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April 4, 2018San Francisco Inlt. Airport Spotting Guide
- last modified on May 15, 2023
San Francisco´s airport handeld almost 56 Mio passengers in 2017 and is the seventh-busiest in the United States. The commuting area of SFO/KSFO is very huge including major cities like Oakland or San Jose and even the Silicon Valley just south of the airport. Furthermore its a very popular tourist destination. Due to all these factors, the airport is served by most major carriers from all over the world and offers a nice mix for plane spotters. SFO is a major hub for United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, former Virgin America. Due to the wide range of international flights, heavy aircraft are a common sight.
There is also huge Chinese sub-group in San Francisco and it has the highest percentage of residents of Chinese descent of any major U.S. city. Therefore China is a very popular destination from an to KSFO and served by all major carriers from the country.
The airport itself is situated in the San Francisco Bay: that’s not ideal for plane spotters. The issue is that it is surrounded by water on the north, east and south side. This makes spotting very limited as you can photograph from the western part only starting from noon.
There are two offical outside observation decks. One is atop Terminal 2, before security, and one is atop Terminal 3, after securtiy. Both are behind glass.
If you are using a location on airport property, this includes spots 3 and 4 (terrace excluded and not needed) you need a spotting permit for the time of your stay! Just fill out the form on the official airport website: LINK – however, even with this permit the local authorities sometimes send you away!
Written by Maximilian Kramer (Maxi-Air) and Julian Mittnacht. Last change: May 2023 (Spots 5 updated)
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather | |
| Visitor Rating How was your trip? Rate this airport! |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 01L/19R | 2.332 m (7.650 ft) |
| 01R/19L | 2.637 m (8.650 ft) |
| 10L/28R | 3.618 m (11.870 ft) |
| 10R/28L | 3.469 m (11.381 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1, Concourse B and C | Delta, Frontier, Southwest |
| Terminal 2, Concourse D | Alaska Airlines, American, Virgin America |
| Terminal 3, Concourse E and F | United Airlines Domestic |
| Intl. Terminal, Concourse A and G | All intl. flights and foreign carries. Furthermore following US-Carriers: JetBlue, SunCountry, |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not required at any location. |
| Car/Public Transport | Not needed as all spots are within the airport perimeter and reachable by public transport, hotel shuttles, airtrain amd last but not least by foot. |
| Restrooms | Within the terminals and the hotels south of the terminals. |
| Drinks/Food | There are restaurants spreaded around the hotel area south of the terminals. |
| Hotels | Lots of hotels in different price categories are south of the terminals |
| Season | SFO is an all year round destination. In summer you have better weather and longer days but more heat distorion as you mainly can shot ground traffic. |
| Security | The airport is very spotter friendly and don’t have any issues. If you are using a location on airport property, this includes spots 3-5 (terrace excluded) you need a spotting permit for the time of your stay! To get a photo permit for the date of your stay, just fill out the form on the official airport website. Please note that you have to fill out the form every time you go, as the permit given is only for the specific day you go. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General infos | Usually most time of the year runways 01 and 28 are the active, also called the “west plan”. Heavies bound to Europe or Asia use RWY28 for their departure. 10 and 19 movements are very rare but in this case they “south-east plan” is active. Have a look at the two images below for a detailed description. |
| 01L/19R | 01L is used for deparutres only most of the time. 19R barely in use for arrivals. |
| 01L/19R | 01R is used for deparutres only most of the time. 19L barely in use for arrivals. |
| 01L/19R | Mostly 28R is used for arrivals and heavy departures. 10L barely in use for departures. |
| 01L/19R | Mostly 28L is used for arrivals and heavy departures. 10R barely in use for departures. |
(Pictures are in possession of flysfo.com)
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Spot #1 – Waterfront/Bayfront Park – 28L arrivals |
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| WHERE | The most popular spotting location in SFO is the Bayfront Park and the Waterfront. Leave Highway 101 at exit ‘Millbrae Ave’ and follow Millbrae Av. Eastbound. At the traffic lights turn right into Old Bayshore Highway. After 500m the spot is located on the left side. You can also try to catch on of the shuttle buses to the Westin or Marriot hotel. By foot from the int. terminal you should be need approximate 30 minutes. There are about 10-15 free parking slots the rest is from Marriott hotel. Plenty of hotels are just next to the park. Address for navigation: 1820 Old Bayshore Highway, Millbrae, California, USA |
