
“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.
LATEST VIDEO
Avelo 737-800
I spent a Friday morning aboard one of America’s newest airlines.
Flight 410 • Baltimore/Washington International – Tweed New Haven
N801XT • January 27, 2023
Airport Spotting
Plane spotting at individual airpots and locations.
BIRDWATCHING HOU - MARCH 19, 2022
Runway 4/22 at William P. Hobby Airport – Houston, TX
1940 Air Terminal Museum
BIRDWATCHING IAH - MARCH 6, 2022
Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX
Rankin Rd. Spotting Location
BIRDWATCHING IAH - September 30, 2021
Runway 8L/26R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX
Lone Star College – North Harris
BIRDWATCHING IAH - JUNE 20, 2020
Runway 15L/33R at Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, TX
Rankin Rd. Spotting Location
inflight
Inflight videos aboard various aircraft for various airlines, some with real-time air traffic control.
JSX ERJ-145
Flight 283 • Houston Hobby – Dallas Love Field
N241JX • April 12, 2022
Southwest 737-700
Flight 175 • Baltimore/Washington International – Houston Hobby
N282WN • January 17, 2022
Southwest 737-800
Flight 950 • Houston Hobby – Baltimore/Washington International
N8629A • January 14, 2022
United Express (Mesa Airlines) E175
Flight 6092 • Bush Intercontinental – Washington Reagan National
N89304 • October 8, 2021
JSX ERJ-135
Flight 285 • Dallas Love Field – Houston Hobby
N243JX • August 19, 2021
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.
What is an #AvGeek?
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 9/27 – Lee 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.
AIRCRAFT FLOWN

A321

*MD-80 • 727-200 • 737-200 • 737-300 • 737-500 • 737-700 • 737-800

ERJ-135 • ERJ-145 • E175