FLL-Spot1
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July 18, 2013Fort Lauderdale Intl. Airport Spotting Guide
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- last modified on October 18, 2021
Just 50 km north of Miami is the third biggest airport in Florida. Almost 36.7 Mio. passengers used the facilities of Fort Lauderdale in 2019 which makes FLL a very busy airport. JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit are the major carriers and responsible for most of the traffic. Silver Airways also operates a hub with their Saab 340s and ATR42.
International traffic has also grown more and more in the past with several new carriers electing to serve FLL. A handful of airlines from Canada, such as Air Transat, Sunwing, Westjet or Canjet operate regular charter services, especially during the winter season (often with leased aircraft). This might be the main reason for many spotters to visit the airport, as this is one of the best places in the US to photograph these airlines. Furthermore airlines from Middle & South America are regular foreign visitors, like Avianca, AZUL, TAME, Copa Airlines, Volaris, etc.. Also some airlines from the Caribbean Sea are a common sight. Condor and Norwegian are the only carriers from Europe. With the opening of the new runway 10R/28L spotting has gotten a bit more difficult, as traffic is now split (see Runway Usage below), but there is still a lot of traffic and you will still get tons of interesting aircraft and liveries at this airport.
Written by Julian Mittnacht, Maximilian Ono & Jan Seba, Bryan Wu (Spot6) / Last Update February 2020.
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 10L/28R (North) | 2.743 m (9.000 ft) |
| 10R/28L (South) | 2.438 m (8.000 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 (North) | United, Southwest, Allegiant |
| Terminal 2 (North) | Delta, Air Canada |
| Terminal 3 (West) | American, JetBlue |
| Terminal 4 (South) | Spirit, Middle & South American opterators |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not necessary, but very helpful at spot #2. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is necessary to reach all of the spots except #1. |
| Restrooms | There are plenty of hotels, gas stations and restaurants around the airport. |
| Drinks/Food | There are plenty of gas stations and restaurants around the airport. |
| Hotels | The beach of Fort Lauderdale is not far away and you will find plenty of hotels there. But the closest hotels are in Dania Beach next to the I95 |
| Season | There is no special season but its very hot in the summer and heat haze can be a problem at some positions. Incoming charterflights from Canada mainly on Saturday and Sunday and mainly in the winter season. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 10L/28R | This is the main runway in FLL and is used in both directions. It is mainly used by arrivals and departures to/from the North and all the legacy carriers. Airlines from Canada, like Air Canada, Sunwing or Air Transat also prefer to operate from here. Heavies like the AZUL A330 also use this runway. Southwest also prefers this runway as its closer to its terminal. |
| 10R/28L | The newly opened southern runway is shorter in length and used less. The primary users are Spirit Airlines, JetBlue (mainly for flights from the South) and some of the Carribean and Southern American airlines. Though there is no guarantee that they operate from this RWY, for example Carribean Airlines has been seen to land on both RWYs. |
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Spot #1 – Hibiscus Garage – 10L Departures, 28R Arrivals & Departures |
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| WHERE | As the name implies, this spot is located on the top of the Hibiscus Parking garage. Its easy to reach this place as you have just to follow the yellow signs to Terminal 1 parking. Use the elevator or the car ramp to reach the top level. Find a place to stay between the gap of Terminal 1 and 2. |
| WHAT | The garage is located between Terminal 1 and 2 and offers a perfect view of the northern ramp action, as well as all movings of the main runway 10L/28R. Arrivings on 10L are possible too but usually aircraft exit the runway earlier. 28R arrivals are better as the planes are sill in the air and you can shot them shortly before the touch down zone. Also 10L departures are perfect at this spot is pretty high and you will have the perfect angle from here. |
| TIME | Great spot for almost the whole day. Backlit is possible within the summer months. |
| MISC. | All essential facilities are inside Terminal 1 or 2. Keep in mind its very hot there in the summer so bring water and sun protection with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-400 mm |
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Spot #2 – Official Viewing Area North RWY – 10L Arrivals & Departures |
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| WHERE | This is an official viewing area which is close to the threshold of 10L and the I-95. The spot is only reachable by car and is at the dead end of 39th street. From the I-95 leave at the Exit Griffin Road West and turn onto the Anglers Avenue and from there onto the 42nd Street. Take the first left into the Western Perimeter Rd and then the second right into the 39th street. There is a large parking lot at the location, where you can leave your car.
