SRQ-Spot1
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April 6, 2021Sarasota-Bradenton Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on June 10, 2024
Sarasota-Bradenton Intl. Airport (SRQ/KSRQ), locally marketed and commonly known as SRQ Airport, is situated between the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton. It is the gateway to the “Cultural Coast” – a coastal strip on Florida’s Gulf coast, which stretches from Bradenton on the northern end to Venice in the South. In 2019, the airport saw close to two million passengers and around 132,000 aircraft movements, of which more than 75% were contributed by General Aviation.
The airport is being served by all US legacy carriers (Delta, American, United) including their regional subsidiaries (Delta Connection, American Eagle, United Express), as well as Allegiant, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier. The top dogs are Delta Air Lines and Allegiant Air with a combined market share of slightly over 50%. Sun Country Airlines and Air Canada Rouge offer seasonal flights from Minneapolis and Toronto respectively, the latter also being the only international route. As indicated above, most traffic is being generated by general aviation, hence spotters will find a great variety of private and biz jets at SRQ.
Written by Thomas Okaty and Julian Mittnacht. Last change: April 2024 (all spots checked).
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 04/22 | 1.527 m (5,009 ft) Asphalt |
| 14/32 | 2.896 m (9,500 ft) Asphalt |
| Terminals | There is one civil passenger terminal serving all flights. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Useful at spots #1 and 5#, but not necessarily needed and definitely not recommended. |
| Car/Public Transport | Spots #1 and #2 are within walking distance from the terminal. A car or bike is needed to get to the other spots. |
| Drinks/Food | Not much inside the terminal. There are some fast food places and restaurants along N Tamiami Trail (US Hwy 41) west and south of the airport. |
| Hotels | Several options available south of the airport on University Pkwy and along N Tamiami Trail (US Hwy 41). |
| Season | Best is from late fall through early spring as this is the high season for travel to/from the region and due to heat haze during the summer months. From May through October the volume of traffic goes down and the chance of thunderstorms and hurricanes increases significantly. |
| Security | During our last visit we did not encounter any problems. As always, in case of being approached by police or airport security, stay calm, be cooperative, be nice. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 04/22 | Mainly used by general aviation traffic. |
| 14/32 | Main runway, which is being used by all commercial traffic and also most of the general aviation traffic. |
 |
Spot #1 – Airport Maintenance – 32 movements |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The location is right next to the airport maintenance facilities buidling at Air Carge Ave. It is easy to reach from the terminal via Airport Circle and Rental Car Drive. Right next to the building is a small lay bay directly at the fence where you can park and stay. |
| WHAT | Great spot for 32 arrivals. Furthermore planes on the taxiway and runway lining-up for departure. |
| TIME | From early afternoon until sunset. Heat haze can be a problem for small planes on the runway. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby. For ground shoots a pickup truck bed or car rooftop is recommended. Arrivals are fine without it. Even its close to the airport fence we encountered no issues with security and police. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 737/A320 line-up taxiway = 50mm |
 |
Spot #2 – University Pkwy/Desoto Rd – Rwy 32 Arrivals
|
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located at the corner of University Pkwy and Desoto Rd. As there is no public parking available at this location it is recommended to leave the car in one of the lots at the terminal. It’s a 15-20 minute walk from there. The view is partially obstructed by some trees (check out sample shots). |
| WHAT | Arrivals on rwy 32. |
| TIME | From early afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby, bring what you need. No parking, no restrooms, no shade. It is recommended to keep some distance to the road to avoid distracting drivers. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-200mm A320: 120mm |
 |
Spot #3 – Viewing Area – 32 arrivals and departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | There is a viewing area on the opposite side of the terminal at W University Pkwy. From the terminal drive south and turn left on University Pkwy and after crossing the 32 approach path turn left into W University Pkwy. Continue along the road until you see a huge gravel area to your left hand side. This is your place to be. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and departures on runway 32 can be spotted from here. 14 heavy departures as well. |
| TIME | Morning hours. Backlit from noon. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed as the fence is on a lower level than the runway at some point. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | XXX |
No sample pictures available.
