ATL - Spot 1
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June 26, 2019Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on December 18, 2025
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world’s busiest airport by both passengers and number of total landings and take-offs. Located 7 miles south of downtown Atlanta, the airport has 5 runways and handles more than 100 million passengers every year. ATL is the primary hub for Delta Air Lines, as well as the focus city for Frontier Airliners, Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines. While the majority of movements are Delta Air Lines, there are also international carriers such as KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airways, Korean Air, Aeromexico, etc.
There are also several cargo operators that serving Atlanta like Asiana, Cargolux, Cathay, China Airlines, EVAAir Cargo, FedEx, Korean, Qatar Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo and UPS. The cargo complex is located between the runways 09R/27L and 10/28.
Although Atlanta is the largest airport in the world and has five runways, it is never boring due to the high number of arrivals and departures. There are also no reports about problems with the airport secuirty or police.
Next to spot 3, the Renaissance Hotel is the Delta Flight museum located. The facility has many attractions and exhibitions. Aircraft on display like the Boeing 747, 757, Douglas DC-9, just to mention a few things.
Written by Yixin Chen, Brian T Richards (Spot 3), Andrew Cohen (Spot 8), Michael Johnson, Koos van der Heijden (Spot 10) and Achim Walther (Spot 5). Last Update: October 2019
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather |  |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 08L/26R | 2.700 m (9.000 ft) |
| 08R/26L | 3.048 m (9.999 ft) |
| 09L/27R | 3.780 m (12.390 ft) |
| 09R/27L | 2.700 m (9.000 ft) |
| 10/28 | 2.700 m (9.000 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Concourse T, A, B, C | Delta, United (T), American (T). Southwest (C) |
| Concourse D | Delta, Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit, American |
| Concourse E | Delta, Contour, Boutique Air, Southwest and foreign carriers (intl. flights) |
| Concourse F | Delta, Southwest and foreign carriers |
| Airport Chart |  |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not recommended to use. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is necessary for off-airport locations except the terminal spots. |
| Restrooms | Inside the terminal, good for the parking deck locations. Outside there are always some hotels and fast food chains nearby. |
| Drinks/Food | Inside the terminal, good for the parking deck locations. Outside there are always some fast food chains nearby. |
| Hotels | One of the most popular hotels for planespotters worldwide ist the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport. See infos at spot3 for more details. Otherwise there are two hotel zones. One is at the north of the airport whilst the second are is on the south-west corner of the field. |
| Season | The best season to visit ATL is winter, as several locations will be good for all day and the sun position is favorable. In summer, evening departures on Runway 9R/27L is very good. However, sun postion is too high during the day to get decent shots in summer. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | ATL airport has five runways, all in west-east direction. Most of the time ATL operates westbound, unless there’s wind in the opposite direction. Cargo operators tend to use the southern runways as these are closer to their facilities. |
| 08L/26R | Mainly used for landings. Usually half of the international arrivals land here. |
| 08R/26L | Mainly used for departures of domestic flights. |
| 09L/27R | Mainly used for departures. 90% of the international departures use this runway due to its proximity to the international terminal and because it is the longest one. |
| 09R/27L | Mainly used for landings. Usually another half of the international arrivals use this runway. |
| 10/28 | The far south runway. Mainly used for domestic arrivals. |
Domestic Terminal South Parking Garage - 27R departures, 09R arrivals and departures, taxiway
| WHERE | This locations is on the top floor (4th floor) of the Domestic Terminal South Parking Garage. From I-85, just follow the well-designed signage to Domestic Terminal South Parking and enter Daily Parking (not Economy or Hourly parking). Drive all the way up to the top floor and position yourself to runways 9L/27R and 9R/27L. If 27 is in use, it’s better to stay at the east end. If 9 is in use, better to stay at the west side for the line-ups and landings. |
| WHAT | If 27 is in use, you can get all departures as they rotate via 27R. You can also get some (not all) taxing aircrafts just landed from 27L. If 9 is in use, you can get landings from 9R, line-ups and departures at 9L. |
| TIME | Aircrafts on the runway are only good for May to July after 17:30. Good for night shots all year round. During summer, most Europe bound departures after 17:30 use 9L/27R for departure. |
| MISC. | Restrooms are inside the terminal. This is a known plane spotting location and there are no issues with security reported. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-200mm for taxiing aircrafts. 100-400 for departing aircrafts. |
