Plane spotting in San Francisco: parallel approaches and spots

Two jets gliding almost simultaneously side by side over the water of the bay – this image made San Francisco famous among spotters worldwide. Since spring 2026 it is history, but SFO remains one of the most exciting airports in the US: long-haul from Asia, Europe and the Middle East, a large United hub and spots right on the waterfront. If you are planning plane spotting in San Francisco, you should above all understand three things: the close parallel runways, the West Plan and the heat haze over the water. This guide explains all three and shows you the proven locations.

SFO in brief: an airport on the water

San Francisco Airport is not in the city itself but about 19 kilometers southeast in San Mateo County. It nevertheless belongs to the City of San Francisco and began in 1927 as Mills Field on leased pastureland. Today it is the most important aviation hub of the Bay Area. In 2025, SFO handled just over 54.5 million passengers and around 416,000 aircraft movements.

For United Airlines, SFO is the most important gateway across the Pacific and at the same time a major maintenance base. Alaska Airlines also operates a hub here. Large parts of the airport were filled in into the bay. For spotters that means: most edges of the airport border on water, and there are hardly any classic fence spots. Spotting is done mainly from the west shore of the bay, in Millbrae, Burlingame and San Mateo.

The terminals lie in a semicircle around the central parking garage: Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3 with most of United’s domestic traffic and the International Terminal that opened in 2000. There SFO has set up six gates for the Airbus A380. Whether an airline is currently sending the superjumbo depends on the schedule.

The runway system: two pairs crossing

SFO has four runways that form two intersecting pairs. The long east–west runways take almost all landings and the heavy long-haul takeoffs, while the shorter north–south runways mainly serve domestic takeoffs in normal operations.

Runway pair	Runway	Length	Typical use in the West Plan
East–west	10L/28R	3,618 m	Landings on 28R, heavy takeoffs
East–west	10R/28L	3,469 m	Landings on 28L, heavy takeoffs
North–south	01R/19L	2,637 m	Domestic takeoffs on 01R
North–south	01L/19R	2,332 m	Domestic takeoffs on 01L

The runway numbers reveal the direction: 28 points roughly west, 01 north, 19 south. How to derive approach side and light from this is explained in the guide Understanding runway direction at an airport.

West Plan and Southeast Plan

On the bay the wind mostly blows from west to northwest. SFO then operates in the so-called West Plan, which applies about 81 percent of the time: all landings come from the east over the water onto 28L and 28R, domestic takeoffs go north over 01L and 01R, and the heavy aircraft to Asia and Europe take off on the longer 28 runways. For you that is a stroke of luck, because the most popular spots lie exactly under these approaches.

Only with a southeast wind, typically in rainy conditions in winter, does the airport switch to the Southeast Plan, which accounts for only about 4 percent of the time. Aircraft then land on the 19 runways, and it gets quiet on the shore at Millbrae. Construction work on individual runways can shift the picture further – more in the article Runway closures and construction work.

The parallel approaches to 28L and 28R

What is special about SFO are the two landing runways 28L and 28R. Their centerlines are only about 230 meters apart – extremely close for two parallel runways used for simultaneous landings. The reason is the location: between the hills of the peninsula and the bay there is simply no room for a pair of runways spaced farther apart.

How the classic picture worked

For decades, two aircraft were allowed to approach side by side by visual reference in good visibility. The pilots themselves maintained separation from the aircraft on the neighboring runway. That created the image that spotters from all over the world came to Millbrae for: a widebody jet and a narrowbody jet, almost at the same altitude, side by side over the water. If the cloud base fell too low or fog rolled in from the Pacific, that was the end of it, and operations ran only with greater spacing.

What changed in 2026

On March 31, 2026, the US aviation authority FAA permanently banned simultaneous side-by-side landings on 28L and 28R. Since then approaches come in staggered. Maximum arrival capacity dropped by about a third as a result, from 54 to 36 flights per hour. How separation distances are determined in general is explained in the article Wake turbulence and separation, and the procedure of an instrument approach in the guide ILS approach explained.

