I haven’t really been out to spot planes much since the pandemic. This Golden Week, I took a trip to the U.S. and had a buddy show me around three airports in one day.

First, we visited the Museum of Flying, a private non-profit aerospace museum located in Santa Monica, California. It was founded in 1974, closed in 2002, and reopened in a new facility in 2012. The museum showcases aviation history, focusing on Donald Douglas and the Douglas Aircraft Company of Southern California.

Santa Monica Airport (IATA: SMO, ICAO: KSMO, FAA LID: SMO) is located in Santa Monica, California, primarily for general aviation, within the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is one of the oldest airports in the United States, was once one of the world’s busiest single-runway airports, and is a leading general aviation airport. The airport is located about 2 miles (3 km) from the Pacific Ocean (Santa Monica Bay) and about 6 miles (10 km) north of Los Angeles International Airport. The FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013 categorized it as a reliever airport. The airport is scheduled to close in late 2028. Santa Monica Airport covers 215 acres (87 hectares).

I visited Santa Monica Airport once back in 2016. Returning to the old haunt, I found that due to the impending closure, very few aircraft remain here, and the entire airport was desolate.

Next, we moved to Imperial Hill on the south side of Los Angeles International Airport. This small park overlooks the entire airport, offering views of aircraft taking off and landing, especially on Runway 24 and Runway 25. With benches and an open view, it is perfectly suited for long-duration photography and spotting.

Then, we headed to the In-N-Out Burger near Runway 24R. I fell in love with this chain more than 20 years ago during a business trip to Silicon Valley, but the main purpose of this visit wasn’t the burgers, but the aircraft.

The final stop was Van Nuys Airport. Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. The airport is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a branch of the Los Angeles city government, which also operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, with its two parallel runways averaging over 230,000 takeoffs and landings annually. However, as of 2022, Van Nuys has no scheduled commercial airline service.

Van Nuys Airport is home to news, medical air ambulance, and tourist helicopter operators, as well as the Los Angeles Fire Department’s air operations unit and a maintenance base for Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power helicopters. Originally opening on December 17, 1928, the airport became Van Nuys Army Air Base during WWII, was renamed San Fernando Valley Airport post-war, and changed to its current name in 1957.

I have compiled the photos from these three airports into three 4K videos shared on YouTube. You are welcome to watch them.