Domestic Terminal North Parking Garage - 08L arrivals and 26 departures
| WHERE | This locations is on the top floor (4th floor) of the Domestic Terminal North Parking Garage. From I-85, just follow the well-designed signage to Domestic Terminal North Parking and enter Daily Parking (not Economy or Hourly parking). Drive all the way up to the top floor and position yourself to runways 8L/26R and 8R/26L. |
| WHAT | All landings on 8L and departures on 26L. Taking ground pictures is not possible from here due to disturbing light poles and other objects. |
| TIME | Good for all day all year long except mornings and evenings in summer. However, heat haze is too severe for 8L landings during summer to make decent shots (alternative is spot #8). |
| MISC. | Restrooms are inside the terminal. Fast food chains available around the airport. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 150-450mm |
Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel - 08L/26R movements, ramp
| WHERE | Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel is one of the most famost spotting hotels in the world. The hotel locates in the north of the airport, facing directly to Runways 8R/26L and 8L/26R, as well as the business jet ramp. Booking is required to spot here. Upon check-in, you should ask for a room facing south on higher floors. Our room was 1107 and it offered a great view of the airport. Check in time is after 4pm and they were very strict at enforcing that. All rooms facing south have a balcony where you can easily sit down and enjoy the traffic. |
| WHAT | All movements on 8L/26R as well as business jet ramp. |
| TIME | Good for mornings and evenings in summer. In winter it will be backlit all day long. |
| MISC. | Everything you need is in your hotel. There are also several restaurants close to the hotel. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm |
The Engineering Guy - 26R arrivals
| WHERE | This is location is to the east of the field. From I-75 southbound, take Exit 239 to the Old Dixie Highway. Drive along Old Dixie Highway for another 0.6 miles and you’ll see The Engineering Guy on your right. Park and spot the landings on its parking lot.
Address: 1000 Tradeport Blvd #1011, Atlanta, GA 30354 |
| WHAT | All landings on 26R |
| TIME | Good for all day long in winter. In summer good for 11:30 to 16:30, although sun position is quite high in summer. |
| MISC. | There are fast food restaurants down south along the Old Dixie Rd. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-200mm |
Catalina - 26R arrivals
| WHERE | This is a alternative to #4 with a better angle but more distance. It is located on an open space next to a mexican restaurant named “Catalina”. To get there drive the US route 41 northbound until the road got two lanes, again. Short after this point you’ll see the restaurant and open space on the right. Park north of if and start spotting. Address: 4110 Old Dixie Rd, Hapeville, GA 30354, USA |
| WHAT | Best for RWY26R wich is more in use for landings than 26L which you can photograph from there too. |
| TIME | Good for all day long in winter. In summer good for 11:30 to 16:30, although sun position is quite high in summer. |
| MISC. | Food and toilet in the restaurant. There are also fast food restaurants down south along the Old Dixie Rd. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | For 26R: 380mm for a 738; 250mm for A346 |
Range, Guns and Safes - 27L arrivals
| WHERE | On the east side of the airport. From I-75 northbound, take Exit 237 to Forest Park/Farmers Market. Drive along the northbound frontage road, until you reach Lake Mirror Rd. Right turn into Lake Mirror Rd, the ranch and gun shop is on your left. Position yourself in the parking lot. Address: 285 Lake Mirror Rd, Forest Park, GA 30297 Update Dec 2025: its better not to use the private parking lots of Gun Range or the Peach State Distributing facility next to it as they will kick you out quick. Stay on the Lake Mirror Rd and shoot from there. |
| WHAT | All landings on 27L. |
| TIME | Good for all day long in winter. In summer good for 11:30 to 16:30, although sun position is quite high in summer. |
| MISC. | There are fast food restaurants if you continue to drive eastbound on Lake Mirror Rd until you reach Old Dixie Rd. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300mm |
International Hourly Parking Garage - 08R and 26R departures
| WHERE | On the east side of the airport. From I-75, follow the well-designed signage to International Hourly Parking. Drive all the way up to the top (6th) floor. Position yourself at the northwest corner. Facing west/northwest you can get 8L departures and taxiing aircrafts for 26 departure and 8L depart |
| WHAT | 8L departures and taxiing aircrafts for 26R departure |
| TIME | 8L departures are good all day long in winter, and 11:30-16:30 in summer. Taxiing aircrafts are only good in the mornings all year round. |
| MISC. | Restrooms in the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Taxiing aircrafts 70-300mm. 8L departures 100-400mm |
We currently can’t provide sample pictures from this location yet. If you have some pictures from this location, please do not hesitate to share with us!
