EWR is a hub location that manages to maintain a fair variety of airlines, much like SFO or ORD. Continental makes up the bulk of the traffic, but strong presences from other domestics combine with a slough of international representatives to keep things surprisingly fresh. Runways 4/22 L&R are side by side, so all the action in concentrated into one place. There is also an 11/29 at the northeast end of the field, but it is only used sparringly. The terminals aren't anything special, but by New York standards, they are first-rate.

Lufthansa 747 on departure from 22R. View from the Marriott Hotel.

INDOORS:
-Marriott Airport Hotel. From upper floors you'll get a really good view of it all. Lots of drawbacks, though- the rooms are soundproof, the windows don't open, and Terminal B blocks the view of much of the airfield.
-Terminal C, Gates 87-88. This may be the best indoor spotting location anywhere in the country. This location is right in front of touchdowns on 22 and close to rotations of heavies on 4. These two gates provide a panoramic, 180-degree view of the field, you can see all the action, in every direction. In a word, it is awesome!
-Interterminal Monorail Train. Okay, this may seem like a strange place to spot from, but the elevated monorail train that runs between the terminals and the outlying parking lots is a great place from which to see everything. The view is great when the train is travelling between terminals A and B and between B and C. The train ride between terminals is usually only 30-45 seconds, and the trains are usually crowded, so it may be a spot just to sample rather than to spend a day.

Citybird 767 arriving on 22L. View from Terminal C, Gate 88.

OUTDOORS:
-Parking Lot "G". Located near the 22 end of the 4/22 system, this parking lot is especially good when the action is on the 22's. Approaches fly over at very low levels. Be careful, though...this lot is regularly patrolled by security.

Sabena MD-11 touching down on 22R. View from Terminal C, Gate 88.

PRE-9/11 SECURITY REPORT:
-EWR and JFK are both guarded by the same Port Authority of NY and NJ, yet while JFK is the nation's most unfriendly airport, EWR is relatively kind. Terminals A and B do not allow non-passengers into the gate areas, but terminal C is open to the public and provides some of the country's best indoor spotting. The "G" parking lot is closely watched, but security there is much more tolerant of spotters than they are at JFK. Overall, security is tighter than at most airports but is still friendly by New York airport standards.