Van Nuys Airport - Spotting Guide

Van Nuys Airport – Spotting Guide

April 24, 2021 - last modified on December 5, 2023

Van Nuys Airport (VNY/KVNY) is located in the San Fernando Valley in the north of Los Angeles. The airport ranks as one of the world’s busiest general aviation airports and it is definitely a temple if you are into bizjets spotting. Dedicated to noncommercial air travel, VNY averages over 260,000 takeoffs and landings annually. VNY has two parallel runways – one with full instrument landing system – and a FAA tower. The main runway is 8,000 feet in length and the training runway is 4,000 feet long. VNY has a rich history in aviation, hosting record breakers and celebrities over its 90 years in service.

In addition, more than 200 businesses are located on the 730-acre airport, including four major fixed-base operators (FBOs): Castle & Cooke Aviation, Clay Lacy Aviation, Jet Aviation, and Signature Aviation. Van Nuys also serves as home to numerous companies that provide aviation support activities such as aircraft repairs, avionics, interior work and other specialized functions. The airpor plays a crucial role in the Southern California airport system, serving a variety of private, corporate and government aviation needs. By providing a place for general aviation, which encompasses all flying other than scheduled air carrier service or the military, VNY enhances both safety and efficiency at the region’s commercial airports. Definitely a really nice place to spend the day if you love general aviation traffic where you can see all types of private jets along with vintage warbird planes, helicopters, and small props. The Condor Squadron Officer’s and Airmen’s Association which flies WWII, North American AT-6 airplanes in formation over parades, memorial services and events commemorating veterans, is also based in here and stays quite active.

Written by Jose María Gómez López. Last Update: 2020

Rating
Movements
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
16R/34L	2439m/8000ft – Asphalt
16L/34R	1223m/4013ft – Asphalt
Terminals	No terminals as it is only used by private companies.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not mandatory specially since you’d have to use it very discretely as you shoot very close to the fence. Apart from this we do not really recommend using ladders here (except at one/two spots) as the VIPs and private owner does not like that.
Car/Public Transport	Reachable by public transport but car is extremely recommended to move around the field and to don’t call security’s attention too much.
Drinks/Food + Restrooms	At the 94th Squadron Restaurant and in the vicinity around the airport.
Hotels	Just east of the runway you will find the Airtel Plaza hotel offering a great view from some rooms, but there are also plenty more Hotels and Motels close to the airport less than 2 miles East.
Season	Weather in South California is pretty good all year around and the traffic is actually good all year around. There are no real seasons with more traffic here, however you may have more traffic if there is a special event in LA or in general a bit more on weekends.
Security	You are in the US and spotting outside the Observation Area is always subjetct to how discret you are, the more the better. We’ve never had any problem at VNY. ALWAYS keep you ID with you and keep low profile, that is why we do not recommend to use a ladder at most spots.
Runway Usage
General Info	16R/34L is the runway used by 99% of traffic
16R/34L	Used by pretty much every traffic and very very rarely used on a North configuration
16L/34R	Used rarely by helicopters and small trainig props.

	Spot #1 – Van Nuys Airport Observation Area – 16R Dep/Arr
WHERE	Located at the end of Waterman Dr on the East side of the airport. Tap the Obstervation Area name itself on Google Maps and it will take you direct to the car park, then you can just position yourself somewhere around the fence here. Accesible also by foot from Woodley Ave where you have a 237 Bus stop.

WHAT	16R Arrivals and Departures. Taxing aircrafts towards the active runway as well as helicopters at the Helinet Hangar area.

TIME	Sunrise until ~ noon. All year.

MISC.	Sitting area and kids playground. Shooting through the holes made by the Observation Area project.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-300mm 260mm for a GLF4 on departure / Helicopter on pad = 18mm

	Spot #2 – 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant – 16R Dep/Arr – Eastern taxiway
WHERE	Located at the end of Raymer St in the top NE of the airport. It is a very nice restaurant with car park and a big garden under the trees just beside the airport fence. Pick your spot and enjoy the drinks while shooting. Accesible also by foot from Woodley Ave where you have another 237 Bus stop right at the beginning of Raymer St. UPDATE MAY 2022: Restaurant is closed permanently. Check their website for more infos!

