Los Angeles International Airport is considered one of the busiest airports in the world and with that comes hundreds of daily flights each day.
To get fairly up close and personal to some of today’s most advanced commercial airliners (and to geek out a bit), here are five public locations around Los Angeles International Airport to spot those planes taking off and landing:
1) In-N-Out & Adjacent Park | 9149 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Perhaps one of the most popular plane spotting locations is a public park located just a few hundred yards from the end of the northern-most runway at LAX. Added bonus? You are also a few hundred yards from an animal-style burger at the neighboring In-N-Out. Grab a burger, cross the street to the park and enjoy that double-double burger as you watch a double-decker Airbus A380 hover just a few hundred feet above your head on its final approach.
For photographers, this vantage point also offers a nice view of planes touching down with the approach lights in the foreground.
Free street parking is available as well as in In-N-Out’s parking lot if you are a paying customer.
2) Westcheser Pkwy. Bridge Over Lincoln Blvd. | Intersection of Westchester Pkwy & Colegio Dr.
This lesser-known location requires a bit more effort to get to as there is strictly no parking or stopping along the roads in this area. But, maybe you just ate 1,500 calories at In-N-Out and need to walk it off a bit?
This location gives a good perspective of the north runways with the iconic terminals in the background. The very wide sidewalk here is also popular with runners, walkers and cyclists.
Parking can be found in the same area as In-N-Out (1 mile walk away) or along public streets north of Westchester Parkway. Parking can also be found at Westchester Park (0.6 mile walk away).
3) Clutter’s Park | 400 block of E. Imperial Ave., El Segundo
Another popular spot on the plane spotting tour is a tiny El Segundo park located on a hill overlooking the entire airport. At Clutter’s Park, you will find many diehard plane spotters donning binoculars and cameras taking advantage of the bird’s-eye view of LAX.
The park features benches as well as built-in binoculars to get closer views of planes on the tarmac.
Parking is free and located along East Imperial Avenue and the neighboring streets.
4) Flight Path Museum | 6661 W. Imperial Highway
With its great displays of airline memorabilia, a live air traffic scanner and a restored DC-3 plane, the Fight Path Museum is worth a visit on its own. In addition to its other attractions though, the free museum also offers a panoramic view of the LAX tarmac as well as some large cargo planes that typically park nearby.
The museum is located in LAX’s old Imperial Terminal and is normally open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (Check their website for full listing of hours and holiday schedules). Parking is also free and located just outside the museum.
5) LAX Observation Deck | Central Terminal Area at LAX
While the iconic theme building in the center of LAX is known around the world, few know that it also houses a public observation deck on its top floor.
Although the restaurant at the top of the building recently closed its doors, the observation deck on the roof still remains open on Saturdays and Sundays.
From the observation deck, you can see nearly the entire terminal area as well as both runways.
The observation deck is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only. Parking is available in multiple airport parking structures in the terminal area of the airport and runs $3 for the first hour and then $2 for each additional 30 minutes.
— John Schreiber, MyNewsLA.com