The world’s best places for wild plane spotting
Last updated on October 22nd, 2025 at 04:55 pm
Want to know the best places for plane spotting around the world?
I know. It’s not my normal thing – animals, hiking, swimming etc, but for the real plane buffs out there, or for those who just generally love planes (like me), or like doing something just a bit different (also like me), I have some very cool places for plane spotting!
Start with these six airports that are firm favourites for modern day plane spotting, but then, as a bonus, you’ll find two very wild and very off the beaten path places to hunt for planes – crashed planes!
Nothing like a mix – right?
1. Maho Beach, Saint Martin
Saint Martin – a popular Caribbean destination is the ultimate place for plane spotting in the world! Grand statement – let the pictures below speak for themselves.
Aside from the best plane spotting, you are at the beach – a tropical beach with more than enough entertainment for most people whether they are plane buffs or not. Seriously, it’s just soooooo much fun!!
Beach bars abound at one end of the beach so there’s plenty to do while you’re waiting for the next flight. That’s if lying on a beautiful beach, getting a massage on your sun lounger, or swimming in beautiful blue water isn’t enough for you.
2. Manchester, UK
Manchester Airport has a Runway Visitor Park complete with a (free except for parking) raised viewing area where you can be just meters away from the planes landing and taking off.
Not as wild as St Martin but pretty good – especially given you can also visit the center’s spectacular supersonic airliner, the Concorde G-BOAC; and the ex-RAF military spy plane, Nimrod, amongst other planes (all for a fee). Any time of day is good.
3. Los Angeles, USA
There are a couple of places at LAX for plane spotting. A favorite is to the south of the airport at Imperial Hill where you can watch arrivals and departures on runways 25R and 25L. Its not that close to the planes but you can watch the cargo operations while you wait for planes.
Another good place is in the park opposite the In-N-Out Burger place to the north of LAX on the corner of S Sepulveda Blvd and W 92nd Street.
4. Sydney, Australia
Sydney have made it easy for plane spotters with a purpose-built raised area near the control tower at the south-eastern end of the airport. Its even got a name – Sheps Mound! It gives good taxiing views and has a grassy area to sit and watch the planes, as well as a covered area for those ‘not so great’ days, and of course plenty of parking.
To get there Follow Ross Smith Avenue from the Domestic Terminal or General Holmes Drive towards the control tower.
Another good viewing spot is a 10 min walk from the Domestic terminal where you can watch planes landing on Runway 16R – most international flights land here and its best from 6-11am. There are two other locations that work shown on the map.
5. London Heathrow, UK
Not quite Manchester but if you find Myrtle Ave in Hounslow, London, there is a grassy area very close to Heathrow’s 27L and 09L runways. A great place for watching take-offs and landings! (Be aware of the residents though – they live here and you’re just visiting.)
6. Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington airport runway has been built between a peninsula and the city area so juts out into the sea at either end. There are relatively few international flights so the majority of planes will be domestic Airbus A320 or A321 jets. International flights arrive from Australia and some Pacific Islands.
The good parts – well Wellington is windier than Chicago – the windiest in the world so you might get to see some wild landings on a rough day!
There is a raised car park / viewing area at the end of Wexford Road in the suburb of Miramar, or you can park at the end of Coutts Street in Rongotai suburb on the other side of the airport.
Another good place to park the car and watch is at the end of Lyall Parade and start of Moa Point Road, or further down Moa Point Road at the end of the runway. The best will depend on which way the wind is blowing and therefore which way the planes come in to land / take off.
For me the best is to walk along the ‘Great Harbour Walkway’ at the northern end of the runway and watch the planes take off / come in directly overhead.
Now let’s get wild about this! I’m now going for some real wild plane spotting – based on plane wrecks and way, way, off the beaten path locations! Welcome to Yap and the Solomon Islands!
7. Yap
Way off the beaten path but great for crashed planes is the island of YAP!
Yap is part of Micronesia and not so easy to get to – but very worth it if you do.
The island is covered in WWII planes – Japanese and American in all states of crashed decay. They are still finding them and the majority of people that visit Yap, are either WWII buffs, or are there to dive.
As a real bonus there is also a more recently crashed (1980) Boeing 727-100 in the jungle but with easy access. It was on its way to Yap from Guam and the pilot missed the runway as such!
Check out how to visit the island of stone money (and crashed planes) Yap!
8. The Solomon Islands
Also, way off the beaten path and a favorite for WWII buffs is the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, although here, most planes, are underwater! Some are very accessible for divers, not so many for snorkelers.
The best one (for me and people that aren’t able to dive) in the Solomons is on land, near Mbili village in the Morovo lagoon. The story goes that the Canadian or American (I never got a clear answer on that) crew baled out in time, but landed in the trees where they ended up strung up by their parachutes. Friendly locals got them sorted so all ended as well as it could! the rubber is still on the wheels and you can find all four propellors and most of the plane. Its good fun to explore.
Also great is the family owned Vilu War Museum north of Honiara on Guadalcanal. It has plenty of guns and wrecks, including a Corsair, P38 Lightning, and Wildcat.
9. Papua New Guinea
‘Black Jack’ an American B-17F found just past the reef off Boga Boga village on the tip of Cape Vogel, is said to be the best aircraft wreck in Papua New Guinea. (I can’t confirm as I cant dive!)
Another good one is in Kimbe Bay where a Mitsubishi Zero lies in 17m of water close to shore (which means it can be murky if it has been raining).
But probably the best place in PNG is Kavieng – simply for numbers of wrecks, including ‘Deep Pete’- a Mitsubishi F1M floatplane which lies off the western side of Nusa Lik (small Nusa) Island. South of Kavieng is a B25 which is also in reasonable condition, and others in not so good order lie around the Kavieng Harbour area.
Finally, one for snorkelers, is near the entrance of Kavieng Harbour in 20m, and the only one I have seen of these given my ears stop me from diving. This is the wreck of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) PBY Catalina A24-11. You can just see the outline in the photo below – we really had quite cloudy water most of the time we were there. Nearby in the harbor is a ship wreck which makes another interesting snorkel or dive.
Comment below if you have been to any of these plane spotting places. Tell me if I have missed out a good one too!
Cheers!
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Related Posts
How to go plane spotting at Maho Beach, St Maarten
Where the heck is Yap? And what to do when you find out!
And for some travel inspo…….
10 fantastic Caribbean islands for a winter escape
10 remote and off the beaten path islands for the explorer
Why holiday in the remote Cocos Keeling Islands?
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