WHAT	16R Arrivals and Departures. Taxing traffic approaching the holding point from the East.

TIME	Sunrise until ~noon. All year.

MISC.	Food and drinks at the restaurant with restrooms and plenty of sitting places. You have to order anything in order to be able to shoot from their garden.

FOCAL LENGTH	10-300mm 200mm for a GLF5 on the runway / Taxiing traffic passes right infront of your nose -> CL300 on taxiway = 15mm

	Spot #3 – Woodley Ave – East side parking area
WHERE	Located just behind Western Jet Aviation Hangar, just position yourself somewhere at the fence along Woodley Ave or in the south along Saticoy St. The instructions about transport are the same as mentioned earlier for the Observation Area spot. You can park somewhere in the nearby parkings or along the roadside here.

WHAT	Parked aircraft on the east side area of the airport.

TIME	Sunrise until ~noon. All year.

MISC.	Photos to be taken through the fence. Be discret but as obvious as you can as there are many signs banning being just lurking around suspiciously.

FOCAL LENGTH	10-100mm as the jets are just infront of you Embraer Phoenom 100 = 55mm / Gulfs parked = ~30mm

Southern side:

Eastern side:

	Spot #4 – Hayvenhurst Pl – SW Jetapron corner
WHERE	This spot can be found around the Signature Flight Support at VNY’s West Entrance, but actually it is just located alongside Hayvenhurst Pl, which is the right side deviation from Hayvenhurst Ave. Reacable by car and also there are 162/163/169 buses stops at the juction with Sherman Way. Once you are around here, just position yourself somewhere along the eastern side along the fence.

WHAT	Jets stored/parked around the hangars at the west side of the airport.

TIME	From the afternoon onwards but also depends of the orientation of the parked jet itself. Aircraft parked on the street’s western side may be better in the morning.

MISC.	Basically enter with the car/walking in this small road between the hangars at the west side. Mantain a low profile shoot through the fence at any jet that you wanna picture.

FOCAL LENGTH	10-100mm, but it depends of the distance of the aircraft but all of them will be really close to you Parked Gulf = 18mm / Parked Falcon = 55mm

The spot (thus street) itsself from the south to the north:

: Parking at the Southern end – view to the southeast:

: Middle – view to the northwest:

: Northern end – view to the northwest:

	Spot #5 – Hayvenhurst Ave – Condor Squadron/Corrotion Corner + nearby taxiway movements
WHERE	Just exit back the small road of Spot #4 and join again the bigger Hayvenhurst Ave and drive around to the northern part of the hangars. Then just positon yourself along the fence north of the hangars you previously shot from the south here along Hayvenhurst Ave.

WHAT	There is a corrotion corner with some interesting long stored residents at the beginning and a bit further ahead you can spot through the fence the Texans belonging to the Condor Squadron. It is also possible to catch the taxing jets using the western side taxiway and you can even see the runway in the background.

TIME	~Noon onwards till sunset. All year.

MISC.	This is the only place where you may need the ladder if you have one tall enough or jump over your car and spot the landing traffic but once again I don’t think It will be a good idea as it will be too showy perhaps.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-200mm Parked jets are just infront of you -> stored former USCG = 26mm / T6 closeup = 50mm / CL30 on taxiway = 45mm

The spot (thus street) itsself from the south to the north:

: Southern end – view to the south:

: Middle – view to the northeast:

: Northern end – view to the east:

	Spot #6 – Roscoe Pl – 16R arrivals
WHERE	With your car, coming from Roscoe Blvd (Avenue that goes rith over the North side of the airport), before/after the railroad crossing turn off towards the north just west of the 16 arrival path. Keep left now, turn into Schoenborn street and park your car along the small fraction of the Roscoe Pl, which turns off the in the south of Hayvenhurst Pl here. There you will have reached a small position to shoot calmly.

WHAT	16R Arrivals only.

TIME	~Noon onwards till sunset. All year.

MISC.	Pretty much nothing at the spot, just stay at your car/next to your car and keep low profile. Grab before everything you need from any store around the airport.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm 200mm = GLF4