shamrock838
2007-06-03, 05:47 PM
Greetings,
From my comparatively limited experience Ive found that photographing arriving flights is far more dramatic than capturing departing flights given the same observer distance from the end of an active runway.
Near LGA
Since arriving aircraft touch down not far in from the end of the runway I dont think anything comes close in sheer drama and impact to the l-o-w l-e-v-e-l arrivals to runway 4 as seen from Plane View and Landing Lights Parks. Yet runway 22 as seen from MacNeil Park in College Point is another story entirely due to its greater distance. Runway 31 from Worlds Fair Marina seems somewhere in the middle.
Since departing aircraft especially the prop DASH 8s leave the runway far before its end these same locations offer less dramatic views IMHO since the aircraft are already higher in the air and climbing for altitude when passing over the aforementioned spotting sites.
Near JFK
Ive had far less experience down south from being a non-driver and have only visited spotting sites A and E for runway 31L departures. [A creative mix of research ... local public transportation ... and ardent footwork ... allows me to do this.] Im waiting for favorable SE winds to open up runways 13L and especially 13R for arrivals over the Howard Beach Cross Bay Boulevard area. Maybe this coming week when Im on vacation again.
Of course accessing ATIS in advance is a must here as it easily takes me an hour to get down there from Flushing via the #7 subway and Q53 express bus from Woodside. As for the other spotting sites to the north and east of JFK maybe the situation will improve for me as I further investigate available public transportation walking distances and the neighborhoods themselves for the feasibility of solo visits. Some member input would help fill some needed information holes here. Thanks.
Mike (shamrock838)
From my comparatively limited experience Ive found that photographing arriving flights is far more dramatic than capturing departing flights given the same observer distance from the end of an active runway.
Near LGA
Since arriving aircraft touch down not far in from the end of the runway I dont think anything comes close in sheer drama and impact to the l-o-w l-e-v-e-l arrivals to runway 4 as seen from Plane View and Landing Lights Parks. Yet runway 22 as seen from MacNeil Park in College Point is another story entirely due to its greater distance. Runway 31 from Worlds Fair Marina seems somewhere in the middle.
Since departing aircraft especially the prop DASH 8s leave the runway far before its end these same locations offer less dramatic views IMHO since the aircraft are already higher in the air and climbing for altitude when passing over the aforementioned spotting sites.
Near JFK
Ive had far less experience down south from being a non-driver and have only visited spotting sites A and E for runway 31L departures. [A creative mix of research ... local public transportation ... and ardent footwork ... allows me to do this.] Im waiting for favorable SE winds to open up runways 13L and especially 13R for arrivals over the Howard Beach Cross Bay Boulevard area. Maybe this coming week when Im on vacation again.
Of course accessing ATIS in advance is a must here as it easily takes me an hour to get down there from Flushing via the #7 subway and Q53 express bus from Woodside. As for the other spotting sites to the north and east of JFK maybe the situation will improve for me as I further investigate available public transportation walking distances and the neighborhoods themselves for the feasibility of solo visits. Some member input would help fill some needed information holes here. Thanks.
Mike (shamrock838)