Here are plane spotting locations are Houston!
Janie of Fun2Go Misters is here sharing one of son's favorite activities: Plane Spotting!
Read on to Learn about these Plane Spotting Locations:
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IAH official airplane observation parking lot
No matter what age, this free venue is a must for anyone that is curious about airplane spotting.
Photographers, couples on dates and family outings can be spotted at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) official airplane observation parking lot, located on Lee Rd. at the end of runway 27. It can also serve as a park and wait area instead of sitting at one of the cell phone lots.
This location has been a plane spotting location for us to visit since we were small and now I have the luxury of taking my family for the spectacular views of the airplanes arriving and preparing to land on runway 27. The aircrafts are literally flying about a hundred feet over your head.
If you download a flight tracking app on your smartphone, you can see information about the plane flying over. You will need to be quick and have the phone handy and remember the airport abbreviation (IAH).
As the plane is hovering over, make sure you grab the tail number or the number on the bottom between the wing and tail, which you will then input on the app to find out a little more about the flight path of the airplane that just zoomed over your head.
Depending on your carrier, there are various free, flight tracking apps available and a simple one will give you the departure/arrival information once you insert the plane identification number.
UPDATE: Â You can also ask Siri! On your IPhone, ask, "Siri, what airplanes are flying above me?", and you could get the answer! Look at this from IAH:
If you plan to tailgate, I recommend that everyone wear close toed shoes (or rainboots) and mosquito spray! If it has been raining, there are water puddles everywhere as the parking area is filled with potholes.
This observation lot is a large parking lot made out of dirt and gravel, it is obvious that their last visit with gravel to fill the holes has been long overdue, but don't let that discourage your trip, just drive extremely slow!
There are 2Â porto-potties and no trash cans, so plan ahead.
Ahead of the observation area is a large field, where people like to toss a football or simply go for a little walk. As everyone is participating in some sort of outdoor activity while the next flight comes into sight, everyone will stop as the aircraft nears and everyone automatically tilts their head back to watch in amazement the plane glide by so smoothly. You can see on everyone's face the genuine "awe" with every arriving flight.
The observation area is located on Lee Southbound Rd. There isn't an address that will take you directly to the site, however, if you can find your way to the airport, then you will see the cross over for Lee Southbound Rd.
From Hwy 59:
Take the Will Clayton Parkway exit (Left if coming from the south right if you're coming from the north)
You will go through one red light with a Jack in the box on the right. Proceed west on Will Clayton until you come to Lee Road. The road is not directly across Will Clayton so you will have to take the left and U Turn to get to Lee Road. Turn right when you see the sign for Lee Road. The spotting area is ahead on your left.
From Beltway 8:
While on Beltway 8 take the Airport exit for JFK Blvd North. You will go though several red lights. Follow the road until it curves to the right. Follow the signs for the Hwy 59 / Airport Exit. After the road curves to the right it will turn into Will Clayton Parkway. Follow the road until you see the sign for Lee Road. Turn right on Lee Road The spotting area is ahead on your left.
Plane spotting from IAH parking garage (Terminal D)
Here are a couple of extra tips for the aero-fanatics. You can in fact go onto the airport and watch from the top of the parking garage. We prefer the Terminal D parking garage, the way up is a fun drive for the kids, but it will cost you at the least $3 for parking. You are able to view the airplanes land and take off from the strips. Just make sure everyone stays close together and no one climbs the wall!
Plane spotting from Hooks Airport
Another plane spotting area is Hooks Airport, which is a private airport Steubner Airline in Spring, TX.
Right next to it is Aviator's Grill, a quaint restaurant in which many of the pilots and private passengers stop in for a meal.
​The best part of the restaurant is sitting next to the window watching any of the airplanes land or take off!
Along the parking lot is a large pond, as you walk along the pond, if you are lucky, there will be a large aircraft awaiting for their passengers.
Plane spotting map for IAH observation lot
IAH Offical Airplane Observation Parking Lot, Lee Rd, by Will Clayton Pkwy, at the end of runway 27
Plane spotting map for Hooks Airport
Hooks Airport & Aviator Grill: 20803 Stuebner Airline Rd, Spring, TX 77379
Em Singh says
Great tips!
Em Singh says
Great tips!
Brittany Leach says
cool
Loring says
Thanks for the advice, found it without problem.Hot! no shade, bring drinks.
Two trash cans now (labeled FOD - Foreign Objects and Debris) Aug 11 2016.
Hour and a half, almost all United planes, One AF, One BA, and one Delta, one American. One private jet and one prop plane. One 747/4-engine plane. Was hoping for more variety.
For photogs, I found two zooms useful... 28-300 mm FF equivalent and 150-600 mm FF equivalent.
Lots of light during the day, I used a monopod some but it was easier and just as good without. Shutter speeds of 1/1000th easily doable.
Kim says
Not family friendly, very remote and no security around anywhere. Two cars pulled in and drivers took naps, three other cars pulled in but were not there for airplane spotting as they were not facing the flight path the way they were parked. This area has too much potential for criminal activity, we didn’t feel safe so after seeing only 2 planes in 1 hour between 1pm and 2pm we left. There were more questionable cars driving in and out of the lot than airplanes over head