+++UPDATE OCT 2021: there are ongoing construction works around this area and it is possible that the access is limited due to construction vehicles. About 40 feet behind the parking lot is a large paved area being used to store construction debris, including some dirt mounds about 15 feet high. You can use these mounds to shoot over the fence. We have noticed no problem from cops or workers while passing by to the spot.+++ |
| WHAT | This spot is good for all RWY 10L Traffic: Departures, Arrivals and also taxiing aircraft to the RWY. In order to shoot over the fence there is a crash barrier with a couple of pillars to stand on. For arrivals the fence will never be visible in the image frame and departures should also work out if you are close to 6ft tall. The taxiway Charlie is located between the fence and the runway. Generally this is good when shooting taxiing aircraft, but they sometimes pass the location very rapidly, making it hard to get a good shot. This is also due to the close proximity, which will be a problem for larger aircraft. Plus, if you are standing on the pillars, the fence will definitely be in the image frame. The outbound traffic can be problematic during departure peak times, when there are several aircraft waiting infront of you. They may obstruct your view but more problematically they can cause heat haze. A ladder would come in very handy for taxiing aircraft, as you can vary your position better and are also higher to avoid the fence for shots on the taxiway. When using a ladder, do not place it right next to the fence, as airport authorities do not like seeing this. For continious use of a ladder make sure to place it other side of the road closer to the parking lot. |
| TIME | In winter, this spot is good for the whole day. |
| MISC. | Airport authorities have placed a large speaker broadcasting ATC communication at this location. There are no facilities or food stores at this location, so prepare yourself. The area is very crowded on sunny and warm days. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Around 150mm for A320/B738s on the RWY. Less than 40mm for A320/B738 on the TWY. |
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Spot #3 – Anglers Ave – 10L arrivals |
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| WHERE | The spot is an alternative to #2 and is located at Anglers Ave next to some car reapair stores. From spot 2 after you have left the I-95 continue northwards on the Anglers Ave until you see the last buildings before the approach path of RWY10L. Park your car on the shoulder or in one of the side roads. |
| WHAT? | Instead of spot #2 you see arrivals on 10L only! The advantage is that you don´t have problems with aircraft waiting on the taxiway for departure and may be in your frame if you shot an arrival at spot #2. Here you have a clear background and no other disturbing objects. |
| TIME? | In winter, this spot is good for the whole day. |
| MISC. | There are some restaurants and a gas station south of your location at Anglers Ave. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 738 = 150mm |
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Spot #4 – Official Viewing Area South RWY – 10R Arrivals & Departures |
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| WHERE | Similar to spot #2, leave the I-95 at the Griffin Road, but head East here. After passing over a small bridge you can turn left at the first traffic lights. Continue on this small road for a few meters and then you will reach the huge parking lot for this location. |
| WHAT? | Next to the parking lot is an elevated area with a handrail from where you can easily shoot over the fence for all RWY 10R movements. For RWY 28L movements, better use spot #5, as most of the departures will be too high here and arrivals will have already turned off the runway. |
| TIME? | In winter, this spot is good for the whole day. |
| MISC. | There are benches and lots of trees for shadow in the park. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | An A320 on the RWY is just over 100mm and on the TWY it is 170mm. |
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Spot #5 – Walkpath – 10R/28L Arrivals & Departures |
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| WHERE | Use the driving route and parking lot as in spot #4. From there, you have to walk a few hundred metres along the asphalted path towards the east and along the RWY. There are always a few holes in the trees through which you could theoretically shoot, but keep on going until you get to a noticeably large and elevated area without trees, where you have a clean shot towards the RWY. |
| WHAT? | This spot is pretty much usable for all RWY 10R/28L movements, but as spot #4 is more convenient it makes more sonse to only go here for 28L. |
| TIME? | In winter, this spot is good for the whole day. |
| MISC. | There are benches and lots of trees for shadow in the park. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Similar to Spot #3, just a few mm more due to slightly more distance. |
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Spot #6 – Terminal Drive – Runway/Taxiway/Ramp |
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| WHERE | This location is located at the drop off section, in between terminals 2 and 3. On the sidewalk along the road, there are seats available to view aircrafts. To get there by car, you can park your car any of the parking garages (most convenient to park at Palm Garage). Then by foot follow the signs to walk to Terminal 2. Walk into the terminal and up the stairs to the upper level. The spotting should be to the right, where the road turns. Public transport is available to get to this spotting location. |
| WHAT? | Best option for taxiways Bravo and Charlie, as well as Terminal 2/3 movements. All runway 10L/28R are possible too but due to the distance heat can be a problem. |
| TIME? | Amazing spot for almost the entire day. Backlit and heat haze may be possible during the summer. |
| MISC. | Everything you need such as food, drinks, and restrooms are available in the terminals. The location offers seating and shade. You should not encounter any issues with the police or security. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-200mm |
Re Spot 2 – the parking lot/official viewing area is wide open. About 40 feet behind the parking lot is a large paved area being used to store construction debris, including some dirt mounds about 15 feet high. There were several spotters using these mounds to shoot over the fence. Airport security and ops, as well as construction vehicles were passing by on a regular basis and no one seemed to have a problem with this.
Thanks for the hint, Frank.
