Watch planes land overhead

[big_k]

Where can I go to watch the planes flying overhead and landing close to you in calgary? is it on mcknight somewhere? thanks!

[GorG]

turn off is after right after the airport on McKnight before 12th st take a right in to the parking lot

[big_k]

which direction? like, if i'm on deerfoot, take mcknight east, then is the parking lot on the left or right side?

[J-D]

left side. You'll see about 300 yellow checker taxis, since they can only go to the airport when they are called they all seem to wait there now.

[big_k]

thanks!

[YamahaV8]

The planes won't be overhead though. That spot is beside the runway.

[89s1]

yeah to see them land overhead you would need to sit on the shoulder of mcknight blvd.

[Merritt]

This is actually interesting question. It seems the best place to watch planes land overhead is by Deerfoot Mall? Unless we can park there and walk up to the shoulder of Mcknight blvd like the posters are suggesting.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2lcxkzs.png

That's the map.

[shakalaka]

If you go to the prairie winds park in the NE, certain planes go pretty much DIRECTLY over the hill. And they seem pretty damn close. Those planes are also the international one's so you know they are huge.

[n1zm0]

Originally posted by 89s1
yeah to see them land overhead you would need to sit on the shoulder of mcknight blvd.

which is unfortunately a no stop zone unless for emergency as well as the backroad east of the compound, you want to watch small pistons take off come out to springbank on a nice summer day in the parking lot between the Flying Club and the ATC tower, see all the experimentals/historics and then the students that can destroy a brand new C-172 main gear tire in one cycle :D no rules at CYBW :facepalm:

you want to be here (http://maps.google.ca/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=calgary+international&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=calgary+international&hnear=calgary+international&cid=0,0,2015984566575394236&ll=51.097809,-114.005127&spn=0.043121,0.111494&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.095061,-114.025201&panoid=oUJLaR-KJvop1it_jaW32w&cbp=12,163.16,,0,17.53) for landings of the big stuff imo, its where all those weirdos that track commercial landings go to birdwatch.

to watch the real underneath view of the big stuff land, you needs and pass... ask Tik Tok for one, small rudimentary test to get one thats it :poosie:

[Grogador]

Originally posted by n1zm0
you want to be here (http://maps.google.ca/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=calgary+international&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=calgary+international&hnear=calgary+international&cid=0,0,2015984566575394236&ll=51.097809,-114.005127&spn=0.043121,0.111494&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.095061,-114.025201&panoid=oUJLaR-KJvop1it_jaW32w&cbp=12,163.16,,0,17.53) for landings of the big stuff imo, its where all those weirdos that track commercial landings go to birdwatch.

Nice spot to get a beej :thumbsup:

For a nice view try the north end of the airport, there's an access road off Airport Trail that lines you up with the runway and they come real low.

[Cooked Rice]

It's going to depend on wind direction and which runway is in use. But as mentioned Prairie Winds park, you can go up the hill and they fly right over for RWY 28.

Or, if you have a dual purpose motorcycle, dirt bike, bicycle. You can go up to Aero Drive, where Purolator, FedEx is etc, take a left when you get to the T intersection for Aero Drive/Aero Gate (coming from down the hill). Go down that road, it eventually turns into gravel/construction. It'll lead you right to the end of RWY 10, there's a nice dirt hill with an approach lighting tower you can walk up. You get a nice view of RWY 10, and the planes come right over, and you usually get hit by the blast of wake turbulence they leave behind as well :poosie: Just try to make it obvious you are just taking pictures. Airport security drives around on patrols on the airport side of the fence, and if you look sketchy (even though you are on the other side) they will probably call the 5-0 on you.

Hey Orville, I got a question for you. What are the main differences between GFFC and GMTZ at the club? I usually just hop in and take MTZ for all my bookings but some new person, isabelle? Changed a bunch of my bookings to GFFC, and took MTZ. :whipped:

[eb0i]

Originally posted by Merritt
This is actually interesting question. It seems the best place to watch planes land overhead is by Deerfoot Mall? Unless we can park there and walk up to the shoulder of Mcknight blvd like the posters are suggesting.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2lcxkzs.png

That's the map.

