“Birdwatching” is a concept born of my AvGeek hobby. My mom is a LUV-ly flight attendant for one of the world’s top airlines, and I’ve been flying every which way since I was 11 years old. Now as a content creator, I’ve been able to assemble aircraft videos in stereophonic sound, taking you with me as I marvel at modern engineering.

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SPOTTING | INFLIGHT | AIRCRAFT | RESOURCES

Airport Spotting

Plane spotting at individual airpots and locations.

SPOTTING @ IAH - JUNE 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX

Rankin Rd. Spotting Location

SPOTTING @ IAH - September 30, 2021

Runway 8L/26R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX

Lone Star College – North Harris

SPOTTING @ IAH - MARCH 6, 2022

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX

Rankin Rd. Spotting Location

SPOTTING @ HOU - MARCH 19, 2022

Runway 4/22 at William P. Hobby Airport – Houston, TX

1940 Air Terminal Museum

SPOTTING @ DTW - MARCH 27, 2023

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport – Detroit, MI

Edward H. McNamara Terminal

inflight

Inflight videos aboard various aircraft for various airlines, some with real-time air traffic control.

Southwest 737-800

Flight 950 • N8629A

Houston Hobby – Baltimore/Washington International

January 14, 2022

Southwest 737-700

Flight 175 • N282WN

Baltimore/Washington International – Houston Hobby

January 17, 2022

Southwest 737 MAX 8

Flight 673 • N8833L

Houston Hobby – Washington National

July 17, 2023

JSX ERJ-135

Flight 285 • N243JX

Dallas Love Field – Houston Hobby

August 19, 2021

JSX ERJ-145

Flight 283 • N241JX

Houston Hobby – Dallas Love Field

April 12, 2022

Contour ERJ-140

Flight 3103 • N805AE

Middle Georgia Regional – Baltimore/Washington International

September 7, 2023

Delta 757-200

Flight 2590 • N678DL

Baltimore/Washington International – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson

March 24, 2023

Delta a321

Flight 1298 • N380DN

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson – Detroit Metro Airport

March 27, 2023

Delta 737-900er

Flight 2230 • N852DN

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County – Baltimore/Washington International

March 27, 2023

United Express (Mesa Airlines) E175

Flight 6092 • N89304

Bush Intercontinental – Washington National

October 8, 2021

Avelo 737-800

Flight 410 • N801XT

Baltimore/Washington International – Tweed New Haven

January 27, 2023

Individual Aircraft

Single aircraft sightings, as well as select takes from previous videos.

Veracity Aviation - Robinson R44 Raven II

March 19, 2022 – My first helicopter ride.

Veracity Aviation Pearland was a featured attraction at the seasonal Wings and Wheels event at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Houston Hobby Airport, offering rides near the airfield from 400ft up. Special thanks to Paul and the entire team.

ZERO-G "G-FORCE ONCE" 727-200

March 19, 2022

Runway 4/22 at William P. Hobby Airport – Houston, TX.

United 757-300

June 29, 2021

Approaching runway 8R/26L at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

Cargolux 747-8f

June 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

KLM 777-200ER

June 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

Saudia 777-300ER

June 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

United 787-9

June 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

Omni Air International 767-200ER

June 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

Atlas Air 767-300ER

June 20, 2020

Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX.

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RECOMMENDED SPOTTING LOCATIONS

Houston, TX

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH)

Runways 15/33 – Rankin Rd. dead end, east of Aldine-Westfield Road.

  • An elevated mound allows AvGeeks to photo and video aircraft of all sizes as they take off, typically southeast.
  • Please contact (281) 230-1300 to inform airport authorities of your location.

Runway 9/27Lee Rd. Observation Area

  • This is the only official spotting location for IAH. While the area is full of craters in the ground, it’s a prime location for arrivals—mostly narrow-bodies.

Runway Names

A runway is a straight line—180-degrees—so each end is named for their clockwise heading on a 360-degree compass. For example, Runway 27 faces 270 degrees on a compass—due west. The opposite end of that same strip is called Runway 9, as it faces 90 degrees—due east. In addition, of each set of parallel runways will be named L (left), R (right) or C (center) depending on their heading. So a pair of parallel runways will be 9L/27R and 9R/27L—pronounced niner left, two-seven right—with the smaller number always mentioned first. A standalone runway will not have a left/right/center designator.

No more than three parallel runways on the same side of a terminal will share names. If there are four, at least one of those will be named one degree off from the others, with the number increasing north to south, east to west (examples: 8L/26R – 8R/26L – terminal – 9/27 at Bush Intercontinental, or 9L/27R – 9C/27C – 9R/27L – terminal – 10L/28R – 10C/28C – 10R/28L at Chicago O’Hare).

Finally, the next time you’re learning spotting locations, or if you’re looking out the window of your aircraft and see those stretched, 63-foot numbers painted on the runway, keep in mind that if the number is greater than 18, subtract 18 to figure out the other side. If it’s 18 or less, add 18 to figure out the other side. A runway name will never be greater than 36: 360 degrees in a compass.

New to plane spotting? Be sure to download the FlightRadar24 app for all of your spotting at an airport, at home or anywhere in between. Also check out LiveATC.net to hear air traffic control broadcasts from around the world.

AIRLINERS FLOWN

A319 • A321

*MD-80 • 727-200 • 737-200 • 737-300 • 737-500 • 737-700 • 737-800 • 737-900ER • 737 MAX 8 • 757-200

ERJ-135 • ERJ-145 • E175