Gnam
12-01-09, 10:13 PM
Over the weekend I was shown a cool spot to watch planes land & takeoff from San Francisco Int'l airport. There used to be a parking lot right up against the perimeter fence at the end of runway 1R. You could watch them spool up, start their takeoff roll, and lift off. Great place to wait for someone's flight, or take hyper kids on a rainy day. The lot was blocked off on 9/12/01 never to reopen. The terrorists had won. :gomer:
But in the eight years since, they built a 4 story parking garage maybe a quater mile away & across the freeway at the Millbrae train station. From the top, you can see right down the middle of 1R as it stretches to the north and watch the planes takeoff over the bay. Nice right?
Well last Saturday, the wind was from the north at +20kts, making the cross winds too strong to use the 11500 ft runway 28R. So they were landing traffic on the 8500 ft runway 1R, the approach to which puts the planes about 100ft above this parking garage!
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1535/millbrae.png
*not my photo, but taken on the same day
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papa_sierra/
I have never seen planes in flight so up close. The other bonus is, to line up for the approach, the planes fly east along the hills, then bank right about 90 degrees. Low and slow doesn't begin to describe it.
There was a guy with a scanner reporting that a Cathay Pacific 747 cargo plane preferred to circle rather than attempt the landing. Don't blame him, but I wanted to see him try. ;)
Anyway if you're ever near SFO and you see planes landing over the freeway, check out this garage. :thumbup:
But in the eight years since, they built a 4 story parking garage maybe a quater mile away & across the freeway at the Millbrae train station. From the top, you can see right down the middle of 1R as it stretches to the north and watch the planes takeoff over the bay. Nice right?
Well last Saturday, the wind was from the north at +20kts, making the cross winds too strong to use the 11500 ft runway 28R. So they were landing traffic on the 8500 ft runway 1R, the approach to which puts the planes about 100ft above this parking garage!
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1535/millbrae.png
*not my photo, but taken on the same day
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papa_sierra/
I have never seen planes in flight so up close. The other bonus is, to line up for the approach, the planes fly east along the hills, then bank right about 90 degrees. Low and slow doesn't begin to describe it.
There was a guy with a scanner reporting that a Cathay Pacific 747 cargo plane preferred to circle rather than attempt the landing. Don't blame him, but I wanted to see him try. ;)
Anyway if you're ever near SFO and you see planes landing over the freeway, check out this garage. :thumbup: