Where to photograph planes landing in San Diego

[pbromaghin]

Hey San Diego people, I want to get up on the roof of one of the parking ramps at Laurel and Kettner to photopraph planes gliding in for landing. Which one should I go to - North or South of Laurel?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jeff Kubach]

It depends on where the wind is blowing. Planes takeoff and land into the wind.

Jeff

 

[pbromaghin]

Well, duh.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Hey San Diego people, I want to get up on the roof of one of the parking ramps at Laurel and Kettner to photopraph planes gliding in for landing. Which one should I go to - North or South of Laurel?

You're a terrorist, aren't you?

You need to come with me back to the station. We have some questions for you...

:eek:

Ken

 

[lxdude]

The south structure is directly under the flight path, so not a lot of side angle; the north one, being larger and angling away from the flight path, gives you a greater choice of side angle. Up to you. When I lived there many years ago, my favorite spot was always on the sidewalk on Laurel, positioned differently to catch landings or take-offs. I especially liked being near the intersection of Laurel and Pacific Highway. The wall to deflect the jet blast wasn't quite so large then, and the wind and heat made it very visceral.

 

[pbromaghin]

I guess this answers my question:

http://norberthaupt.com/2012/05/01/landing-in-san-diego/

 

[pbromaghin]

The south structure is directly under the flight path, so not a lot of side angle; the north one, being larger and angling awayfrom the flight path, gives you a greater choice of side angle. Up to you. When I lived there many years ago, my favorite spot was always on the sidewalk on Laurel, positioned differently to catch landings or take-offs. I especially liked being near the intersection of Laurel and Pacific. The wall to deflect the jet blast wasn't quite so large then, and the wind and heat made it very visceral.

I'm visualizing a shot that looks like it's going to land on me, but the offset across the street might be nice. I hadn't thought about Laurel and Pacific - that sounds pretty good too. Or maybe up on 5th ave looking south to catch them crossing between the trees.

 

[lxdude]

That link pretty much tells the story.
I lived on Sixth, across from Balboa Park, about six blocks from the flight path. I never completely got used to seeing planes that low over the apartments under the flight path.
Planes were much noisier then. I don't see how anyone could stand living right in the flight path back then. Rents were cheap in those apartments, but I don't think they could ever have been cheap enough for me to live there. And there was a school right in the flight path, as I recall. The only way that would have made sense was if it had been a school for the deaf, but no, it was more a school for the soon-to-be-deaf.

Funny but true: in Balboa Park, right under the flight path, is an outdoor amphitheater. I don't know if they still have to do it, but back when jets were so much louder than they are now, during a play or musical performance they would have to stop whenever a jet went over. As the plane got close, a crew member would hold up a stop sign (which looked like a traffic stop sign) and the action would stop until the plane had gone over. It was looked upon with humor more than annoyance by the audience. There were fewer flights then, so it didn't happen constantly.

 

[lxdude]

I'm visualizing a shot that looks like it's going to land on me, but the offset across the street might be nice. I hadn't thought about Laurel and Pacific - that sounds pretty good too. Or maybe up on 5th ave looking south to catch them crossing between the trees.

It's easy to walk around up on 5th and 6th to scout some angles. 6th runs alongside Balboa Park, so no buildings right there. You might get some good shots from the park, too. Inside the park, right under the flight path but at a lower elevation, is the S.D. Air and Space Museum, which is well worth checking out.

 

[pbromaghin]

Dude - Oh, I love the Air and Space Museum. A maximum collection of some of the coolest shit man has ever devised. The Japanese garden has a MAJOR addition that I think is now open - when I saw it last year, it was expanding down into some pretty deep ravines. There might be some cognitive dissonance pics to be taken of Planes flying over some Zen-kind-of installations.

I've never been able to get any satisfying pics of the park at all. I don't know why. I'm going to try again on this trip.

 

[pbromaghin]

I kind of like 5th over 6th because it is more urban looking.

 

[pbromaghin]

In fact, up on 5th, near Extraordinary Desserts, is where I'm thinking. That's usually the first place we hit when we come to town.