| WHAT | Best for landing 28L and taxiway F. Photograph single aisle aircraft are to small due to the extreme heat distortion so you should concentrate on the heavies. You can´t photograph 01L/R movements as the view is blocked by a fence along the border and not suitable for photoraphy. |
| TIME | Best light from noon till sunset, better pictures at tidal |
| MISC. | At the park itself there are some benches to relax and enough shadow. Restrooms in the hotel behind you. Due to high distance and the water, heat haze is a big problem here even in winter. There is a white flag installed that can be a bit disturbing (see Cathay sample below). |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 400mm for A380. |
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Spot #2 – Westin Hotel – 28/01 |
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| WHERE | The spot is a room within the Westin Hotel. It is the same direction as above and on the opposite side of the bayfront park. Ask for a room in the eastern wing with a view northwards to the airport. Sadly you can´t open the windows. |
| WHAT | Its the only good location for departures on RWY 01. Movements on 28 are possible from a room in the northern wing, facing east. But it is not really an option due to the heat and distance and it is better to go out to the waterfront as you are closer. |
| TIME | Good location to spend almost the whole day for 01 and it is easy to move to #1 in the evening. |
| MISC. | Everything you need is within the hotel. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-400mm |
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Spot #3 – International Parking Garages G and A – Ramp movements |
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| WHERE | The spot is easily to find as it is on the top of the international terminal parking garages. Just follow the signs by car or use the AirTrain and follow the signs to the second highest level of the parking. The railing is a bit high and its difficult to photograph. An alternative are the stairs of the skytrain station. |
| WHAT | Usually the northern garage G is the better choice as the sun is behind you. Garage A is possible too but the light conditions are good in the late afternoon only. The action is limited here to the movements to and from the Gates G91,93,97,99 and a few remote parking stands. Check the airport website to see which airlines are located in concourse G but its mainly Star Alliance. |
| TIME | For the G gates it depends on the angle but almost all day long. A is more tricky and better in the evening. You can try night shots too from here! |
| MISC. | Everything you need within the terminal. A photo permit is required for this location! For more information check the red security box under the “Spotting Information” section. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 20-200mm. Depends on what you photograph as many different situations are possible. |
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Spot #4 – AirTrain Station |
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| WHERE | The location is at the AirTrain Station of the domestic terminal 2. Just get on the platform of the trains. There is an open staircase at each end of the station where you have a sight over the terminals to the runways and taxiways. You are outside and have no glass or anything else infront of you. |
| WHAT | North Side: this part isn`t that good anymore as a building is almost completly blocks the view of aircraft departing especially on RWY28L (United on the samples below). RWY28R is possible too but its more far away and there is more heat distortion. Furthermore the timeframe for taking is very short due to the limited sight. And last but not least aircraft parked on the B gates block your sight too! South Side: you can photograph departures on RWY01 and aircraft on taxiway Alpha and Bravo (Alaska on the samples below). |
| TIME | North Side from noon for the runway. South side only in the late afternoon till sunset in the summer. Heat haze is a serious issue. |
| MISC. | Everything you need within the terminal. A photo permit is required for this location! For more information check the red security box under the “Spotting Information” section. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-400mm. Depends on what you photograph as many different situations are possible. |
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Spot #5 – Parking Garage – 28R departures, taxiways |
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| WHERE | In the cargo area at the end of West Field Rd is a parking garage where you can make photos from the top level. You can reach it by using the AirTrain and exit at the West Field Station and walk just 2-3 minutes straight along the road. You can see the garage already from the station. Its not a public garage so park your car elswere and use the AirTrain. |
