San Diego International Airport: Difference between revisions

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{{infobox|fullname=San Diego International Airport<br />(Lindbergh Field)|location=San Diego, California|iata=SAN|icao=KSAN|aptype=Commercial|website=http://www.san.org|mapurl=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.734801,-117.190175&spn=0.020131,0.038242&t=h&hl=en|mapsource=Google Maps|atctower=118.3 338.225|atcground=123.9|atcclearance=125.9|atcapproach=119.6 (West)<br />124.35 (East)|atcdeparture=119.6 (West)<br />124.35 (East)|atcatis=134.8<br />619-298-0997|atcunicom=122.95}}

San Diego International Airport is the primary commercial airport for San Diego County. ~~No airline maintains~~ a hub ~~there~~, and Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier~~, followed closely by Alaska Airlines~~. The vast majority of scheduled flights are to points within North America including the Hawaiian Islands. In terms of international service, Air Canada Express, Air Canada, and WestJet operate to destinations in Canada. There are a handful of flights to Mexico, but service to points in Mexico is dominated by nearby [[Tijuana International Airport]]. British Airways, Japan Airlines, KLM, and Lufthansa provide intercontinental wide-body service with flights to London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Narita, Amsterdam, and Munich, respectively.

San Diego International Airport is the primary commercial airport for San Diego County. It is a hub for Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier. The vast majority of scheduled flights are to points within North America including the Hawaiian Islands. In terms of international service, Air Canada Express, Air Canada, and WestJet operate to destinations in Canada and Copa Airlines flies to Panama. There are a handful of flights to Mexico, but service to points in Mexico is dominated by nearby [[Tijuana International Airport]]. British Airways, Japan Airlines, KLM, and Lufthansa provide intercontinental wide-body service with flights to London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Narita, Amsterdam, and Munich, respectively.

The airport has only a single runway, 9/27, and normal operations call for arrivals and departures on runway 27. Runway 9 usage is uncommon. They will use runway 9 if the cloud ceilings are below 600 feet from airport elevation due to non-precision only approaches for runway 27 and if the visibility is reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles. In addition, easterly winds known as "Santa Ana" winds will force runway 9 operations if strong enough; and conditions are usually clear which is rare for reverse operations. Runway 9 has an operating ILS which can account for the lowered ceiling and visibility.

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==Official Spotting Locations==

~~===Harbor & Laurel Parking Lot===~~

At present, there are no officially recognized spotting locations. The former parking lot at the corner of Harbor Drive and Laurel Street closed in late 2023 and became the entrance to a new terminal access road.

~~[[Image:Nw320san-375nc.jpg|left|thumb|Northwest A320 on final approach to 27~~, ~~photographed from the Harbor & Laurel lot at street level]]~~

~~''It was noted in December 2023 that this spot appeared to be closed as part of New Terminal 1 construction; it is unknown it if will reopen in the future~~.''

The ~~airport has a small free~~ parking lot at the ~~intersection~~ of Harbor ~~Dr.~~ and Laurel ~~St. for spotting. From here you will see aircraft arriving~~ and ~~departing on runway 27. You will need a ladder or tall vehicle~~ to ~~get camera lenses above the fence line for departure and taxi shots, though this may still be difficult as there is~~ a ~~second fence separating the shuttle bus~~ access road from the ramp. However, you can photograph arrivals from street level with a long enough lens but you won't be able to get the "classic San Diego shot" with Mission Hills in the background nor the touchdown. Posted signs prohibit unattended vehicles. Avoid the adjacent Solar Turbines parking lot, but the sidewalk along Laurel St. should be okay. Lighting is best in the early afternoon, before 6:00, during summer. In the winter, light is typically good all day, though you may need to vary the angle of your shot as the sun moves across the sky. If you need a snack or drink, there is a convenience store at the Shell gas station located at the intersection of Laurel and Pacific Hwy (about a 5-10 minute walk).