For you on the shore that means: both runways remain in operation, and you still see aircraft touching down on 28L and 28R shortly after one another. The formation picture at the same altitude, however, is a thing of the past. Anyone who has old shots of it now owns genuine historical documents.

The proven spots around SFO

The following locations are named again and again by spotter guides and the local scene. The waterfront spots are public parks; locations on the airport grounds have their own rules. Access roads, parking rules and opening hours can change – treat the list as a starting point.

Bayfront Park in Millbrae

The classic. The narrow waterfront park on Old Bayshore Highway lies southwest of the touchdown zones of 28L and 28R. You look across the water to the northeast, landings come in from the right over the bay and touch down at an angle in front of you. You also see taxiing traffic on the adjacent taxiways. A fence blocks the view of departures from 01L and 01R. According to Spotterguide.net there are only about 10 to 15 free parking spaces, and you find restrooms only in the neighboring hotels. All details are on the spot page for Bayfront Park at San Francisco Airport.

Coyote Point in San Mateo

Farther south, Coyote Point juts into the bay, a San Mateo County recreation area with a marina, beach and hiking trails. From here you are closer to the final approach to 28L and 28R and photograph the aircraft with the bay as a backdrop rather than at touchdown. Spotter guides name less focal length and less heat haze as advantages. A parking fee is charged for the area – check the current conditions in advance.

Fisherman’s Park in Burlingame

A small park on Airport Boulevard in Burlingame, reachable via the Broadway exit of US-101. According to Spotterguide.net there is free parking there, but you only see landings on 28L. Expect 300 to 500 mm of focal length; infrastructure is missing here too.

SkyTerrace in Terminal 2

The SkyTerrace on Terminal 2 opened in February 2020 and is before security. It overlooks the busiest part of the airport with apron, taxiways and the east–west runways. Admission is free, a security check at the entrance is part of it, and according to the airport it is currently open only Friday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You do not need a spotting permit here. The glass is thick and not parallel to the taxiways, which makes photos difficult. For observing and a first overview, though, the terrace is ideal.

Hotel rooms with a view

If you do not want to stand outside, you can book into one of the airport hotels on the waterfront. At the Westin opposite Bayfront Park, Spotterguide.net recommends a room in the east wing with a view north – according to the guide the best location for takeoffs on the 01 runways. The windows cannot be opened, and through the double glazing manual focusing often helps. General tips on such rooms are collected in the article Hotels with runway views.

Spots at a glance

Spot	Location	What you see	Light	Note
Bayfront Park	Millbrae, Old Bayshore Hwy.	Landings 28L/28R, taxiing traffic	from midday	few parking spaces
Coyote Point	San Mateo	Final approach 28L/28R over the water	afternoon	parking fee
Fisherman’s Park	Burlingame, Airport Blvd.	landings 28L only	from midday	free parking
SkyTerrace	Terminal 2, before security	Apron, taxiways, east–west runways	from midday	Fri–Mon 10 a.m.–6 p.m., glass
Westin hotel room	Millbrae, opposite Bayfront Park	Takeoffs 01L/01R	almost all day	request room specifically

Light, fog and heat haze

The waterfront spots lie west and southwest of the approaches to the 28 runways. So you look north to northeast, and the sun is behind you from midday. In the morning you have side light or backlight. How to determine the exact time for your visit is shown in the guide Planning the sun position at a photo spot.

Two weather phenomena shape the bay. The first is the fog that rolls in from the Pacific, especially in summer, and can swallow the view of the runways. The second is heat haze: over the water and at long distances the air shimmers even in winter, according to Spotterguide.net. A few rules of thumb result:

• Focus on widebody jets. Short- and medium-haul jets look small at that distance, and heavy cropping amplifies the haze.
• Choose cool, clear days. Fall to spring often brings better air, even if the days are shorter.
• Get closer. Coyote Point noticeably shortens the distance to the final approach.

