Los Angeles International Airport LAX Spotting Spot
Detailed LAX spotting report for aviation photographers and aircraft spotters
Published in Airliner World Magazine, April, 2007
Story and photos by Henry Tenby
Visitors to LAX will be pleasantly surprised to learn that this bustling hub offers what must be one the best aircraft viewing spots in the continental United States. A special viewing park complete with nice shady trees and park benches has been built on a small hill offering a panoramic view overlooking the south parallel runway 08/26. The viewing location is named Jim Clutter Park, in dedication to the El Segundo City Council member for his hard work in maintaining the small town atmosphere of the LAX adjacent community, which sits on the coastline just south of the airfield.
Jim Clutter Park is accessed by taking Imperial Highway west along the airport’s south perimeter road towards to ocean. About 3000 feet from the end of the runway and the coastline is a small bluff on the south side of Imperial Highway, which cannot be missed, as it is the only hill in the area, and the ideal spot for an aircraft viewing vantage location. For those without a vehicle, its about a ten minute taxi ride from the terminal building.
The local photographers and regy-bashers start showing up with cameras, scanners, and telescopes around 0900, and by 1000 am, the area attracts a good number of general population airplane watchers complete with kids in strollers, and families out for their Sunday morning walk. Large trees have been planted to offer cover from the hot sun, and several park benches make spotting from this location a truly relaxing experience. For those that get hungry or thirsty, there is a convenience store on the west side at the bottom of the hill, which is just a two minute stroll from the park. Aircraft spotting is rarely as civilized as this!
Prevailing winds at LAX are off the ocean which means most operations are conducted off 26L, thus wide-body aircraft rotate right abeam the park. The inner runway is under repairs so all traffic use the outer runway closer to the south terminal building. This means a 300mm lens will come in handy for the smaller types, while a 200mm lens will work for wide-body aircraft. Almost all the wide-body international flights depart from the south runway providing stunning 747 take-off views of Cathay Pacific, Qantas (at least 4 daily flights), JAL, Korean, Asiana, Southern Air Transport, Air China, China Airlines, Air New Zealand, Kalitta Air, United Airlines, and Cargolux. ANA’s 777-300 and EL AL’s 777-200 were also seen on the day of the author’s visit (Sunday, February 4, 2007).
The domestic US airlines are well represented from this vantage spot as well with Delta, United and American Airlines flights departing every few minutes. (The US Airways, Southwest, and Frontier gates are on the North side so their aircraft tend to arrive and depart on the North runway.) Southern Air Transport had two 747-400F arrivals in addition to the Cargolux 747-400F during the morning of Sunday, February 4, and all three freighters taxied across the main runway using a taxiway that is perpendicular to Clutter Park, providing great close up views as they made their way to the south side freight ramps that parallel Imperial Highway. Biz jets can also easily be photographed on their way to and from the south side FBOs from Clutter Park.
The best time to arrive is 0900 to catch the morning long-haul arrivals, which mostly depart by early afternoon. Suffice it to say spending a full day at Clutter Hill will be ideal for most visitors as traffic starts to repeat. The best time of year to plan one’s visit is during the winter months when the Los Angeles air is clean, and the fantastic visibility allows for the Hollywood Hills (and the Hollywood sign) to be clearly seen in the background! During the summer months, high smog levels and heat haze will be problematic.
As for security concerns, there is no problem for spotters, photographers, and videographers using tripods, binoculars, scanners and all the other necessary equipment. The park is directly across the street from residential houses, and park visitors are advised to keep noise to a minimum after hours and make sure litter is placed in the provided rubbish bins. It is very rare to find such a terrific aircraft viewing location that welcomes the public, particularly in this day and age. Visitors are asked to exercise common sense when visiting Clutter Park, to insure this superb location remains accessible for the enjoyment of others for many years to come!
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Articles & photos are copyright
and protected property of Henry Tenby. Reproduction prohibitted without permission.
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