-Julian
Visited spot #4 during a visit to MIA and FLL. Your description doesn’t quite make it clear that this is a public park (Green Belt Park), There is a hill which lifts you well above the level of the double perimeter fence and a rail to lean on. Many locals seem to come here particularly at the weekend, No toilets/other facilities though but I gather standard chain restaurants are nearby. It is very pleasant here and an excellent spot for 08R arrivals and departures. I even managed to shoot some on 08L after take off or before arrival especially at higher altitudes where the air is cooler and the ground heat haze doesn’t interfere. Used my 100-400 mm lens.
When I went there (Fri 21 Feb 2020), spot 2 was closed because of construction. However, I was told that, according to the FLL website, it reopened on the following Monday. Didn’t investigate further though. Judging by what I saw, spot #4 seemed much pleasanter.
Not sure what happened but was told by ops personnel that anglers Ave is not allowed anymore. Not sure if I was the only one but I have had no issues for a while until now. Just wanna give a heads up.
Spot 2 is now closed as a spotting facility. Works are being carried out and the road is blocked as you enter the car park. You can park between the road and the car park, but all photos are through the fence. You can stand at the corner of the road and get landings without a fence problem. A local told me that there is pressure to permanently close this facility due to environmental issues.
Hi Gerry, one of our members was just there and we can confirm that access to this spot is limited. Driving directly to the spots seems to be possible but as you said, depends on the number of construction vehicles.
-Julian
RWY 10L/28R is again back i service, so you might need to update the guide of spots 1, 2 and 3 .
Absolutely right, guide updated. Thanks for the hint.
-Julian
I live a few miles away from the airport so I spot at FLL constantly! The green belt is honestly just the best place in the world to spot in my opinion. I’ve been Told that FLL’s greenbelt is the most spotter friendly viewing area of any airport in the U.S 🙂
Thats good seems, US airports are not very spotter friendly, think Myrtle Avenue at LHR might be better due to variety of carriers, and south runway at MAN is pretty cool.
Hope to kick start spottingin FL
What spot is the green belt?
Visited today for the first time and, based on the guide, chose spot 2 as “Heavies like the AZUL A330 also use this runway” – guess what, today it didn’t. But the 320 did, so not a total loss. This is a great spot, with many visitors today..
Thanks for what you do.
Hi Gerry!
Oh, we are sorry to hear you missed here (due to our “information”).
But thank you very much for letting us know about this kinda rulechange, which will be updated in the guide that future visitors may not fail here.
Regards, Severin
Think I’ll be taking a trip to FLL soon since spirit flies direct from my city airport, has anyone had issues with spot 1? Seems like people could think you’re suspicious so want to be sure before I take a leap of faith.
This is more ore less an official location which is tolerated by the authorities. So you can easily spot from the garage without beeing bothered by security.
-Julian
I love spotting planes but I only see lots of the smaller 737 and 320s. Does anyone know if any of the larger 777s, 747 or similar large craft use FTL and what their arrival and departures are? Also are their any local aviation interest groups that meet in person in south fl?
Hi Marty,
Here’s a list of widebodies currently servicing FLL:
Emirates – 772, 773
British – 772
Norwegian – 789
Air Canada Rouge – 763
Azul – A332
Fedex – 763F, DC-10F, MD-11F
Please check Flightradar24 for exact arrival and departure times.
South Florida has a vivid plane spotter community. If you are on Facebook, there is a group called “Florida Aviation Photography”. Also, every year around this time the “Florida Aviation Photography Convention” (commonly known as “FLAP”) takes place, however, it’s tough to get in as spots are very limited compared to the number of people who want to participate. For more info you can either check the Facebook group or go to the forum on http://www.netairspace.com.
Best regards,
Thomas
Hi Thomas. Thank you for your kind reply to my request regarding any larger craft using Fort Lauderdale. You gave me a ton of information deeply appreciate it. If you ever get down to South Florida get In touch and I’ll be happy to go spotting with you. Many thanks again, best regards, Marty
I’ve spotted FLL a few times now but have never stayed overnight. Does anyone know about spotting the Hibiscus Garage at night. It is very similar to what we have at IAH. Just wondering if law enforcement or OPS has something set in place during the night hours.
Thank you.
I personally never spot at night there. But I can´t imagine there is much action as you can only shot the ramp between T1 and T2. Guess the taxiway/runway is too far and you have moving object and less light there.
But let us now if you have made some photos!
-Julian
I’ve been there after sunset and many days. It’s a good location in that you get to see planes taking off from both runways north and south. Unfortunately you don’t really see them rotate up because you’re blocked by the Buildings. I’ve never had anyone hassle me and rarely if ever do the police or security come up to the roof. Also there’s several elevators down and it’s open 24×7. On a nice day it can be a beautiful place to hang out. Enjoy