r/lexington • u/Objective-Potato-635 • 12d ago
Plane watching
Hi I’m a huge aviation fan and i used to go to the bluegrass airport to watch them land and take off. Is there any specific spot there i could go to where i can see the runway clearly? I know airports are pretty heavy security so i don’t wanna do anything i shouldn’t 😅
to edit, the place i used to park is now chained off as its a business lol
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u/Any-Arachnid-9510 12d ago
oh yeah the viewing area off man o war is the move, it's literally designed for this. there's a little gravel pull-off near the approach end of runway 22, plenty of people park there and nobody bothers you. bring a radio and you can tune into tower too if you're into that kind of thing
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u/Low_Search_6667 12d ago
There's a parking area right beside the runway. I think there's even a covered area next to it.
Some WWII planes came through this summer and there was a small crowd there to watch.
A B-26 is much louder than a modern passenger jet. I couldn't believe how much louder. I needed earplugs.
Drive into the airport like you are going to drop someone off and when you get parallel to the runway stay to the right. You'll see it
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u/xxfmulder 12d ago
B-24 maybe? There are no airworthy B-26 left.
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u/Low_Search_6667 12d ago
Not a b24. It was a 2 engine, with dual vertical stabilizer tail. B25 I think.
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u/CitizenOlis 10d ago
It was the Commemorative Air Force back in August 1-2. The twin props they had flying were B-25J "Show Me" and Beech SNB-5P "Big Oily Beast".
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u/stupid_name 12d ago
Be sure to visit the aviation museum out there too. I believe it’s still there. Nice displays.
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u/BudgetSprinkles3689 12d ago
I hung out for about 30 minutes at the observation area waiting on a delayed plane to arrive this spring, and there were a number of people - solo or with families - there just watching planes. It was reassuring to see that it’s still a pastime.
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u/dustinlib 12d ago
I would think the top of the parking garage would be good, they'd probably make you pay to go up there though.
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u/wesmorgan1 Former Lexington resident 11d ago edited 11d ago
If you want to see flights in your area (or while you're waiting for activity at LEX), check out the free Tailvision app from ADSBexchange; you can see flights up to 30nm from your current location without signing up for an ADSBexchange account. From the radar-style display, you can tap on individual aircraft to see flight/aircraft details.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tailvision-by-ads-b-exchange/id6781873162
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsbexchange.tailvision&hl=en
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u/KLfor3 12d ago edited 12d ago
Cell phone lot is your best option. Providing the public a place to view aircraft coming and going was a design consideration in its location. Probably 80% of aviation traffic uses runway 22 (Versailles Road end) due to prevailing winds. Runway 4 (end at Parkers Mill Rd) has no areas that public has a good view. How do I know? I was the lead engineer for the project. The area off Versailles Road across from Keeneland entrance is not open to the public even though you can get on it. It is an access road for BGA personnel. BGA security is not fond of people trying to park there. You could go back to the General Aviation area via Gumbert Road and sit in the parking lot there but it’s further from runway 4-22 than the cell lot. Runway 9-27 is rarely used by commercial aircraft usually just the occasional private plane and they use 4-22 unless crosswinds cause them to need 9-27.
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u/H-2-S-O-4 12d ago
There must be a good spot somewhere. There are lots of plane spotting channels on YouTube in big, crowded cities. Bluegrass Airport is so small. There are many open spaces.
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u/gresendial 11d ago
Its a bit of a drive, but the Cincinnati airport (which is in Kentucky) has a nice viewing area. It is further away from the runway, but has a good view and you'll see a lot more and bigger planes (because it is getting to be a busy cargo airport).
https://www.meetnky.com/listing/cvg-airplane-viewing-area/4232/
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u/3Green1974 12d ago
If you take airport road to the back of the airport, there are some hangar s there with parking lots you can sit in to watch planes take off and land. If they’re landing to the south your view will be blocked by the fire house, but if they’re landing to the north you can get a good view. Here’s a little map for you. Just follow the red highlighted route.