Georgia International Convention Center - 08L arrivals
| WHERE | The location itself is on the sidewalk next to the huge sign at the driveway to the Georgia International Convention Center. It`s a good alternative to spot #2 as you are closer to the action. Do not park at the convention center as it is for events only. Instead, drive up the hill and park at the Marriott ($20 for three hours) then walk back down towards Camp Creek Parkway. During the week you might get lucky and be able to park for free at the BMW training center which is the building just behind the marked location but there’s a chance you’ll be asked to move. The angle from the BMW parking lot is also slightly better (see last three sample photos below). |
| WHAT | Great for 8L arrivals |
| TIME | Good for all day all year long except mornings and evenings in summer. Best light conditions in winter. |
| MISC. | Food and Restrooms within the nearby hotels. Some tress are spending shadow. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Challenger = 250mm; A346 = 100mm |
Taken from the road/junction
Taken from the BMW parking lot
Airport Park-Ride Garage - 26R arrivals, 26L lineup
| WHERE | Another good opportunity to catch the arrivals on runways 26, if you don’t mind to pay some dollars for a parking fee, is on the top level of the “Airport Park-Ride” garage. Take the road to the international terminal and once on the access road just follow the signs to the garage. It is a bit before the terminal itself and the big Delta Airlines maintenance hangars. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on 26 L/R as well as line up for 26L but part of the wheels are cut off at 90 degree. |
| TIME | Good for all day all year long except mornings and evenings in summer. Best light conditions in winter. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby. Closest facilities are within the terminal complex. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Challenger = 250mm; A346 = 100mm |
Comfort Suites - 28 arrivals
| WHERE | The spot is located on the Clark Howel Hwy just where the Comfort Suites hotel is. Easy to park opposite of the hotel where are some shops located which were closed on Saturday. Just walk onto the gras on the other side of the street where the hotel is. Easiest option is of course to stay in the hotel if you don’t have a car. |
| WHAT | Great for 28 arrivals (mainly domestic). |
| TIME | Good for all day all year long except mornings and evenings in summer. Best light conditions in winter. |
| MISC. | Couple of hotels in that corner. A subway restaurant and a gas station is a bit further down the road. Some tress are spending shadow. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 748 = 140mm; 738 = 220mm |
Airport Sign - 09R arrivals, 27R departures
| WHERE | At the junction of Riverdale Rd and Terminal Pkwy and south of the park-ride lot of the airport there is a huge airport sign where you can stay to catch the movements. By car just follow the signs to ATL Park-Ride Lot or one of the hotel lots south of the sign. From there walk along the road to the spot. The Lot is reachable from the terminal if you use a free shuttle bus from the terminal. Furthermore there a dozen of hotels in walking distance. |
| WHAT | 09R arrivals and 27R heavy departures. |
| TIME | Good for all day all year long except mornings and evenings in summer. Best light conditions in winter. |
| MISC. | Fee for parking is $3.00/hour – $10.00/day maximum. There are a couple of hotels south of the location. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 767 dep = 300mm |
Spot #12 - ATL West Parking Garage - 08L and 09R arrivals
| WHERE | The location is called ATL West Parking; it is a new parking deck that opened early during the summer 2021. This location is really good for arrivals when the airport is running East Ops and runways 8L and 9R are in use. The parking deck itself is very close to the Car Rental complex on the West side of the airport and is accessed by following the traffic signs on the airport property. Once there, proceed to the 7th level of the deck and set up shop. From the north side of the deck, you can catch all 8L arrivals with literally no obstructions. For 9R arrivals, you need to have a Peach Pass to access the southwest corner of the parking deck. Non Peach Pass holders can park on the NE corner and walk across the deck to get to the other side. The deck is also accessible via the sky train from the domestic terminal. |
| WHAT | Best for 08L arrivals. 09R are possible too but more far away then 08L. |
| TIME | 08L is good for all day all year long except mornings and evenings in summer. Best light conditions in winter. 09R is only possible in the early summer mornings and evenings Be aware of heat distortion in the summer months due to the huge distance. |
| MISC. | Parking is $3.00/hour- 1st – 3rd hour. $16.00/day after 3 hours. A few hotels are just around the corner. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | B39M = 270mm; A330 = 220mm |
Who can tell me where is suitable for shooting the plane landing on the 26R runway in the afternoon?
