The best spots to see planes take off and land at Pearson Airport in Mississauga

For many people of all ages, it’s a simple yet exhilarating pastime of hanging out near Pearson Airport in Mississauga to watch planes of all sizes and markings take off and land.

For others, it’s an obsession. A passion in constant search of the latest fix. And a job, too.

You can see their work–still photos and videos–constantly posted online to Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other social media feeds. Always trying to capture the most impressive shots of some of the biggest aircraft in the world.

With more than 1,200 flights operating daily into and out of Pearson, there are plenty of opportunities for people to get relatively close to the action for a “plane spotting” fix.

You just need an idea of where to find the best spots near Canada’s busiest airport, which handles flights to and from some 190 cities around the globe.

Insauga.com recently found a pretty good location to get up close to a plane taking off from Pearson (see videos below).

And ManiaRavings.com, a Canadian-based website that offers information and recommendations on hotels, flights and other things related to aviation in Canada, the U.S. and around the world, has a few ideas, too.

“More than 75 airlines from across the world land at Pearson every day, therefore making it one of the most popular airports for airplane enthusiasts in North America,” ManiaRavings.com wrote in a recent rundown of some of the best spots to spot planes around the Mississauga-based airport.

The website adds that because most flights from Pearson “serve destinations within Canada and the northeastern United States, the bulk of aircraft you will see will be operated by Air Canada. Air Transat and WestJet. These are followed in number by United and Delta.”

Furthermore, the most popular routes from Pearson are to Montreal, New York City, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, Chicago, Newark and Edmonton.

Beyond North America, a number of aircraft from across the Atlantic and Pacific also make their way to Pearson.

“Aircraft operated by European or Asian companies are almost always wide-body serving long-haul destinations,” the website continues. “Some of the most popular international airlines at Pearson include British Airways, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, KLM, Air France, Interjet and Cathay Pacific.”

An Emirates Airbus A380 prepares to land at Pearson Airport as spotted from 6585 Airport Rd., Mississauga. (Photo: Mohammed Zaheer, via Wikimedia Commons)

Emirates was the only airline that flew the huge Airbus A380 to Pearson. That aircraft has now been retired and replaced by a Boeing 777.

Here, according to ManiaRavings.com, are some of the best places near Pearson Airport to spot planes up close:

• 171 Carlingview Dr., Etobicoke–a parking lot next to Hooters is located on the approach to one of Pearson’s runways. A short walk to the south will put you close to the runway as well
• 6585 Airport Rd., Mississauga–the most popular spot to watch large airplanes land on Runway 23. There’s a Wendy’s and Petro Canada gas station here
• 2555 Derry Rd. E., Mississauga–a parking lot here offers a view of planes approaching Runway 15L
• 6977 Vanguard Dr., Mississauga–a 24-hour Tim Hortons is located here. Location offers a view of aircraft activity on Runway 15R
• 1420 Mid-Way Blvd., Mississauga–second-most popular spot to watch airplanes on Runway 05. Tim Hortons located here as well. This is “the spot” to watch the huge Emirates A380 and other wide-body aircraft land
• Convair Dr., Mississauga–this road is located within the airport perimeter
• Danville Park–this park is a joint effort of the City of Mississauga and Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which runs Pearson, to create a public spot where people can watch planes take off and land. The park is located at the corner of Courtneypark Dr. and Kennedy Rd.

Map shows location where insauga.com videos above were taken from.

Map shows runway configuration at Pearson Airport.