Today we are going to take a look at what are the best places to go planespotting at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). Before we get into that though, let's first take a look at the hobby of planespotting and see what it is all about.

Since the early days of aviation, people have been interested in aircraft. However, planespotting did not become a big pastime until the latter half of the 20th century.

Photo: LAS

Today thanks to the internet and websites like Flightradar24 and FlightAware, aviation enthusiasts around the world can track aircraft in real time. The invention of digital cameras has also aided the growth of planespotting in a big way, allowing people to take multiple photos of planes and discard the ones they do not like for what they consider to be their best images.

About Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)

Located five miles south of downtown Nevada Las Vegas, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) covers a land area of 2,800 acres. When the airport first opened to commercial air traffic in 1948, it was called McCarran Field after US Senator Pat McCarran, a man who represented the state of Nevada for 21 years.

During the 1950s, as the Las Vegas casinos began attracting people from around the country, the airport grew and became a hub for United, TWA, Western, and Hughes Airwest. Following the deregulation of the American airline industry in 1978, new airlines, including American, Braniff, and Continental, began offering flights to Las Vegas. In 1991 a second terminal opened, allowing Las Vegas to attract flights from around the world, which helped to further feed the growth of the casino industry.

Photo: LAS

To keep up with demand, $2.4 billion was spent to build a new terminal to replace Terminal 2. When it opened on June 27, 2012, it had a much larger US Customs and Border Protection facility to handle an increase in international passengers. LAS continued to grow and, in 2019, handled more than 51 million passengers. Today, the airport has four runways and two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (Terminal 3 replaced Terminal 2).

Currently, the largest number of flights in and out of LAS belong to Southwest Airlines, followed by Allegiant Air, Frontier, and Spirit. All three major US carriers also fly to Vegas. Foreign airlines serving LAS are Aeroméxico, British Airways, Air Canada Rouge, Condor, Edelweiss, Korean Air, Sunwing, Virgin Atlantic, VIVA Aerobus, and Volaris. LAS is also home to military contractor Janet Airlines.

Runways at LAS:

• 01L/19R and 01R/19L are crosswind runways, used for both arrivals and departures.
• 08L/26R and 08R/26L are LAS's main and busiest runways.

Photo: FAA via Wikimedia Commons

Spotting areas at LAS

Sunset Viewing Area: Located off Sunset Road, near the intersection of Escondido Street, the Sunset viewing area offers views of aircraft landing on Runway 26L. Because of the perimeter fence, you will need a ladder or a van or truck roof to get good photos. The viewing area is open from 09:00 to 21:00 in the summer and from 09:00 until 19:00 in winter.

Parking garage: This offers views of takeoff and landings on Runways 01L. To get there, follow the signs for long-term parking. Once there, park on the roof and walk towards the garage elevators. Cross over a walkway and continue as far as you can go. The spot is best in the early mornings and requires a large zoom to get shots of planes with the casinos in the background.

Jack in the Box Restaurant: Located on Las Vegas Blvd just south of the Mandalay Bay Casino and close to a gas station, the spot offers views of Runway 01/L and 01/R and departures on 26/R.

The Hungarian Market: At the Sunset Road end of S Eastern Avenue, finding a spot around the Hungarian Market at 6380 will put you directly under the landing path for 26L/26R.

Sunset Park: On the south side of Sunset Road, to the east of the intersection with S Eastern Avenue, the large green space known as Sunset Park is also a great place to spot airplanes taking off or landing on either of the two main runways 08L/26R and 08R/26L. The view is somewhat side-on, but gives a great opportunity to get a full airplane shot as they arrive and depart.

Town Square Las Vegas: When 01L/19R and 01R/19L are in use, Town Square is a super spotting location. Although commercial use of these runways doesn't happen a lot, this is a good backup in the unusual event of conditions that require the north/south operation. It's nestled in the middle of W Sunset Road, S Las Vegas Boulevard and the freeway. Set up in Town Square Park for a great view of landings and takeoffs at LAS.

Where do you like to spot in Las Vegas? Let us know your top locations in the comments below.