Senorcarnival From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (8 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 1150 times:
Does anyone know any good spots to spot at either SAT, DFW, DAL, or HOU? If you need any help spotting at AUS, I'm sure I can be of some help. BTW, by what I've gathered thus far am I the only AUS-based person around here?
N844AA From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1352 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (8 years 1 month 2 weeks ago) and read 1123 times:
I used to spot at AUS until I moved away last summer. Never tried to upload anything, as I was contrained both by camera and ability, but I spent a lot of enjoyable afternoons down in that cemetery -- sounds pretty morbid, eh? -- at the end of 17R/35L. When the winds were blowing from the north, I spent some considerably less relaxing afternoons trying to do the same thing at the opposite end of the runway on the shoulder of Burleson Rd.
Though there wasn't a whole lot of variety to the visitors to AUS, I had a great time hanging out up there. I'm sad that I never got to catch one of those cargo 727s on the way in or out. Oh, I did catch an awesome Navy-trainer biz jet, a Rockwell Sabreliner, one day -- and I'd swear the pilot waggled his wings to me as he took off -- but the light was poor and the pictures didn't turn out. That thing was loud, though. And on one of the last days I was in Austin, I think I saw a KC-135 circling the city (presumably in preparation for landing out at the airport.) Heat haze was pretty bad, though, so I couldn't be sure. But it was grey and had four engines, and I'm hard-pressed to imagine what it might have been.
Well, thanks for the chance to reminisce. I look forward to hearing how spotting is out at Bergstrom these days
New airplanes, new employees, low fares, all touchy-feely ... all of them are losers. -Gordon Bethune
Senorcarnival From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1121 times:
I only used the the viewing area that is somewhat in the beginning of 17L/35R, it's essentially across the street on Golf Course Rd. from the clubhouse of the golf course. I need more length in the tele end of things and possibly a step ladder to tower over the fence. If this rain lets up, I'm going back there in the afternoon and check out some other spots.
PS>Why did you leave Austin?
N844AA From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1352 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1114 times:
Yeah, that's a decent spot with a longer lens and some height. Well, also, a lot of the good planes land on the other runway, but you still get some nice variety on the shorter one. I was at the family viewing spot when I saw the Sabreliner, and while driving by one morning, I saw a CO 757 taking off from that runway. That could have made for a pretty good shot if I had been in position. Let me know if you need instructions to get to that cemetery I was talking about.
I left Austin to go back to school, which, somewhat ironically, is what brought me there in the first place. I miss it a lot sometimes, though not the allergies I'd be suffering right about now.
New airplanes, new employees, low fares, all touchy-feely ... all of them are losers. -Gordon Bethune
N844AA From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1352 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 1087 times:
OK, so let's saying you're going south down 183, away from Austin. Right after you pass the interchange with 71, there's a place to turn left across the highway toward the airport, marked by a small green sign that reads "Greenwood Cemetery" (I believe.) Follow a small road that'll take you alongside the airport fence and that will bring you into a clearing right under the approach at the end of the 17R/35L.
On this page, if you look just north of the runway, you can see a small white rectangular loop right near the middle of the screen, a little to the right. That's the cemetery and you can make out the entrance/exit to the west. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=aus&ll...32&spn=0.004892,0.007961&t=k&hl=en
New airplanes, new employees, low fares, all touchy-feely ... all of them are losers. -Gordon Bethune
Senorcarnival From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1067 times:
I went down there today and I was going to check out Burleson Rd., but then I saw the sign for Greenwood Cemetery and checked it out (I went before you posted this.) An Airport Police cruiser came to the fence when I was leaving the cemetery and asked me what was I doing as I was trying to get a shot of a Trans World Cargo 747 waiting to take off from 17R...the cop says it would be a good idea to inform the Airport Police station next time. Also, there is a clearance spot on 183, in the northbound lanes, that if you have enough focal length and a little boost to clear the fence, you can get some good shots.
The verdict is that my camera won't do the job for spotting at AUS, unless I can get a hold of someone that will allow me to get closer somehow.
N844AA From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1352 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1051 times:
Wow, that's crazy. In all the times I was out there, I never had Airport Police say anything to me (or even see me, for that matter.) And during those times I was parked rather dangerously on the side of Burleson Rd., the sheriff department cars that frequently drove by never had anything to say about my behavior. I guess times have changed. Go figure.
New airplanes, new employees, low fares, all touchy-feely ... all of them are losers. -Gordon Bethune
Syncmaster From United States of America, joined Jul 2002, 1983 posts, RR: 14 Reply 8, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1003 times:
I'm currently in MFE to visit some relatives and will be for another week, I've found some spots that look promising, but have yet to venture out.
IAH777 From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 0 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (8 years 1 month 1 week 5 days ago) and read 1003 times:
We tried spotting from Founder's Plaza at DFW last weekend and it blew. I'm sure its better when they're using 17L and Echo Romeo, but there was none of that while we were there. Best spotting was from the top floor of the DFW Hyatt.
IAH has:
- A/B garage
- C/D/E garage
- Lee Road Park
- Aviators Bar parking lot
HOU is best on the second Saturday of each month when they have the Wings & Wheels Weekend at the 1940's Air Terminal Museum.
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