More tricks against haze are in the article Avoiding heat haze. On the bay it can be cool and windy even on sunny days, so a windbreaker belongs in your bag whatever the season.

Which focal length?

For the big aircraft at Bayfront Park, around 400 mm is enough; even an A380 fills the frame well with it. A telephoto zoom of about 100 to 400 mm covers most spots, and for Fisherman’s Park you may pack a bit more. Guidance is given by the articles Lens and focal length for plane spotting and 100–400 mm telephoto zooms compared.

What traffic to expect

Because practically all landings in the West Plan run over 28L and 28R, you see almost all international traffic from the waterfront spots. Individual routes are seasonal, so check the current schedule before your trip, as of October 2026.

United and domestic traffic

United Airlines dominates the airport, on long-haul with widebody jets such as the Boeing 777-300ER, the 787-9 and the 787-10. In domestic traffic you see plenty of 737 MAX 9, 737-800 and Airbus A321neo, plus regional jets such as the Embraer E175. Besides United and Alaska, Delta, American, Southwest, JetBlue and Hawaiian, among others, fly to San Francisco.

Asia and the Pacific

This is where SFO plays to its strengths. The lists include Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, China Airlines, Starlux, Cathay Pacific, ANA, Japan Airlines, ZIPAIR, Korean Air, Asiana (the Asiana route is listed in the schedule only until mid-December 2026), Philippine Airlines, Air New Zealand and Qantas. Many of them come with the Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 777 and 787 – if telling them apart is hard for you, the guides A350 or Boeing 787? and Telling the Boeing 777 and 787 apart help.

Europe and the Middle East

From the German-speaking region, Lufthansa connects San Francisco with Frankfurt and Munich, Swiss flies from Zurich, and Condor seasonally from Frankfurt. Add KLM, Air France, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus and Turkish Airlines, and from the Middle East Emirates and Qatar Airways. All three alliances are strongly represented: Star Alliance around United, oneworld with Alaska, American, British Airways and JAL and SkyTeam with Delta, Air France, KLM and Korean Air.

Cargo

Freighters also land at SFO, including from FedEx Express, Kalitta Air, Amazon Air, ABX Air and the cargo divisions of Korean Air, EVA Air and China Airlines. How to recognize freighter versions at the fence is covered in the article Recognizing cargo aircraft.

Rules and getting there

Photographing from public areas is generally permitted in the US, but it does not replace caution. The article Plane spotting in the USA summarizes the basics, and Plane spotting trip to the USA offers practical travel tips. For SFO there is an additional rule: anyone who wants to spot in the parking garages or in the public terminal areas before security needs a plane spotting permit from the airport, which you apply for anew for each visit. SFO no longer releases the West Field Garage for photographers. Spotterguide.net also points out that security staff occasionally send spotters away anyway – then you leave politely and without discussion.

Getting there: The easiest way is by train. At Millbrae station BART and Caltrain meet; from there it is about one to one and a half kilometers on foot via Millbrae Avenue and the bridge over US-101 to the shore. BART also runs directly into the airport, where the AirTrain connects the terminals and parking garages. By car you leave US-101 at the Millbrae Avenue exit and follow Old Bayshore Highway. You will find general tips in the article Getting to the spot.

How to plan your spotting day in San Francisco

San Francisco compared

Compared with Los Angeles with Imperial Hill or the In-N-Out Burger, in San Francisco you are farther from the action and fight haze more. In return you get a backdrop that exists only here: jets over the water of the bay, hills in the background and one of the strongest Asia mixes in North America. If you travel farther north along the West Coast, you will find a good complement in Larry Berg Flight Path Park in Vancouver. The spotting bucket list collects more destinations for your list.

Conclusion

San Francisco has lost its most famous pictures but not its appeal. Runways 28L and 28R still lie only 230 meters apart, in the West Plan almost all traffic comes in over the bay, and on the shore at Millbrae you see long-haul from three continents. If you keep an eye on wind, fog and light, focus on widebody jets and know Coyote Point as an alternative, you will experience one of the most beautiful airports on the US West Coast.