~~{{jplink|8203370}} (final to runway 27, shot over the fence)~~

~~{{anetlink|964393}} (taxi to runway 27 on taxiway B, shot over the fence)~~

==Other Spotting Locations==

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[[File:Southwest 73G SAN NTC.jpg|thumb|Southwest 737 climbing out from runway 27, photographed from NTC Park]]

[http://www.libertystation.com/yearround/ntcpark.html NTC Park] is located within the Liberty Station complex on the site of the former Naval Training Center. This facility is just west of the airport, and during normal operations with arrivals and departures on runway 27, departing aircraft fly overhead. Traditional side shots are tricky because most aircraft will be a bit high by the time they get to this area, but if you desire underside angles of departing aircraft, or just want to watch aircraft takeoff, this isn't a bad spot. It would likely be good during reverse operations with arrivals on runway 9, but as this typically happens during poor weather conditions, it still isn't amenable for photography. However, runway 9 may also be used when strong winds from the east, known as Santa Ana Winds, occur.

===The Embarcadero===

This pedestrian walkway is along the waterfront across Harbor Drive from the airport. This area has good views of the runway, through photographers do have the possibility of their shots of arrivals being ruined by trucks and busses driving along the street, but otherwise photos are good and similar (but slightly more distant) to those available from the old Harbor & Laurel lot. There are metered parking spaces available.

===Columbia Street and W Nutmeg Street===

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*'''Ameriflight''': Ameriflight operates the Beech Airliner 99 and the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner to SAN in the early evening, with arrival times from El Centro, California between 5:00PM and 7:00PM and are on the ground for less than 40 minutes usually before departure back to Ontario, California.

*'''FedEx Express''': FedEx is the largest cargo carrier at SAN, with the longtime regular A300 and MD-10 flights largely replaced by the 757 and 767. Three flights usually arrive in the very early morning, before 6:00AM, and normally have all departed by 8:00AM. A second set of two flights typically arrives between 4:00PM and 6:30PM. These usually depart again between 7:00PM and 8:30PM. One of the Friday afternoon flights, typically arriving at approximately 5:00PM and departing after dark, and one of the Saturday morning flights, typically arriving at 5:30AM and departing between 7:00AM & 8:00PM, are usually operated by ~~767equipment~~. MD-11's are still somewhat rare, but made some appearances during the 2015 Christmas season. The 757 only operates at in the early morning and at night, so they are a bit hard to photograph.

*'''FedEx Express''': FedEx is the largest cargo carrier at SAN, with the longtime regular A300 and MD-10 flights largely replaced by the 757 and 767. Three flights usually arrive in the very early morning, before 6:00AM, and normally have all departed by 8:00AM. A second set of two flights typically arrives between 4:00PM and 6:30PM. These usually depart again between 7:00PM and 8:30PM. One of the Friday afternoon flights, typically arriving at approximately 5:00PM and departing after dark, and one of the Saturday morning flights, typically arriving at 5:30AM and departing between 7:00AM & 8:00PM, are usually operated by 767 equipment. MD-11's are still somewhat rare, but made some appearances during the 2015 Christmas season. The 757 only operates at in the early morning and at night, so they are a bit hard to photograph.

**'''FedEx Feeder (Westair)''': A series of Cessna 208B Cargomaster flights arrive between 6:00PM and 7:00PM from El Centro supplying cargo for the larger FedEx aircraft flying out of SAN. They depart usually in the morning around 6:30AM to 9:00AM

**'''FedEx Feeder (Gulf and Caribbean Cargo)''': A daily ATR 72-600 flight typically departs around 8:00AM for Tijuana and returns around 4:00PM.

**'''FedEx Feeder (Westair)''': A series of Cessna 208B Cargomaster flights arrive between 6:00PM and 7:00PM from El Centro supplying cargo for the larger FedEx aircraft flying out of SAN. They depart usually in the morning around 6:30AM to 9:00AM.

*'''United Parcel Service (UPS)''': UPS operates two weekday flights on a somewhat variable schedule, generally using 767s. A morning flight usually arrives at approximately 5:00AM and departs around 6:30AM. A 767 arrives from the their mega hub in Louisville, Kentucky most weekday afternoons between 4:30PM and 5:30PM. Departures occur between 6:30AM and 7:30AM and in the evening between 7:30PM and 8:30PM. UPS does not operate on the weekends.

