and had some time to kill so I wandered up to this spotting spot - it was pretty nice - and cold. It was about 35 degrees with a nasty wind blowing. I lasted about an hour before heading back inside. I would definitely come back here again - when it is warmer!
My wife and I visited Las Vegas to check out Red Flag 21-3, a big exercise for the USAF, Navy, and some foreign countries. It's a great experience watching so many warplanes coming and going. Las Vegas in August is HOT - as in over 100 degrees so we were sweltering. I still can't seem to get consistent tack sharp photos of the high speed takeoffs so I will keep practicing. Any advice is welcome.
I took these photos outside of Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, in early August 2021.
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!
Please see my 4K video filmed during Storm Ciara at London Stansted with diversions, go-arounds and plenty of spray and wet weather during gale force winds. www.youtube.com/watch?v=79TKi3qys_k
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.
I took these photos from one of the parking garages at LAS. I checked in early and had some time to kill so I wandered up to this spotting spot - it was pretty nice - and cold. It was about 35 degrees with a nasty wind blowing. I lasted about an hour before heading back inside. I would definitely come back here again - when it is warmer!
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!
These photos are from our third day of plane spotting at the 23-1 Red Flag Exercise at Nellis Air Fore Base. After a lovely morning at Red Rock Canyon we got to Nellis around 1330, just as the B-52 was taxiing for take off. Excellent timing. Good weather, still windy, and most planes were doing the Flex West departure - very nice. About an hour after the wave of takeoffs subsided, we went to Cheyenne Avenue to catch the afternoon recoveries. This was one of our best days there ever. Seemed like nonstop action for over an hour. The lighting conditions were awesome - good late afternoon sun right before sunset - especially when the AWACS finished the days activities. Wow!
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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.
This day was even grayer, windier, and colder than the day before. My wife decided not to even get out of the car. We stuck around for a few hours but no B-1s so we decided to head out since we had a long drive to El Centro, CA.
These photos are from Red Flag 21-2 held at Nellis AFB outside Las Vegas, Nevada in early March 2021.
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.
These photos are from our third day of plane spotting at the 23-1 Red Flag Exercise at Nellis Air Fore Base. After a lovely morning at Red Rock Canyon we got to Nellis around 1330, just as the B-52 was taxiing for take off. Excellent timing. Good weather, still windy, and most planes were doing the Flex West departure - very nice. About an hour after the wave of takeoffs subsided, we went to Cheyenne Avenue to catch the afternoon recoveries. This was one of our best days there ever. Seemed like nonstop action for over an hour. The lighting conditions were awesome - good late afternoon sun right before sunset - especially when the AWACS finished the days activities. Wow!
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!
I had to fly back East for a family matter. I was able to arrange for a several hour layover at SeaTac and use a lounge pass for the Alaska Airlines lounge in the N concourse. Unfortunately I arrived there before sunrise on a very dreadful morning - dark, gloomy, heavy rain - just another November morning in the Pacific Northwest. The windows were streaked with rain. Despite all that there was a lot of good plane watching and the photos came out a lot better than expected. Not a bad way to kill a few hours! I took these photos in mid-November 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) 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!
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!
I love watching planes at Miami International Airport (MIA). There is a great variety of airlines/airplanes, the weather is usually good, and there are several nice spotting spots. I took most of these photos at the El Dorado viewing area in mid-October 2021.
We were in the Los Angeles area on a short trip in August 2021. My wife gave me a pass to go to Clutters Park for a few hours. Excellent plane watching - it was good to see so many international flights back at LAX. Photography wise, the heat haze was pretty intense and I wasn't paying close enough attention to my camera settings - what a bonehead. I guess I'll need to return to LAX for more practice!
This day was even grayer, windier, and colder than the day before. My wife decided not to even get out of the car. We stuck around for a few hours but no B-1s so we decided to head out since we had a long drive to El Centro, CA.
These photos are from Red Flag 21-2 held at Nellis AFB outside Las Vegas, Nevada in early March 2021.