 |
Spot #4 – Broughton St – 14 arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is on an open green space between N Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41) and Broughton Street. Park your car roadside on Broughton St and pick your preferred location. |
| WHAT | Rwy 14 arrivals. |
| TIME | Summer: from early afternoon until sunset. ter: from late morning until sunset. |
| MISC. | Food, drinks and restrooms can be found along N Tamiami Trail. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-250 mmm Gulfstream: 135 mm |
 |
Spot #5 – Boat Storage – Taxiway, Rwy 14 Arrivals/Departures and Rwy 32 Departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is behind the Erickson Marine Boat Storage on North Tamiami Trail. Coming from the rental car lot, proceed to the airport exit and turn right onto University Pkwy. Then turn right again at the next light onto N Tamiami Trail. Follow along this road for about 1.5 miles until Somerset Ave is coming up on your right. Drive on the dirt road until you have reached the fence right next to the taxiway. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and departures on rwy 14 as well as line-up/traffic on taxiway for rwy 14. Departures on rwy 32 in climb, but smaller or light loaded aircraft could already be too high for a decent shot. |
| TIME | From mid afternoon until sunset. Heat haze can be a problem for small planes on the runway. |
| MISC. | There are a handful of fast food places nearby. To clear the fence a pickup truck bed or car rooftop is recommended. But shooting through the mesh is possible too. Even its close to the airport fence we encountered no issues with security and police. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200mm (taxiway <50mm for 90 degree side shot) A320 landing/departing: 100mm |
Spotting location 1 is no longer available, the terminal is being expanded and the entire location has been removed and there is now a new terminal being built there.
Thanks for your feedback John. The guide has been adjusted. Spot 4 became unavailable too 🙁
-Julian
What about 301 Blvd E and Lindberg across from the storage place just south of the FBO in that gravel lot where everyone hangs out? That’s good for morning spotting in the summer and I thought that was an official location too
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your comment. In fact, I have been to that location – it’s great for registration spotters and for people who just want to watch the traffic, but for photographers (those who care about proper shots), as you have mentioned it, it’s only good for a short window in the morning. Also, for anything except takeoffs from 14 something to get you elevated above the top of the fence is required (ladder, truck bed etc.). Nonetheless, I was going to add this location and therefore had asked in the SRQ spotter group on Facebook quite a while ago if anyone could provide some sample photos, but that request unfortunately remained more or less unanswered. I’ll probably be down there again in February and are planning to get some shots there then, but in case you happen to have some sample shots, which meet our standards (non-backlit, in focus, properly leveled), and you are willing to share them with us, then feel free to send them to support@spotterguide.net (please mention “SRQ” in the subject). Full credit will be given in the header of the guide.
Thanks and happy spotting,
Thomas
– spotterguide.net crew –
In reference to spot three, my favorite location to spot SRQ when aircraft are arriving/departing runway 14.. If you are looking from the parking lot towards the airport property, on your left hand side where the fencing connects in that corner are a few loose pieces of concrete one could stand on.. if you’re tall enough you can obtain clear shots of both aircraft on final approach as well as on the taxi way, you can also shoot between spacing in the barbed wire.. use your own discretion of course but I myself shoot here often and haven’t come across any issues with restaurant staff, local law enforcement, airport police, airport ops, etc.. there is also a small cluster of trees you can set up a chair and seek refuge under while waiting for the next arrival or departure.. on a small final note it seems between 13:00-14:00 action really slows during this time but allows for a great opportunity to escape the heat and grab a bite to eat..
I’d also like to thank Thomas for creating this article and info contained within.. Amazing work and many kudos as this has become by go to spot for runway 14..
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated! Would you be able to email us a few sample shots taken while standing on those pieces of concrete at location 3 (Email: support@spotterguide.net)? I only stopped at this place briefly as there wasn’t much traffic at the time. Unfortunately I didn’t notice the concrete blocks.
Also, it would be great if you could provide us with an overview shot of the location (similar to location 4).
Thanks,
Thomas
– spotterguide.net crew –