Was that a 747 that just flew by? Yep! Where else can you get up close with so much aviation in Raleigh? The RDU Observation Park is perfect for learning and teaching about airports/airplanes.
Wait. Is This The Cell Lot?
The RDU Observation park is located, unsurprisingly, in the RDU airport for Raleigh. You will find it fairly close to the RDU air traffic control tower and the extended parking area for the airport. We came in the back way from Umstead State Park and got some great views along the way. Most people will probably come in via Aviation Parkway.
Parking here is simple. They made enough to accommodate a small crowd of people but nothing too major. If you really need more parking, you can always use the massive parking areas near by but they do cost.
Some people will use this park as an overflow for the RDU cellphone Waiting Lot so it is possible you might struggle for a parking spot. If you need a spot, just wait a minute and you will likely see someone pull out. Do bear in mind that the park only has daylight hours.
Wait There Are Planes Here?
Truly you only come to this park for one reason, to look at planes. We had been hiking most of the morning in Umstead state park before coming here. Madilyn was confused as to why there were so many planes flying overhead so I thought it would be a great learning opportunity. The RDU observation Park was recommended to me by my relator Gary Yellin not long after I started this blog and it has sat on my to-see list ever since. Gary is a great guy and I recommend him for anyone buying or selling in the Wake County area.
Anyway, Madilyn was less intrested in the planes and more intrested in the novel yet simple playground. We did check out the the observation deck and watched 2 planes take off and taxi down the runway. Most of our time was focused on the odd yellow spider like playset. For most kids, this is nothing much to play with and would likely be more intrested in the planes.
It seems like there are some architectural similarities with the observation deck and terminal two so I suspect they spent money on this park not too long ago. For some reason the playground was not apart of that scope. I think an updated and slightly more robust playground would go a long way to help parents waiting for their spouse to land. Just my two cents.
The park was well maintained and also fully fenced off. I do wish the lower grassy area was also fenced off from the parking lot. That is just one of those playground details that makes it easier for parents to relax while their kids play.
Live Radio
The RDU observation park is simply by nature. the primary goal is to be able to watch air traffic coming in/leaving from terminal two. The original designers of the park did have some forethought to include some unique little features through. Of course public bathrooms are a must. I know this sounds simple but if you are waiting for someone to get off their flight, this is really convenient.
There is also a to scale mock up of the air strips for both terminal one and terminal two. Probably every kid at the park ran up/down these runways at least once with arms outstretched making airplane sounds. Madilyn ,in classic fashion, nearly ran headlong into another kid doing this.
Now anyone can find a good place to watch planes but I thought the RDU Observation park added a nice flair. They have the air traffic radio on a speaker in the upper part of the deck. On a clear day, you can probably use a good pair of binoculars to find most planes coming/going in real time with live audio. How Cool!
Jet Noise Central
You truly have an unhindered view of a large section of key runway. Could there be more here for your? Yes but at the core of it, this is the only park inside of the RDU airport and the only park I know of that is dedicated for plane watching.
Overall
The RDU Observation park is a fun place to learn about airport or teach others. It is also just a great place to wait for a loved one to land if you need to stretch your legs. Though this is effectively a nice parking lot with elevated benches, it gets the job done. Worth a stop if you are near by.
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