Aviation Celebration

Gone are the days of my youth when I traveled to the airport with my loved ones, walked down the terminal and stood by the window as I waited to wave 'bon voyage' to their departing flight. The folks who took that privilege away from me (you know who I'm talking about) have never been forgiven. But recently I learned about an awesome feature at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. It's simply called Airport Overlook. A small two-lane road meanders around the airport along the fence that separates the runways from... everything. At a mere half mile from the terminal a small, brown sign with an arrow points to the entrance to the medium-sized parking lot. Nestled a couple hundred yards from one of the airstrips, complete with a dozen benches and a few picnic tables, folks are able to observe planes taxiing, taking off, and landing. How much does this all-access pass cost, you ask? Nothing. This overlook is open 365 days a year, from 8:00am to 10:30 pm. Next time you have a friend or relative coming to the airport expecting you to pick them up, don't jam yourself into the Cell Phone lot awaiting their call. Instead, relax and watch their plane land from the comfort of a bench (or even your own car) in the far-less crowded Airport Overlook. And for those who are particularly daring, there is a sidewalk from the overlook parking lot that leads to a bench between the runway and the directional lights, in case you want to see the underbelly of the airplane as it takes off or lands! I didn't get a shot from that angle, but I hope to sooner than later!