KATL - Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Intl.

[Rob Guess]

Have not found any thing about KATL on here after hearing that it is quite spotter unfriendly i found that i was able to sit near the approach end of 9R for nearly 2 hours without any signs of trouble. 

[MikeRiffle]

I recently spent some time spotting at Hartsfield from the comfort of a room at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel. If you have ever transited through Hartsfield you may have noticed the hotel sitting just to the north of the airport:


taken from an arriving flight in December 2006

For an aviation enthusiast the view from the room is great...


room 620

...but the view from your private balcony is incredible
 

click to see larger image (4196x590, 609 KB)

more photos to follow...

[MikeRiffle]

Hartsfield has five parallel runways but only the northern two are visible from the hotel. Operations typically have the inner runway (08R-26L) used for departures while the outer runway (08L-26R, the one closest to the hotel) is used for arrivals. Except for a few early morning arrivals on Saturday, runway 26L/R was in use while I was there.


nice view of the AirTran terminal beyond the Airbus


this guy got off the runway very quick


the special pink paint scheme for Breast Cancer Awareness


a little bounce then on the reversers hard


departure splitting a DC-10 and 757


noticeable size difference between an ATR and 777


FBO is to the east of the hotel


sure do hope these guys survive the current economic conditions

more to follow...

[MikeRiffle]

the closest taxiway is less than 1/4 mile away


taxing to the gate


my first good look at an Embraer 170


synchronized dissimilar takeoff


777 departs for overseas


the FedEx terminal is to the east of the hotel


besides Delta you will see a lot of AirTran 717s and 737s


challenging slow-shutter shot


morning departure


Delta North ramp ops


all the 747s I saw were using the longer runway 27R south of the terminals

[BillF]

As always, Mike, good stuff. Your "challenging slow shutter" shot is unique and I would say that you met the challenge.

[Steve Rice]

Mike, well done.    Excellent set of photos.

[BigRedDogATL]

With the impending merger of Delta and Northwest Airlines, Hartsfield Jackson Airport has started a project to lengthen runway 9L-27R.

Delta says the lengthening will help with their 777 planes, but the airport says they are more concerned about the 747-400's that Northwest flys and wants to be ready for them. The project will add about 500 feet to the Eastern end and 900 feet to the Western end of runway 9L-27R.

Read more about it at http://www.airportbusiness.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=20946&pageNum=3

[Vance]

Thanks Mike i enjoyed those.

[MikeRiffle]

Thanks Bill, Steve, and Vance. Bill, that night shot was handheld at ISO 3200, 1/5 sec, f5.6, 190mm. I'm keeping my success rate a secret

In regards to Clifford's post, all of the 747s I saw were using the runway they want to expand. Interestingly, the British Airways 777 that I posted was off the deck around 7,000 feet, and that was on a 90+° day. At the other end of the spectrum, the World MD-11 was off around 4,000 feet on a 75° morning. Something tells me he was empty.

[BillF]

I remember the day when I had sex in motel rooms. Now, it's, "...hand me my camera, honey, there's a 777 taking off....I know we just saw one take off, but this is a different company."   

[bigtnbob]

Nice job mike, I am impressed as usual.
Birthdays, Bill, Birthdays , they change our attitude!!!

bob mcpherson

[Smoke Eater]

I spent the night in the Renaissance Concourse a couple of years ago during the Great Ga. Air Show. It's a pretty cool aviation weekend.
That was before the 40D, so no pics, only video.

[mm505]

The hotel is a great place to take photographs from, because ATL is not really a photo friendly place to take pictures at.  I've been stopped, questions and investigated by the Atlanta Police, College Park Police, Forest Park Police, US Marshal (The air marshal was actually cool - he just wanted to make sure I wasn't a "Pizza Hut table cloth and fan belt dude") and the FBI - They actually came to my work to question me why I was taking photo's of aircraft!

Anyway, here are a few I took a couple years ago from the parking deck before the Atlanta Police threatened to put me in jail if I took another picture!

[mm505]

A few more.  A few months ago, I got turned on to a "new" place to catch them on final or takeoff.  Those are coming up next.  I like the DAL photo where while taxing, he is still smoking the tire!

[mm505]

From my "private" location: