There was once a fantastic guide on where to go around Oceana to watch airplanes. I used it myself on the many trips I took for airshows and just regular trips down to Virginia Beach.dzirzow wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 2:26 am OK, I know the show is in the past. I have never been to this part of the country and looks like will be spending 2 nights next week in the VA Beach area.
Can anyone give any recommendations for spotting and where to stay? Will be purely sightseeing trip. Any of the beach hotels with balconies good to stay having views of aircraft or they too far away?
Anywhere by Langley good to spot from also? I am just partial to afterburners.
Thanks.
As for where to stay, I always stay somewhere on the Beachfront. You may want to check with the individual properties because if it's anything like our beaches, it's seasonal and there may be limited availability based on seasonal staffing. During airshow week it was always somewhere on Atlantic between 15th and 25th Streets. Seeing jets... if they take off and go out over the ocean you'll hear them but that's about it. If they go the opposite direction you may see them as they come in to enter the traffic pattern. Prices will be cheaper since it's off-season!
As for getting up close, like I said there used to be a fantastic guide on this stuff and it's no longer online. I hadn't been down to the spots in some time but I do remember a pull-off in a parking area off of Oceana Blvd. There's a park off Oceana Blvd as well. There was also an unmarked pull-off by the other sets of runways, and I know there's one or two other locations for landing traffic that I don't know the locations of. Maybe the locals on these forums can help you out better than I can.
As for Langley, same thing; there used to be a fantastic guide for that base as well. I remember back in the F-15 days there was nothing off of the western end of the base but it's now built up and is federal property. I have no idea where you'd go to see F-22s without having to be on base.