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 {{infobox|fullname=San Diego International Airport<br />(Lindbergh Field)|location=San Diego, California|iata=SAN|icao=KSAN|aptype=Commercial|website=http://www.san.org|mapurl=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.734801,-117.190175&spn=0.020131,0.038242&t=h&hl=en|mapsource=Google Maps|atctower=118.3 338.225|atcground=123.9|atcclearance=125.9|atcapproach=119.6 (West)<br />124.35 (East)|atcdeparture=119.6 (West)<br />124.35 (East)|atcatis=134.8<br />619-298-0997|atcunicom=122.95}}
-San Diego International Airport is the primary commercial airport for San Diego County. No airline maintains a hub there, and Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier, followed closely by Alaska Airlines. The vast majority of scheduled flights are to points within North America including the Hawaiian Islands. In terms of international service, Air Canada Express, Air Canada, and WestJet operate to destinations in Canada. There are a handful of flights to Mexico, but service to points in Mexico is dominated by nearby [[Tijuana International Airport]]. British Airways, Japan Airlines, KLM, and Lufthansa provide intercontinental wide-body service with flights to London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Narita, Amsterdam, and Munich, respectively.
+San Diego International Airport is the primary commercial airport for San Diego County. It is a hub for Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier. The vast majority of scheduled flights are to points within North America including the Hawaiian Islands. In terms of international service, Air Canada Express, Air Canada, and WestJet operate to destinations in Canada and Copa Airlines flies to Panama. There are a handful of flights to Mexico, but service to points in Mexico is dominated by nearby [[Tijuana International Airport]]. British Airways, Japan Airlines, KLM, and Lufthansa provide intercontinental wide-body service with flights to London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Narita, Amsterdam, and Munich, respectively.
 The airport has only a single runway, 9/27, and normal operations call for arrivals and departures on runway 27. Runway 9 usage is uncommon. They will use runway 9 if the cloud ceilings are below 600 feet from airport elevation due to non-precision only approaches for runway 27 and if the visibility is reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles. In addition, easterly winds known as "Santa Ana" winds will force runway 9 operations if strong enough; and conditions are usually clear which is rare for reverse operations. Runway 9 has an operating ILS which can account for the lowered ceiling and visibility.
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 ==Official Spotting Locations==
-===Harbor & Laurel Parking Lot===
+At present, there are no officially recognized spotting locations. The former parking lot at the corner of Harbor Drive and Laurel Street closed in late 2023 and became the entrance to a new terminal access road.
-[[Image:Nw320san-375nc.jpg|left|thumb|Northwest A320 on final approach to 27, photographed from the Harbor & Laurel lot at street level]]
-''It was noted in December 2023 that this spot appeared to be closed as part of New Terminal 1 construction; it is unknown it if will reopen in the future.''
-The airport has a small free parking lot at the intersection of Harbor Dr. and Laurel St. for spotting.  From here you will see aircraft arriving and departing on runway 27.  You will need a ladder or tall vehicle to get camera lenses above the fence line for departure and taxi shots, though this may still be difficult as there is a second fence separating the shuttle bus access road from the ramp. However, you can photograph arrivals from street level with a long enough lens but you won't be able to get the "classic San Diego shot" with Mission Hills in the background nor the touchdown.  Posted signs prohibit unattended vehicles. Avoid the adjacent Solar Turbines parking lot, but the sidewalk along Laurel St. should be okay.  Lighting is best in the early afternoon, before 6:00, during summer.  In the winter, light is typically good all day, though you may need to vary the angle of your shot as the sun moves across the sky.  If you need a snack or drink, there is a convenience store at the Shell gas station located at the intersection of Laurel and Pacific Hwy (about a 5-10 minute walk).
-{{jplink|8203370}} (final to runway 27, shot over the fence)
-{{anetlink|964393}} (taxi to runway 27 on taxiway B, shot over the fence)