You marked it to far east. The parking spot is north of mcall lake golf course, and on the north side of mcknight.

[Benny]

Just go play an 18 at McCall. Sure does get tricky teeing off when you hear one of the big planes coming in on your backswing.

[Mar]

WestJet is one of my clients, I could throw rocks at the planes on my drive to meetings there every morning.

You have to go up McCall Way through the traffic circle they're building (construction) and sit on the side there. There's no signs reading "No Stopping" so you should be good, it's dirt on the shoulder but the road (mostly) is paved. And I'm serious, you could hit the plane with a rock, it lands just 100 yards past the road.

[Cooked Rice]

You can throw a rock at over 130MPH?

[Mar]

No but if you throw it straight up they'll fly into it. It's a simple description of how close they get to the road.

[Jay911]

There is a second viewing area at the end of 28.. go up McCall from McKnight (yes you still can, but you will have to go thru some construction) and go to the road before 78 Avenue NE. It's Air Services Pl or something like that. A parking lot about 80% the size of the LaBorde one (the one off McKnight east of 12th) with some half-decent views of 28 and the east edge of the apron.

[oupzwrongthread]

Hold on, you throw rocks at planes flying by?

[Mar]

Originally posted by Mar
You have to go up McCall Way through the traffic circle they're building (construction) and sit on the side there. There's no signs reading "No Stopping" so you should be good, it's dirt on the shoulder but the road (mostly) is paved. And I'm serious, you could hit the plane with a rock, it lands just 100 yards past the road.

Originally posted by Jay911
There is a second viewing area at the end of 28.. go up McCall from McKnight (yes you still can, but you will have to go thru some construction) and go to the road before 78 Avenue NE. It's Air Services Pl or something like that. A parking lot about 80% the size of the LaBorde one (the one off McKnight east of 12th) with some half-decent views of 28 and the east edge of the apron.
If only someone had mentioned that same spot earlier......like 3 posts earlier.


Originally posted by oupzwrongthread
Hold on, you throw rocks at planes flying by?
No, it's a comparison of how close they get. I'm pretty sure you'd go to jail for that.

[Cos]

Originally posted by Mar


If only someone had mentioned that same spot earlier......like 3 posts earlier.



Except you said to sit on the side of the road and jay is actually talking about a parking lot that exists...... so no that isnt really the same thing.

[Mar]

Originally posted by Cos


Except you said to sit on the side of the road and jay is actually talking about a parking lot that exists...... so no that isnt really the same thing. Ha, it's right next to the road! If you stay on the road they go right over you, you can lie down and see them pass right over head. If you turn down Aerial Place and go 100 feet there's the WestJet Purple lot that's not gated and you can watch them out your front window.

His question was very specific that he wanted to watch them go overhead, planes don't fly over the parking lot. Doesn't really matter though I guess.

[hampstor]

Bump. With the new runway, any suggestions?

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by hampstor
Bump. With the new runway, any suggestions?

Apparently, anywhere in Skyview Ranch :rofl:

[ExtraSlow]

Zing!

[jdmakkord]

There is a parking lot right by the WestJet campus on McCall. Take Barlow or McCall north, it's on the left side right after you pass under the taxi way.

[Wakalimasu]

sunridge spectrum parking lot, wendy's parking lot, costco's parking lot, staples parking lot, etc, anywhere along that route is excellent now

[Cooked Rice]

Well, it really sucks they no longer use RWY 29/11 much anymore, the big hill at Prairie Winds Park in the NE was awesome for this. Planes go right over the hill and you can spot them all the way down to the runway 29. And if they were using 11, there is a nice bench off Aero Drive you could sit on and spot all day. But unless there is a strong east or west wind, this runway is pretty much never used anymore.

As for the new runway 35R, you can spot from the Silverlinks golf course, or just park up at Princess Auto and walk down the pedestrian path that runs along McKnight.

On the North side for 17L, you can pretty much just pull over into the dirt on Country Hills BLVD and you get a nice light show at night as well, very cool especially during low vis. Except it's hella distracting to drivers :rofl: I remember taking Country Hills when they were using 17L on a foggy day, was lit up like a halloween rave.

[hampstor]

I ended up finding spot right off of barlow (along 25st) that you can drive up to the fence.