Went to planespot at the southern parking deck from 4 AM-12 PM with no issue.
Then i left towards the city and came back around 7-8 PM to southern parking deck (lower level to avoid rain) and then within 20 minutes not Atlanta PD but some guy within airport management came up to me and asked me to leave because “I cant be setting up shop around the parking decks.”
But no problem earlier in the day?
Also, I went planespotting last year and I met another planespotter who told me otherwise. That the airport management actually tolerates us?
Frequent & well-known KATL planespotter Matt Cochran (youtube: https://youtube.com/@mlcochran78?si=s_IrrrUmTNTaJpIl) also said and I quote “Towards the end of summer some new hire manager was harassing spotters on the south deck. If someone at ATL tries to shut you down, tell em to call the cops. The APD is on our side.” I cannot verify if there has been alot of problems with a manager harassing spotters but from how recent Alex’s situation was and how I was also asked to leave; it is plausible that this has been becoming more regular.
So definitely not impossible to planespot, but exercise caution in the southern parking decks. I do not know if it this warrants changing some info above regarding security risk. But one can monitor next time they planespot at KATL.
I spot at ATL pretty heavily and have posted up on the decks literally all day with filming equipment and have never been bothered by security. They’ll come up and have a conversation but I’ve never been told to leave. This is not a normal think and I suspect it’s someone having a power trip.
Thats probably whats happening honestly. Just wanted to share my 2 cents about it and if anyone else has gone through the same ordeal recently.
This is very good, still something to note.
I’ll be back at KATL soon.
Hi for spot 3 do I have to make a reservation at the hotel? new to ATL
Yes, for spot 3 you’ll need a reservation
Hey! Regarding spot 6)
I was there today. 2 guys came from the store and spoke with another spotter that was in a car and then came to me(I was on foot). Basically it’s a private property and spotters and their respective car cannot be there, they expelled us but not in a rude way. The option is only by the opposite side of the road which isn’t much better due the electric cables in front of airplane path
Upvoting, spotted at ATL for the last 6 years. Never had issues with this spot but the last year or so both at the Gun Range and the Peach State Distributing facility parking lot right behind it, I have been kicked out pretty rudely a few times for parking there. Would recommend shoot and leaving pretty quickly or parking elsewhere on Lake Mirror Rd or the surroundings, but fair warning its not a super safe area to leave stuff so be very careful
I left a note to be careful at this place. Thanks
Hey everyone,
I’m an Atlanta local and trying to get into plane spotting. I visited the #1 spot yesterday to do some plane spotting and was located on the top floor of the daily parking deck. I was there from about 7:30 AM until 11:30 AM and got some great pictures. I was approached at around 11:30 by Atlanta PD who was questioning what I was doing, stated that he was getting calls about my camera, and asked if I worked there, if i’m flying out, ect. He could clearly see that I had my camera with a 800mm lens along with my batteries and such. I told him I was taking pictures of the planes and even offered to show him. The APD officer stated unless I was flying out or working then i’m not allowed on airport property and he asked me to leave (didn’t ask for my ID or anything.) I left not wanting to push my luck and collected my gear and left.
Has anyone else had any issues with security? I’m wondering if maybe this isn’t a good spot to watch the planes anymore, or if this is a recent development.
Just wanted to share my feedback. Thanks!