| WHAT | You can photograph many different things from here. Firts of all its the best place for heavy 28R departures. 28L is possible too but the angle is not the best (visit Spot #4 instead). Second, some aircraft arrived on 28 using the full runway length to roll out (see AerLingus or SAS on the samples below) will pass by on taxiway Zulu. Furthermore aircraft coming from a northern gate taxing by for a 28R departure by using taxiway Zulu and then all the way down on Charlie to the threshold. And last but not least all planes that are towed to the maintenance and ramps on the north side of the field will pass by. In the extremly rare case that the “south-east plan” is active you can make the 10 departures from here too. |
| TIME | Best light from noon till sunset. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby. Photo permit is not valid for this position! Spotting from here is at your own risk! There is a good chance that you will be send away. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-400mm. Depends on what you photograph as many different situations are possible. |
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Spot #6 – Fisherman´s Park – 28L arrivals |
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| WHERE | Compared to the other locations, this small park is pretty far from the airport and best reachable by car. From the airports highway 101 use exit 419/Broadway and turn into the airport blvd. Drive all the way up along the water until you reach the Fisherman´s Park on your left hand side. You can park your car free of charge. There are some airport hotels next to the park so you might be able to catch a shuttle bus to get there if you don´t have a car. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY 28L only. |
| TIME | Best light from noon till sunset. |
| MISC. | At the park itself there is nothing just some trees spending shadow. Restrooms in the hotels. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 300-500mm |
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Spot #7 – Sky Terrace |
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| WHERE | Located atop Terminal 2, the SkyTerrace offers a great vantage point of the busiest section of SFO, where all four runways intersect. The SkyTerrace is located before security in Terminal 2. Just follow the sign. Taking pictures is limited as the terrace is behind huge glass walls. |
| WHAT | 10L/R-28L/R movements, taxiway, ramp. |
| TIME | Best light from noon till sunset. |
| MISC. | open to the general public on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. There is no cost to enter and you don’t need a ticket or boarding pass. Visitors will undergo a security check. Food and beverages are allowed but smoking is not permitted. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Unknown |
I was recently at SFO, I was in the parking garage A and G lot but the view was not good because it is blocked by the Air Train station and a high concrete wall. I recommend going down to the Air Train station to have a better view.
I do not recommend visiting the Westfield Garage, clearly when you want to request to take photos in that place it will not be approved and also I do not recommend anyone to go to the Westfield Garage because now there are warning signs that this parking is exclusively for airport members and workers , so which could be expelled from that place, you can walk to the parking , but you can take that risk.
Coyote point is open but not the whole place due to recent storms, there was damage ,so I don’t recommend going at this time May 1, 2023 due to repairs.
Fisherman’s Park is open but I recommend going in the afternoon due to the heat and chromatic aberration and also bring lenses with a good focal length.
I also found 2 more places in the bay area that are good for spotting but long focal length lenses are recommended if you use FX, if you use DX with a good lens you’re fine. I’ll share them soon.
I’ve been spotting at SFO for about a year, spontaneously for that matter. West Field Garage is not as bad as people describe it dealing with police. For starters, you can easily fill out a form on the SFO website describing that you will spot at SFO’s West Field. Once you have filled out the form, it takes less than an hour to get a yes or no. If you get a yes, you can freely go to the spot and stay there for hours on end. Police will check on you but once they realize you have permission they usually apologize and leave. Please note that you have to fill out the form every time you go, as the permit given is only for the specific day you go.
You can access the form and link here: https://www.flysfo.com/about/community-noise/plane-spotting-sfo
Have a lovely time spotting!
First time I see this link, but very useful! Good idea with the permit to avoid any issues with police and security.
Thanks for the info Trent!
