Best Plane Spotting Spots in L.A.

Aviation Love

Aug 17

Plane Spotting is a niche hobby for aviation enthusiasts. More than just watching planes go by, some people enjoy identifying and documenting different types of aircraft, including commercial airliners, military planes, and private jets. Filming take offs & landings are also important details aviation lovers (#avgeek) enjoy. Los Angeles International Airport better known as LAX is one the busiest airports in the US so it makes easy to spend an afternoon photographing the passengers in the sky. Here are some of the best spots to do that.

Clutter’s Park

One of the best spots for plane spotting departures in L.A. was once known as Imperial Hill because that is the street it is located on but is now called Clutter’s Park. It is more of a viewing station with a sidewalk that has benches & some tables. It is where serious aviation photographers & live streamers go & spend a day equipped with zoom lenses (the prefered lens). I look for a day with clouds & good light so I can film with a good sky background. Right now I shoot & film with a Sony AR7II with 18-135 but plan to go back with a bigger zoom. Parking is free & easy to find a spot on the street. If you want to bring a dog there is a fenced in dog park but the views there are blocked by trees.

In-N-Out Burger

The Airport Landing View Park is next to In-N-Out Burger on S Sepulveda Blvd & is a great spot for plane spotting arrivals. It is where people come & go to enjoy an outdoor picnic & it is dog friendly. Finding a spot to park is easy with street parking open to 10 pm. For good photos I suggest bringing a camera (sorry Iphone). It is FAST action so high shutter speeds are recommended.

Proud Bird

I’ve been photographing jet airliners since 2019 & now I have been taking advantage of living near LAX to go explore more places to go plane spotting such as Proud Bird Food Bazaar. You have the option of sitting indoors & watch the planes while you enjoy your meal or go outside to the plane yard.

Dockweiler Beach

Dockweiler is a place where you can watch planes fly overhead directly from LAX & enjoy a day at the beach. It is a big beach & the best spot would be to park at the beach main parking lot. That is where you can view planes fly over. Dogs aren’t allowed on the sand/beach area but you can walk on the sidewalk where the bike riders are.

Additional Tips

At the moment I go for the cinematic experience of filming jet airliners & don’t get specific on the details but some people are VERY detail oriented & love to know which plane is arriving or departuring, know the differenct between a Boeing & Airbus & want to know the distance & time the plane has been in the air so there are apps that help with that such as Flight Tracker. There is also a website where enthusiasts can create an account to keep track of their flight experiences & plane spotting My Flight Radar 24. For the latest aviation news & images there is Simple Flying