RDU is a great place with several plane watching options....

But first, AGC brings back fond memories. I saw my first planes there
in the 50s and 60s - same building, same wrought iron fence, and it's
still all there. My grandfather used to take my mother there when she
was young. Took my first lessons and soloed there around 1970. Very
busy then, - "Cessna14Golf, follow the 2 F4s and the Lear to the active"

Back to RDU. First there is an observation deck with an ATC radio on
the loudspeaker and a great view of 6L/24R. It's in the GA area north
of the terminal loop under the control tower.

Better yet is the new terminal building in the FBO area. The terminal
buiding is basically an empty marble shell with meeting spaces and big
lobby with *nothing* going on. You can't even open a door to access the
ramp from this "terminal building". But there's a giant glassed in front
with a second story sitting area with small grill adjacent. You can sit
in a/c comfort, eating a burger, looking down on a ramp full of the
latest GA iron and watching the traffic on 6R/24L. It gets real busy on
weekdays and I'm sure your radio would work fine. I would call it the
most comfortable and scenic plane watching spots in central NC. For the
most part, undiscovered!

If you need a fix of real GA, just go nextdoor to Southern Aviation and
sit in their new lounge or go upstairs and buy a chart.

KertDawg wrote:
Hello,

I'm looking for an airport in central North Carolina at which I can
watch airplanes and listen to them on my handheld scanner. I've done
this before in other parts of the country with some pretty good
results. For instance, at Allegheny County Airport (KAGC) near
Pittsburgh, PA, you can walk out in front of the tower and watch
private jets, helicopters, and quite a few light aircraft for hours. I
just like watching and listening.

However, in NC, I've not found a good airport at which to do this. For
instance, at the Piedmont Triad Int. Airport (KGSO) in Greensboro,
there are some pretty big jets, but you can't get close enough to see
much happening. At other airports, like KBUY or KIGX, you can get
really close, but you might see one or two planes per hour on a good
day.

Can anyone recommend an airport in central North Carolina (or close
enough for a day trip) to an airport that might be better suited?
Thanks for any replies.

- Kertis