 ==Other Spotting Locations==
@@ Line 28: / Line 21: @@
 [[File:Southwest 73G SAN NTC.jpg|thumb|Southwest 737 climbing out from runway 27, photographed from NTC Park]]
 [http://www.libertystation.com/yearround/ntcpark.html NTC Park] is located within the Liberty Station complex on the site of the former Naval Training Center.  This facility is just west of the airport, and during normal operations with arrivals and departures on runway 27, departing aircraft fly overhead.  Traditional side shots are tricky because most aircraft will be a bit high by the time they get to this area, but if you desire underside angles of departing aircraft, or just want to watch aircraft takeoff, this isn't a bad spot.  It would likely be good during reverse operations with arrivals on runway 9, but as this typically happens during poor weather conditions, it still isn't amenable for photography. However, runway 9 may also be used when strong winds from the east, known as Santa Ana Winds, occur.
+===The Embarcadero===
+This pedestrian walkway is along the waterfront across Harbor Drive from the airport. This area has good views of the runway, through photographers do have the possibility of their shots of arrivals being ruined by trucks and busses driving along the street, but otherwise photos are good and similar (but slightly more distant) to those available from the old Harbor & Laurel lot. There are metered parking spaces available.
 ===Columbia Street and W Nutmeg Street===
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 *'''Ameriflight''': Ameriflight operates the Beech Airliner 99 and the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner to SAN in the early evening, with arrival times from El Centro, California between 5:00PM and 7:00PM and are on the ground for less than 40 minutes usually before departure back to Ontario, California.
-*'''FedEx Express''': FedEx is the largest cargo carrier at SAN, with the longtime regular A300 and MD-10 flights largely replaced by the 757 and 767. Three flights usually arrive in the very early morning, before 6:00AM, and normally have all departed by 8:00AM. A second set of two flights typically arrives between 4:00PM and 6:30PM.  These usually depart again between 7:00PM and 8:30PM.  One of the Friday afternoon flights, typically arriving at approximately 5:00PM and departing after dark, and one of the Saturday morning flights, typically arriving at 5:30AM and departing between 7:00AM & 8:00PM, are usually operated by 767equipment. MD-11's are still somewhat rare, but made some appearances during the 2015 Christmas season. The 757 only operates at in the early morning and at night, so they are a bit hard to photograph.
+*'''FedEx Express''': FedEx is the largest cargo carrier at SAN, with the longtime regular A300 and MD-10 flights largely replaced by the 757 and 767. Three flights usually arrive in the very early morning, before 6:00AM, and normally have all departed by 8:00AM. A second set of two flights typically arrives between 4:00PM and 6:30PM.  These usually depart again between 7:00PM and 8:30PM.  One of the Friday afternoon flights, typically arriving at approximately 5:00PM and departing after dark, and one of the Saturday morning flights, typically arriving at 5:30AM and departing between 7:00AM & 8:00PM, are usually operated by 767 equipment. MD-11's are still somewhat rare, but made some appearances during the 2015 Christmas season. The 757 only operates at in the early morning and at night, so they are a bit hard to photograph.
-**'''FedEx Feeder (Westair)''': A series of Cessna 208B Cargomaster flights arrive between 6:00PM and 7:00PM from El Centro supplying cargo for the larger FedEx aircraft flying out of SAN. They depart usually in the morning around 6:30AM to 9:00AM
+**'''FedEx Feeder (Gulf and Caribbean Cargo)''': A daily ATR 72-600 flight typically departs around 8:00AM for Tijuana and returns around 4:00PM.
+**'''FedEx Feeder (Westair)''': A series of Cessna 208B Cargomaster flights arrive between 6:00PM and 7:00PM from El Centro supplying cargo for the larger FedEx aircraft flying out of SAN. They depart usually in the morning around 6:30AM to 9:00AM.
 *'''United Parcel Service (UPS)''': UPS operates two weekday flights on a somewhat variable schedule, generally using 767s.  A morning flight usually arrives at approximately 5:00AM and departs around 6:30AM. A 767 arrives from the their mega hub in Louisville, Kentucky most weekday afternoons between 4:30PM and 5:30PM. Departures occur between 6:30AM and 7:30AM and in the evening between 7:30PM and 8:30PM. UPS does not operate on the weekends.