| Miami is a great airport to watch
planes at. Before 9/11 the length of Perimeter Road that is
parallel to the south runway (9R/27L) was a great place to pull over and
be very close to heavy jet action. Today that area is barricaded
and traffic cannot stop, but the Observation Area with photo holes is
still open.
It is basically a small patch of grass next to the U.S. Customs
building on NW 25h St. This is right up against the fence beside
runway 12/30 and there are holes built into the fence labeled "Photo Use
Only". From this spot you can look at the
holding points for both runway 8R and 12 because both runways form a "V"
at their end (as shown in the map). You can also see aircraft
landing on those runways. The holes are in a spot which makes for
decent photographs without a long zoom lens. Due to the trees and
buildings around there you wont be able to watch the planes on approach
or further down the runways - your field of view is somewhat limited.
American Airlines is the dominant airline here,
but there are several European airlines as well as from Central and
South America so there is a good variety of aircraft. My problem
with this airport is the lack of a real good vantage point for viewing.
I'll still give MIA a 3 1/2 rating based on the variety and how close the
photo holes are to the action, but the loss of Perimeter Rd. as a
viewing spot really hurt this airport's rating. Also, be aware
that since MIA is in the heart of a big city the roads and freeways
surrounding the airport property are quite crowded.
Click here to see photos from the Observation Area
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