Good places to park and watch planes by phx (and others) (Young: school, fence)

[Up2myeyeballz]

I have a 3yr old future pilot we are heading to PHX this evening and would love to go early and find a great place to watch.

Around Super Bowl we found an okay spot and watched a lot of private yets come in. Still wasn't that close up thrilling- close and loud all the better. I know there are great views from inside the delta club but that's not happening tonight.

I'd also be curious of spots to watch at scottsdale and carefree, though infrequent :-/ Also at Luke afb If anyone on this forum knows, we do have access as were a retired family.

Thanks!

[PHX Newbie]

It is closed this late in the afternoon, but when you're able to plan ahead, try Pueblo Grande.

https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/arts-c.../pueblo-grande

It is near the approach path for the westerly runway and you'll also have a chance to show him an ancient Indian ruin.

[Zippyman]

Prolly too late for today, but you can drive to the top of south mountain park & get a wonderful view of sky harbor.

[Up2myeyeballz]

Thanks all. Yeah I'm sitting in the cell phone lot- actually seeing some good landings. I don't know If there's more than one but I don't recall views like this before!

Oh and she fell asleep before we arrived!

[LBTRS]

Sit at the northern end of the runway at Luke AFB and they fly right overhead. I've seen several people pulled over watching the aircraft.

[ji603]

The east cell phone lot at sky harbor is not bad. If you want to be a bit closer, drive a little north to air lane (it's south west of the 44st sky train station at washington) and you can see all of the arrivals/departures off the north runway, which is 8/26

[PHX Newbie]

In my earlier post, I had assumed the budding pilot was a boy. I apologize for that assumption. I recently retired from a twenty-eight year career as a military pilot, and in that time I flew with many female pilots. They were all as capable and as accomplished as their male counterparts.
One suggestion - try to expose her to the world of helicopters too. Young kids are especially intrigued by an aircraft that can hover and fly in any direction.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by PHX Newbie

In my earlier post, I had assumed the budding pilot was a boy. I apologize for that assumption. I recently retired from a twenty-eight year career as a military pilot, and in that time I flew with many female pilots. They were all as capable and as accomplished as their male counterparts.
One suggestion - try to expose her to the world of helicopters too. Young kids are especially intrigued by an aircraft that can hover and fly in any direction.

Agreed. It you ever say a V-22 Osprey, you cannot take your eyes off of it. I saw it last year at Luke Days. Man-o-man was that site to see!

[SluggoF16]

In the early 80s I would drive out to Luke and watch the F-4s, F-15s and the really cool F-16s (I say that with considerable bias), hoping some day that I'd get to fly one. Later, when I was actually stationed there as an instructor, I noticed the area just on the southwest side of Luke while landing to the northeast, a few vehicles parked there. A good place is right off Camelback at Alsup road, north to the fence. If they're taking off to the southwest they're going over 2-300 feet, probably still in afterburner. Or Camelback to Sarival, north to Bethany Home, then east to the fence (it bends back to Alsup). Northern Avenue just west of Litchfield is good too, but not as close. If you have access to Luke, then Fighter Country Avenue is along the flight line, but it's not prime watching.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.52...num=1&t=h&z=17

19th Avenue and 7th Streets are on either side of the Deer Valley Airport, used to be good planespotter territory but with general aviation operations down it may not be as busy.

Back in the day 40th Street and the river was a great place to watch at Sky Harbor... they came in right over the road, but that's long since gone.

[slowesthand]

have lunch at the Deer Valley airport. lots of planes taking off and landing from the flight school, and others.