GLOBAL SPOTTING REPORTS
USA - AZ and NM
Phoenix – Feb 2016
LANDSIDE
T4 Multi Storey offers the best views. Many stands can be read from here and its just about possible to monitor all movements. There are runways out to either side but from the corner of the car park you can get views of both sides. Some cargo and Biz can be read from here. Any that can’t should be seen from the perimeter roads leading towards cargo.
T3 Multi Storey also has good views. Not as high as T4 and not as many stands visible but all movements should be seen.
There is a train linking T4 and T3. To get to T2 you have to walk from T3 so allow a bit of time if transiting between terminals.
AIRSIDE
Views will be limited as you will only be able to monitor one side or the other so staying landside is beneficial
HOTELS
There are many hotels in the area but none appear to have great views that I know about.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Southwest have a large base as do American Airlines now. Albeit mostly using the former US Air / America West aircraft that have been based here for years. Not much else except a few flights by the other major airlines along with a few cargo and biz.
Phoenix Mesa Gateway AZA - Aug 2017
LANDSIDE
I didn’t look inside the terminal. The roads before and after the terminal allow some views and most stuff should be seen. After passing the various buildings take a left turn towards the control tower and then around to the fire station. This allowed some better views of the stored E145’s and aircraft on the terminal.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Allegiant have a small base here and seven where parked early morning.
2 of Intels E145s are based here. However they do live in a hanger so best time to see them is early morning before they depart after 6am. They don’t fly on the weekend and will be hidden away. Intel also have 2 E145s based at Hillsboro, near Portland and they pay a visit a few times a week.
16 E145s where stored at the time. 10 Delta, 1 United and some Tianjin Airlines.
The military still have a small base here and a few aircraft can be seen including a gulfstream and learjet on this visit.
Cessna/Citation have a facility with about seven seen parked outside.
Phoenix - Other Airports
Goodyear
Located just west of Phoenix. Another storage facility with lots of aircraft WFU and some on maintenance.
Scottsdale
Located just north of Phoenix and the main Biz airport for the area. Most stuff can be seen by searching around the various perimeter roads. Several Gulfstreams and Global Express where seen.
Mesa Falcon Field - Feb 2016
A GA airfield on the North West side of Phoenix. Gulfstream N169HM was stored here.
Tucson – Feb 2016
LANDSIDE
Perimeter roads allow most things to be logged. No views from the terminal.
AIRSIDE
Some of the stored / parked aircraft can be seen with good views of the runway.
HOTELS
Several in the vicinity but not sure if any offer views. Not really required as there’s not much to be seen on the scheduled side.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Several aircraft remain WFU here with others on maintenance. Bombardier have a centre here with Global Express, DHC8’s and CRJ’s all parked up. However most of the CRJ’s have either left or been broken up.
Its not worth spending any time here. Just allow an hour or two to drive around and get whats in.
Davis Monthan – Feb 2016
LANDSIDE
Some of the compounds can be seen from the perimeter roads and many aircraft can be logged. However the road is too low in some places. It would be possible to walk along the fenceline in those areas to see whats in but that would likely attract attention. They appear to be breaking a lot of aircraft up here and recycling them. All the bits and pieces that remained in the scrapyards have gone.
AIRSIDE
Pima Air Museum offer tours a few times a day. Just turn up and pay on the day, there is no pre booking. No bags can be taken on board but you can carry your camera or binoculars with you. You will be driven past most compounds so you will need to take a lot of photos to try and log everything as you go by.
I imagine its still possible to overfly and try to photolog that way but I’d suggest the tours are more beneficial.
HOTELS
WHAT TO EXPECT
On the civil side there’s about 20 DC9’s, 10 B737’s, A B727 and 6 Gulfstreams here. Along with several hundred military.
Pima Air Museum has a large collection including several civil aircraft with one of the prototype B787’s now there.
The museum and tour can be done in half a day. Then it depends if you want to spend anytime around the perimeter.
Marana Pinal Air Park – Feb 2016
LANDSIDE
Its now finally possible to do this by car. The hanger areas are accessible to drive around and a lot of aircraft can be logged. However its difficult to get many of the aircraft parked midfield and if you really need this stuff then an overflight may still be beneficial to try and get everything
AIRSIDE
HOTELS
WHAT TO EXPECT
A couple of hundred aircraft in various states of scrapping, storage or maintenance.
Several companies offer overflights from either Tucson or Marana (Another GA airport a few miles away)
Kingman - Nov 2015
About a two hour drive from Las vegas or three hours from Phoenix. Ideally planned as a stop on the way between both places. Most stuff can be logged from landside. Tours can be arranged by emailing the address on there website. This will get you driven around all the aircraft on this side of the ruwway. Most of the stuff on the other side can still be logged.
Roswell
