Last Monday, I flew out to California for an event at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. But I landed so early in the day at LAX, I decided to make the best use of my time by watching planes land from the famous In-N-Out Burger on the east side of the airport.
The LAX In-N-Out Burger is located at the intersection of Sepulveda Blvd and West 92nd Street. In the photo you'll see the little building with the red roof next to the yellow star I added. Across the street is a little park, and police are used to seeing photographers here, so you're not likely to be bothered. When I was there on Monday, several cops showed up for lunch and walked right by me without a word. The great thing about this location is that many of the international arrivals fly right past you to land on runway 24-Right, which you can see at the top of the screenshot. It's really easy to get to, with a short drive, but I've also walked there. [Google Earth]
Southwest's Boeing 737-700 "Nevada One"
The best time of day to be there is in the afternoon and early evening, because in the morning, the "marine layer" of clouds hasn't burned off yet, and can make the background of your photos look a bit dull (see photo above). Due to my schedule, I was out there from about 9:30AM to 11:00AM — not ideal, but I had to take the opportunity anyway.
So here are some more pics of the more interesting planes I saw while I was out there. I didn't bother taking pics of the smaller commuter jets.
Delta 737-800
Saudia Boeing 777-300ER
Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319 - first time I'd seen Rouge in person.
China Eastern Airbus A340-600 in special "Expo 2010" livery.
Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER
Now, here are some photos I took a few years ago at the same location, but later in the day to give an idea of the changing lighting conditions. These were taken in September, if I remember correctly, so the sun position played a big factor in providing these silhouetted shots.
United Airbus A319
Air China 747-400
FedEx DC-10
Top photo - Korean Airlines Airbus A380-800. All photos were taken by the author, Paul Thompson.