There are always some “nervous” locals who tend to call the cops. Happens everywhere in the world, but mainly in the USA 🙂
Usually the spot is a well known spotting location. Just keep a low profile next time you go there.
Happy spotting!
-Julian
I was there all afternoon and no one approached me. There’s police escorting VIP down the road sometimes and probably saw you with the huge lens and went to you asking.
Today all afternoon *
I spotted at Spot #1 on two different days 20/21 Nov with no issues and with many locals and airport staff members passing by as well. I would recommend staying away from the on-ramp area as stated in the photo overview and stick between parked cars.
It’s a well known location, you got unlucky. They’ll leave you alone most of the time.
Its most definitely becoming a more recent development. I successfully was able to planespot from 4 AM – 10 AM approx. with no issue but at night I was told to leave by management.
Maybe i was being unlucky but another planespotter youtuber from KATL has mentioned that a new hire manager has been harassing southern parking deck spotters since last year end of summer. (I spotted at that time and nothing happened.)
read my new comment on this KATL spotterguide
It is something to monitor because there really isnt anywhere else thats good to planespot at in KATL unless you want to pay for a hotel or stand outside somewhere away from the airport (given that its South Atlanta, I wouldnt feel comfortable doing that.)
Visited from afternoon to sunset while landings were occurring on runways 8L and 9R.
Heat haze was an issue at spot #2 during the afternoon on a sunny day in October.
Spot #11 was great for 9R. I’d suggest parking at Park ATL select or one of the hotel lots south of the sign and walking along the road. Also possible to get decent spots from the south-eastern most corner of the Airport Park Ride lot.
I found the area near the convention center parking lot to be a good alternative for 8L landings at Walt Bellamy Way.
Today, June 23rd, I spent about 5 hours today on the ATL premises, circling around in the loop checking out all the locations as mentioned above, and this is my results. I have a Sony 6100, using 210mm zoom. I parked on the top of the parking garage at the International Parking Garage. There is only 3 places that are worth it. There, and the South/North Daily Parking….and a bonus… ohh, and if you dont have one, get a Scanner so you can hear communications! I didnt have any issues with security.
-International Parking Garage: Great for Take off from 8R (east bound departures). Based on Google, you are 1,700 ft from the 1,000 footers of 26L which would be great for landings. You are about 1.15miles from the 1,000 footers on 27L, still distant, but not bad for departures from the 9s. $30 is the DAILY cost. Great view of the ATC Tower during a nice sunset.
-South Daily. Now its a bit crazy there, so know where your going ahead of time! Landing on 9R, you are about 2,000 ft from the touch down zone, which is great! For departures, they would be airborn by the time they pass your corner of the building.
-North Daily. 3,300 ft from the touch down of 8L. Still far. You will get nice slow landings. You will not see much on the 9s as far as departures, but you will them airborne.
**BONUS** If they are landing Westbound, on the 28, then go to the corner of Lee’s Mill Road & Forest Parkway. There is a dirty patch that you can park on, and you are 600 ft from the airplanes as they land about 100ft AGL.
I have posted videos and pictures on my YouTube Channel. Feel free to reach out to me for additional advice! Happy Landings! So my recommendations, drive around the field, enjoy the drive, its a big freakin airport, and see what angles work best for you!
Ill be there 24 June 2025, either North or South Daily Parking Garage if anyone wants to join me! Ill be visiting the Delta Museum during the day, and Ill be at one of those sites at around 5pm. email me, RishiHC@gmail.com. See ya!
Hey not trying to be a nuisance, I’m new to plane spotting, and I was wondering if there’s any place on this list where I can see the taxiway/runway (Like the pictures on Domestic Terminal South…) but won’t have to worry about getting kicked out by security. Thanks in advance! Hope to go plane spotting soon!
If I on the November go to 1# location (DOMESTIC TERMINAL SOUTH PARKING GARAGE), will it be backlit for a whole day?
When the sun is out, you cannot go there because it is backlit. You can go to the northern part Spot 2.
-Julian
i’m looking for a Spotter who lives in Atlanta interested in participating in the HAI HELI EXPO for free, and still earn some extra money, just to help our company with photos and videos during the fair. Some one intrested?
When will this happen again? I do LIVE streaming.