5 Most Impressive U.S. Airport Final Approach Views

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

I flew into DAL (Love Field) twice this week and twice last month. All four times, regardless of which city I flew in from, we always landed from the south.

I've sat on both sides of the plane flying in, and when landing, you fly directly between downtown and uptown. From the right (port) side, you get a dramatic, up close view of the entire downtown skyline - a view to which only the approaches in to San Diego and Chicago Midway compare domestically, in my opinion. From the left (starboard) side, you get a slightly less dramatic (yet impressive, nonetheless) view of the surprisingly dense uptown and Central Expressway corridor.

I have a few video clips of my recent landings there - happy to share a link if you let me know of a site besides youtube or Vimeo that's ideal for hosting short clips.

Thanks for the clarification. I was thinking left side facing the front of the plane. But I think we're talking about the same thing.

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

As previously noted above, I've flown into DAL several times recently and shot a couple short clips I'd be happy to share. I don't have a YouTube account, nor do I care to create one just for this purpose. Is there an alternate way to share short clips that you'd recommend?

I wish I knew. It was a challenge just to figure out how to post a YouTube video, but fortunately I found the notes here at SSP on how to do it. There are probably a lot of members here who can advise you. Would love to see your videos.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

Thanks for the clarification. I was thinking left side facing the front of the plane. But I think we're talking about the same thing.

Sure thing. And yes, we are.

[Hindentanic]

While not a fan of the decrepit airport itself, the approach and landing into LaGuardia offers an amazing view along much of the length of Manhattan.

Right up there is the processional view across Honolulu and Oʻahu when landing into Honolulu International Airport from the east. We get the Pacific, several urban volcanic craters, the surprisingly dense skyline of Honolulu itself, Waikiki Beach, tropical-forested mountains, Honolulu harbor, and then a landing on the Reef Runway projecting out into the ocean.

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Coming in from the west is not as urbanistically dramatic, but we do get to see the Kaʻena Point, the leeward mountains, Pearl Harbor, and Hickam. You can easily imagine the first wave of Japanese torpedo planes and bombers swooping down from over the mountains, made even more ironic a flights nowadays from Japan typically take this approach. Bonus points if you spot American aircraft carriers in port! Interestingly, Honolulu International shares runways with Hickam Air Force Base, so it is not unusual to see U.S. military fighters queuing up between trans-Pacific jumbo passenger jets, many of them heading back to Japan.

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Hickam also have a number of parks and beaches along the bays and outlets created by the Reef Runway, so residents can spend a day at the beach watching the aircraft, though it sometimes helped your ears to dunk your head under the water when the jet engines went to full thrust for takeoff.

[chris08876]

Haven't seen this one before. Worth a watch. Also note the Bronx, it is frickin massive and very dense via the air. This aerial does justice covering most of the boroughs.

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Here is an epic one of Chicago: Start at the 2:20 mark onward if you want the good stuff!

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[Will O' Wisp]

Here's another interesting one, Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City. Up until KCI was built in the 1970s Kansas City was the "other" city with an airport ridiculously close to downtown (San Diego being the first). Once TWA's HQ, today it makes a living as a fairly active GA airport.

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WARNING: Good video, but for some reason there's a loud screeching sound just after the 2 minute mark

[Trae]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

I agree. I've always noticed a similarity in the structural layout of both Dallas and Atlanta's core, particularly in Uptown Dallas and Midtown Atlanta (towers built close to the actual street they're on). Houston's Galleria area is somewhat comparable, but loses out on a ton of density because the area's towers are built away from the street, with large yards, parking garages, etc.) positioned in between the buildings and the streets.

Houston's equivalent to those two areas in Dallas and Atlanta isn't Uptown Houston (where the Galleria is ) but instead Midtown Houston and East Downtown.

Speaking of Houston, the approach into HOU is nice if you're on the skyline side of the plane (start at 6:57):

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I wouldn't put it up there with the approaches to DAL or ATL though. SAN, (so close to Downtown) LGA and ORD have been two of my top favorites, but I don't think anything can beat the approach into LAX from the east, especially if you get the north view. And that's day or night.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Trae

Houston's equivalent to those two areas in Dallas and Atlanta isn't Uptown Houston (where the Galleria is ) but instead Midtown Houston and East Downtown.

I'm aware of that (that the Houston Galleria area would be the equivalent of Buckhead Atlanta and possibly the Dallas Galleria area), and should've noted that the reason I included the Houston Galleria area as a reference is because IMO, Midtown/East Downtown Houston aren't vertically built up enough yet to compare to the two areas of Dallas (Uptown) and Atlanta (Midtown) that I referenced.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Trae

SAN, (so close to Downtown) LGA and ORD have been two of my top favorites, but I don't think anything can beat the approach into LAX from the east, especially if you get the north view. And that's day or night.

Agree re: LAX, as noted in my initial post in this thread.

[Will O' Wisp]

Okay, so I was born and raised in LA. I have landed and taken off out of LAX more times than I can count, in every direction, from every runway. Can someone explain what's so amazing about the final approach into LAX?

Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but all I see on landing is a fairly distant view of the skyline and a mass of suburban housing underneath (which admittedly can look pretty cool at night). It always felt like a fairly typical approach to me.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by Will O' Wisp

Okay, so I was born and raised in LA. I have landed and taken off out of LAX more times than I can count, in every direction, from every runway. Can someone explain what's so amazing about the final approach into LAX?

Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but all I see on landing is a fairly distant view of the skyline and a mass of suburban housing underneath (which admittedly can look pretty cool at night). It always felt like a fairly typical approach to me.

Although not as dramatic as landing/flying out of San Diego, when you come into LAX it's interesting to see the suburban landscape start from so far away. You see how everything was neatly planned out with huge grid system, giant freeways and their interchanges, with large hills and mountains creating scenic disruptions. Then when you get closer to Downtown LA and see the growth there, with highrises lined up all the way out to the west. Classic LA landmarks like the Hollywood sign and Griffith clearly visible in the background and the fancy homes that dot the hills around them. Just before you land, there's the beaches and SM Pier, Baldwin Hills, all that development in Inglewood and around the airport. And like you said, when it's at night all of the lights can be pretty impressive. It has its own beauty that you don't get with any other landing in the country.

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

I'm aware of that (that the Houston Galleria area would be the equivalent of Buckhead Atlanta and possibly the Dallas Galleria area), and should've noted that the reason I included the Houston Galleria area as a reference is because IMO, Midtown/East Downtown Houston aren't vertically built up enough yet to compare to the two areas of Dallas (Uptown) and Atlanta (Midtown) that I referenced.

A lot of highrises going up in Midtown Houston now. Give it 5 more years.

[chris08876]

Found one of LGA but via cockpit view. Very clear day too!

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[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Will O' Wisp

Okay, so I was born and raised in LA. I have landed and taken off out of LAX more times than I can count, in every direction, from every runway. Can someone explain what's so amazing about the final approach into LAX?

Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but all I see on landing is a fairly distant view of the skyline and a mass of suburban housing underneath (which admittedly can look pretty cool at night). It always felt like a fairly typical approach to me.

What other U.S. cities have you flown into?

In my opinion, there's no final approach that resembles the DTLA-side facing approach between roughly Palm Springs and LAX. Starts with suburban sprawl, and then evolves into dense urban sprawl with jam-packed freeway after freeway for miles and miles like no other large U.S. city I've flown into (though Phoenix appears to be headed in that direction). Obviously the views seen when landing in NYC and Chicago are unique as far as urban density, but the various landscapes, amount of dense urban sprawl and vehicular chaos you see when approaching LAX is unrivaled in the U.S.

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by austlar1

I think the Sao Paulo in town airport landing must be among the most spectacular in the world. Here is another landing clip that shows in detail the vast scale and high rise nature of the place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPTyXftT0bY

Sao Paulo is mind-boggling, as well as Buenos Aires and most SA cities, blows anything in the USA out of the water

[montréaliste]

Originally Posted by bigstick

Sao Paulo is mind-boggling, as well as Buenos Aires and most SA cities, blows anything in the USA out of the water

I didn't see any de-icing crews on the apron at Sao Paulo airport.

[chris08876]

Hong Kong has a nice landing. Skip to 6:30 mark onward for the good stuff. Entering the exotic landscape. 9:30 mark onward, starts to get dense.

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[The Chemist]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Hong Kong has a nice landing. Skip to 6:30 mark onward for the good stuff. Entering the exotic landscape. 9:30 mark onward, starts to get dense.

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Hong Kong is only good if you're approaching from the west. If the approach is from the east, like it was for me when I flew into Hong Kong this past Saturday, it's boring - over the water and then BAM! You're on the ground.

[bigstick]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyVjr2aWsAA436r.jpg

Atlanta Airport is a behemouth..

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by austlar1

I think the Sao Paulo in town airport landing must be among the most spectacular in the world. Here is another landing clip that shows in detail the vast scale and high rise nature of the place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPTyXftT0bY

Holy sh*t that's unreal. It's like you could combine NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto and STILL wouldn't add up to that many towers.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

What other U.S. cities have you flown into?

In my opinion, there's no final approach that resembles the DTLA-side facing approach between roughly Palm Springs and LAX. Starts with suburban sprawl, and then evolves into dense urban sprawl with jam-packed freeway after freeway for miles and miles like no other large U.S. city I've flown into (though Phoenix appears to be headed in that direction). Obviously the views seen when landing in NYC and Chicago are unique as far as urban density, but the various landscapes, amount of dense urban sprawl and vehicular chaos you see when approaching LAX is unrivaled in the U.S.

Exactly. Flew home from Boston yesterday. Made sure I had a dtla side window seat. As soon as you get to the San Bernardino mountains all the way to LAX, it's incredible. Mountains plastered in feet of snow, urab sprawl, so many kinds of topography, the skylines, Hollywood sign, ocean, Inglewood stadium and on and on... And most people are because all the window shades were up lol