| Disclaimer! With today's heightened airport security, particularly in the United States, spotting and aviation photography is viewed as a suspicious activity and may result in the spotters/photographers being approached and questioned by local and airport authorities. The information presented on Photovation's spotting pages represents legal activities at the time we spotted at the subject airport, however, there is no guarantee you will not be stopped, questioned and told to leave or worse. Your decision to visit these areas is your own free choice and whatever happens is your responsibility. We advise you to stay within the letter of the law and act responsibly so we can continue to enjoy our sport freely. |
Ft. Lauderdale International Airport - FLLLast visited: January 2005 - Next planned visit January 2006 First let me apologize for the crudeness of the map. I would have loved to copy a nice map and insert it here, but I am observing copyright laws by not doing so. The map below is good enough to give you the information you need to know, and purchasing a detailed road map will fill in all the missing links. Ft. Lauderdale International is just a short hop-skip-and-jump up the road from Miami, about 25 or 30 miles. When you're in the Miami area you should plan on visiting Ft. Lauderdale also. It's true that you won't find the heavies and as many international carriers at Ft. Lauderdale as at Miami, but the traffic is very interesting. It's a hub for all the low-fare airlines so you're sure to see lots of Spirit, JetBlue and Southwest action. You also might see some nice charters and the old standbys of American and Delta. |
 A basic map just to give you an idea of the layout and locations for spotting at MIA. If you are driving I would suggest you purchase a detailed area map and refer to it and not this map. |
Looking at the map you can easily see that 9L/27R and 13/31 are the two major runways at Ft. Lauderdale and they intersect. 9R/27L is a short runway and not often used by commercial traffic. It's mostly used by private aircraft arriving and departing Ft. Lauderdale. There may be other spotting areas at Ft. Lauderdale, however, during our visit we used just the two mentioned here and were satisfied with the results. Runways 9L/27R were active while we were there so both locations offered good views depending on the type of photos you wanted to take. We spent most of our time at point A and you'll see why when you see the pictures. Point B is the View Park that you might have heard or read about on the A.net forums. During the past year it has been opened and closed several times depending on the nation's current threat level. Check A.net for it's latest status before you leave by posting a message. I'm sure someone will respond. Important! In the sample pictures shown there are two mm numbers below each picture (200/300 mm). The first number represents the mm that the lens was set on to take the picture and the second the equivalent mm for the digital multiplier. If you have a normal film camera you would need the equivalent of the second number to get the same shot. |
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Point A - The Hibiscus Parking Garage - Departures/arrivals on 9L and arrivals on 27R: For this spot exit Route 95 and follow the signs for the airport. Follow the signs for parking and then for the Hibiscus Garage. The top level of the Hibiscus Garage is where we spent most of our time at Ft. Lauderdale, and it was a great location. You've very close to the action on 9L/27R and can get some great action as well as taxi shots. For departures on 9L the aircraft will pass almost level with the top of the parking lot, and for arrivals the aircraft will usually turn off the active to the taxiway very near to your position. For arrivals on 27R you have a good view of the touchdown zone. You can also see some action on the 13/27 runway, but when we were there it was all taxi shots on the adjacent taxiways. Now, some shots from the location to show you the kinds of pictures you can expect. These are all digital and are the full frame shot with no cropping and have not been post processed to improve quality. |
 135/200 mm |
 400/600 mm Departing 09L |
 270/400 mm Departing 09L |
 300/450 mm Just landed 09L |
 300/450 mm In position on 12 |
 220/330 mm Landing 27R |
 330/495 mm Just landed 27R |
 310/455 mm Position 27R |
 400/600 mm Inbound 27R |
As you can see from the shots above, from the top of the Hibiscus Garage you can get both action and side-on taxi shots. Perfect place to spend an afternoon, or even a day.
Point B - View Park: To reach the View Park take Griffin Road away from the airport and make a right at the light onto Ravenswood Road. Continue up the road to SW 42nd St. and turning right at the light. You will cross over Route 95 and then enter airport property. Continue around to your left and you will find the View Park. Sorry, I can't give you exact directions.
The View Park is a parking area near the fence at the end of runways 09L and 13. From here you can also listen to the Tower through a speaker set up by the airport. You'll need something to give you the height you need to clear the fence. Many bring ladders, stand on the roof or trunk of the car, or have a pickup bed to stand in. It's a necessity. Many have told me the stories of rental cars being returned at Miami with cheap ladders in them where spotters have purchased ladders just for their visit. I know one New York spotter who calls a local friend to meet him with a ladder when he visits.
We spent very little time at the View Park this last trip many because of the runway usage and also the fact that we were enjoying the shots from the top of the garage. Next trip we plan to spend more time at the View Park. And the day we intended to spend at the View Park the weather was not good. Here are a few shots to give you an idea of what to expect.
300/450 mm
Departing 27R
400/600 mm
Inbound to 09L
270/400 mm
Departing 27R
Hope this helps you get some nice shots of the FLL aircraft.