-Julian
I thought that Westfield garage was now a banned plane spotting spot? On the form you linked it says you can’t go there?
Hello everyone;
I received the following reply to the permit application I made yesterday.
”West Field Garage is no longer accessible for Plane Spotting, however you are free to visit the International garages and Terminal Air Train Stations.”
Just wondering, are the focal lengths listed full frame or APS-C? Just trying to get a better idea of distances. Also, I have yet to be kicked out of Westfield in the last 10-15 times I have been there. If you’re gonna go, I recommend traveling light and keeping a low profile. I wouldn’t recommend unpacking a tripod or a huge lens.
All our focal lengths are for APS-C. For more infos check our FAQ.
-Julian
Was at SFO for about 2.5 hours a couple mos back. Few notes:
Recently been spotting around SFO during my summer stay. Never considered 1 as a good spot due to distance – major haze problem presents all year long. So landing is essentially out of reach. SFO post-covid takeoff pattern now works such that either all is on 01 (besides several heavy international) or all on 28. For me, spot 4 is the best since takeoffs on 28 are in the air and 01 takeoffs are in great light conditions which both mitigate the haze problem. The only thing to keep in mind is you only have 2-3 shots before any building blocks you. The sky terrace is shootable from inside but not outside (glass outside is too thick but the panel on the right of floor 4 inside the building is ok for 2-3 shots). West field is restricted but ok for quick grab-and-go type of shots.
Here are some of them I uploaded to Anet, I can also send over more if you need.
https://www.airliners.net/search?user=438065&keywords=sfo&sortBy=dateAccepted&sortOrder=desc&perPage=36&display=detail
Anyone wanna meetup for spotting also lmk!
At spot 4 sometime in last 4 years a new building was built on top of the terminal that blocks a lot of view towards runways 28L/R. If you look at the picture by the spot 4 info, you can imagine that. Those three large tanks in the back with huge letters S, F and O – that is the last you are gonna see. Everything left from that is blocked. Those United planes standing at gates, you see only tails now. You have a room for one or two pictures, but widebodies are still on the ground and APU units are causing problems too. So this spot is pretty much ruined.
I tried also skyterrace – the one that is not airside – and it is useless. High glass with no holes.
Thanks for the update. Do you went to both sides at the train station of spot 4? Actually you are talking about the north side but maybe the south side is still an option?
Can you provide some photos from the skyterrace? I would like to add it anyway as you can at least “watch” the traffic.
-Julian
Yes, I went to both sides at spot 4 and I am talking about north side. South side (overlooking runways 1R/L) is not ideal for me since most of the day you are spotting against the sun and widebody traffic mostly departs runways 28 L/R anyway.
Unfortunately I didn’t make pictures at sky terrace, it was not worth it. For watching the planes it is sufficient but the glass makes taking pictures nearly impossible.
Yes the new building definitely impacts spot 4 but you can still get great shots from there if you are quick (before you get blocked by the building). I have a good shot of Emirates and other widebodies during sunset and couldn’t care less about the building because I took the shot before that. Just want to make this clear for future spotters.
I agree the skyterrace is all but useless unless you wanted a close-up of a UA narrowbody at the gate. An option to avoid the glass reflections is to put a jacket around your lens against the glass but….not ideal.
The air train is not the best for spotting. Both spots at spot number 4 were terrible. Very minimal room to shoot and not spotter friendly
I think number 4 is good for international heavies taxiing to the A gates. I’ve caught decent shots of Korean Air and KLM from there.
Just for information, SFO no longer access to the West Field Garage. This was their reply today when I requested a Permit.
Why not add the official SkyTerrace. It’s currently open to public and it is located before the security check.
We haven’t been there yet but If you have photos from the terrace, feel free to add it via our form.
https://www.spotterguide.net/missing-photos-location/
I wrote an email to SFO Airport to ask about permission to Parking Garage in West Field Rd, and they said: “Effective February 14, 2020 we no longer approve access to the west fiel garage”.