North Vashon (Vashon Heights).
West Seattle Reservoir
Safeco Field (Seahawks Stadium)
VA Hospital
Seward Park

North Vashon
Whenever you head for Boeing Field from the west, you usually head for North Vashon (aka Vashon Heights), where you turn eastbound for the Vashon Approach to Boeing Field. Vashon is the large island that sits just a few miles west of the shore of West Seattle. When you're at the north tip of Vashon, you're directly west of Boeing Field and set up to enter Boeing's traffic pattern via the "Vashon Approach."

The north tip of Vashon Island (foreground), looking east towards the shoreline of West Seattle.
Boeing Field is behind the ridge that sits just east of the shoreline.

West Seattle Reservoir
The West Seattle Reservoir (sometimes referred to simply as "the reservoir") is a critical reporting point for the Vashon Arrival/Departure. It sits atop a ridge in West Seattle, a mile or two east of the Fauntleroy ferry dock/West Seattle shoreline, and is just west of Boeing Field itself.

Finding your way to the reservoir is critical for a number of reasons. Approaching Boeing Field from the west, it's pretty much impossible to see the airport itself until you're almost on top of it - the airport is all but blocked by the higher terrain in West Seattle, and you need to be down fairly low (below 1100 feet) as you approach the reservoir because SeaTac's Class Bravo is directly above and its surface-based Bravo starts just south of the reservoir.

Because you really can't see the airport itself until you are about to turn downwind, you need to use the reservoir to guide you to the right spot. If you do that, you will then see the airport pop into view right in front of you at what will seem like the last possible moment. It is a slightly uncomfortable feeling your first time (because you can tell that you are getting close to everything - you will see heavy jets going into/out of SeaTac just ahead and only slightly south of your course), but you have to trust that if you find the reservoir, you will be in the right place.

The West Seattle Reservoir.

Safeco Field
Safeco Field is the baseball stadium where the Seattle Mariners play. It's large, obvious, has a retractable roof, and sits right next to another large stadium (where the NFL Seattle Seahawks play). When you're coming in from the north, you'll often be told to report "abeam Safeco." Note that there's a there are "stadium TFRs" over these stadia when a game is in progress, but if you're talking to the tower at Boeing Field (and you need to be if you're there), you can fly through the stadium TFRs; don't circle over them, and try not to fly low directly over the stadia during games.

Seahawks Stadium and Safeco Field, are just north of Boeing Field. Airships do visit occasionally, but only rarely.

VA Hospital
The VA Hospital is a large, mostly-white, boxy and fairly prominent structure that sits on a ridge northeast of Boeing Field. When you're inbound from the northeast, you will often be told to "report at the VA Hospital" or sometimes abeam it. Since Boeing Field is bordered by higher terrain on both its east and west (and since you need to approach fairly low due to the overlaying SeaTac Class Bravo) , it's very difficult to see the airport itself until you're nearly upon it. When approaching from the northeast, head for the VA hospital (is so directed), which is easy to spot (it's the only large, white, boxy structure in that area), and you will be well set up to enter the traffic pattern when you do see the airport (it will pop into view as you approach the VA Hospital).

The VA Hospital, looking west.

Seward Park
Seward Park is a comma-shaped, tree-covered peninsula that juts up and out into the southwest corner of lake Washington. It's the primary VFR reporting point for traffic coming in from the east/northeast. If you're coming over Snoqualmie Pass, or coming in from the east side of Lake Washington (Bellevue, Redmond, etc.), you'll probably be told to report at Seward Park.

Seward Park is easy to spot, once you're over Mercer Island. And since you can't really see Boeing Field itself until you are almost on top of it (the higher terrain to the east blocks your view until you get quite close), you need to head towards Seward Park and cross the Lake Washington shoreline just north of the base of the peninsula that Seward Park sits on, and continue westbound. Just as you cross the shoreline, the airport will pop into view beyond the ridge ahead.

Seward Park, looking southwest.

Spokane Street
Details and photo to come

I-90 East Channel Bridge
Details and photo to come.