(or any given Monday or Wednesday)
If you’re in the Greater Toronto Area and you like big planes, there are three guaranteed shows each week. Toronto Pearson International Airport is a big international airport and large aircraft are landing all the time. However, on Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s between around 3pm and 6pm, you will get the best bang for your buck.
Toronto Pearson Airport Plane Spotting
The thing that makes this a clinch 99% of the time is that the action is almost always on runway 05-23. This is the east/west runway that runs parallel to Derry Road with Dixie Road at the west end and Airport Road at the east. Knowing that, you just need to know which way the wind is blowing and which end of the runway to sit at to see the show.
Below are eight heavy aircraft photographed landing from the east. As a customer of the Wendy’s fast food restaurant on Airport Road, we legally park in their back lot to watch the planes on final approach, just before they touch down.
The highlight, of course, is always the Emirates Airbus A380. This plane arrives on each of the three days at approximately 3:30. The flight orginates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and soon after returns home. Sometimes before and sometimes after is a British Airways Boeing 747. At the end of the show is a Lufthansa Boeing 747.
British Airways Boeing 747
British Airways Boeing 747-436 with the registration number G-BNLO. On some days, you will get to see the same plane but with the airline’s One World livery.
Emirates Airbus A380
The star of the show is the Emirates Airlines Airbus A380. This particular A380-800 has the registration number A6-EET but you will see a good rotation of the whole fleet over time.
Air Canada Boeing 787
Air Canada has built up their fleet of Boeing 787-900 Dreamliners. In this three hour period, you will see several. This 787 has the registration number C-FNOH.
Lufthansa Boeing 747
This big German is most likely on its way from Frankfurt. The Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 shown here is registered D-ABVR.
Aer Lingus Boeing 757
The smallest of the eight jets included here, this Aer Lingus Boeing 757-2Q8 is shown to represent the airport’s diversity in airlines and because the colours are just so aesthetically pleasing! This Boeing 757-200 is registered as EI-LBR.
Westjet Boeing 767
If you were in the U.S., you would get bored of Southwest Airlines or Delta or United. In Canada, you get bored of Air Canada and Westjet. However, this plane is included because Westjet not long ago had a fleet consisting entirely of Boeing 737’s. The airline has since added Boeing 767’s to increase its range.
This Boeing 767-338ER has the registration number C-FOGT painted on the side and under the wing.
Air Canada Boeing 777
Air Canada’s big and wide. This Boeing 777-233LR is registered as C-FIUJ.
Air Canada Dreamliner
One last look at Air Canada’s fleet of Boeing 787-900’s. This one is registered as C-FKSV.
For a ton more images and info on airplanes like these, check out our Airliner Directory.
