Teresina is a Brazilian city located in the interior of the country and it is the capital of the state of Piauí. The airport (IATA: THE, ICAO: SBTE) is named after a Senator, Petronio Portela, and it is the main airport in the region with a single runway of 2200 meters. In 2019, it had a movement of 1.2 million passengers and 12 thousand take-off and landings. THE receives commercial and regional and executive aviation flights. The major operators are the Brazilian airlines Azul, Gol and Latam, and most of their flights taking place between 10:00 in the morning and 17:00 in the afternoon. There are a few operations in the morning with flights mainly to the cities in the northeast like Brasilia and São Paulo.

The airport was recently privatized and many investments in the infrastructure are expected. The administrator is the CCR Group, a company that already manages several airports in Brazil, in addition to highways.

The practice of spotting here is relatively easy, only needing a ladder at one point, the other places are easily accessible. Sunlight in this region is abundant, causing unwanted heat waves in photos, especially for ground photos.

Our thanks to spotter Alexandro Dias, who accompanied us to the spotting sites and gave us the necessary information to make this guide.

Written by Ediney Ribeiro and Alexandro Dias. Last update December 2021.

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
02/20	2200 mts (7.218ft)
Terminals	One terminal for all commercial passenger traffic.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Only at spot 01.
Car/Public Transport	We do not advise using public transport to go to the photo points. It is even better to use app vehicles or rent a car.
Restrooms	At spot 01 and 04 there are no restrooms available. At other points there is a much better structure, with restrooms and snack bars.
Drinks/Food	At spots 02 and 03 you will have cafeterias and restaurants at your disposal.
Hotels	There are several small hotels close to the airport and the city is within walking distance.
Season	Teresina is one of the cities where is more incidence of sunlight, so any data of the year it is possible to photograph here.  The region has a low incidence of rain.
Security	We draw your attention to points 01 and 04. At these two places you should be cautious and preferably not go alone! There are no reports of spotter robberies here, but have a description with your equipment when you are in these places.  The other spots are fine.
Runway Usage
02/20	Both headlands are used, but the most used for landings and take-offs is 02.

	Spot #1 – Avenida Campo Maior – All movements
WHERE	This location is on the West part of the Airport, alon the Avenida Campo Maior, that borders the wall surrounding the airport. At this location there were many houses that were built irregularly by local residents, but now, with the privatization of the airport, these residents are being removed and their houses are being torn down. A good part of have already been destroyed, residents are being taken to another area far from the airport. The ruins or what has been left along the road be accessed so there is no fixed point. You can either climb on one of the ruins or put a ladder against the wall. At some points it is almost 2.5 m high and a large ladder is required. Keep in mind the sitatuion here can be changed daily.
WHAT	All runway movements. You are on the opposite side of the terminal/ramp and all movements to and from there can be seen.
TIME	You can start there from 1pm, when the sun is right at your back ,and spot until sunset. There is a lot of heat in the afternoon so best time is in the evening when there is less heat on the ground.
MISC.	There are no restrooms here, however, the small shops that sell water and some food and also you can eventually use the restrooms in these places.
FOCAL LENGTH	Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 jets around 150mm General aviation and executive jets up to 280 mm.

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	Spot #2 – Observation area
WHERE	Inside the passenger terminal there is a site just built for the observation of planes. Once inside follow the signs to the observation area and go up to the second floor via the stairs. You will see a glass area overlooking the courtyard and part of the runway. The place is BEFORE security and closed with glass and there are always several people watching the planes.
WHAT	Overlook of the commercial aircraft maneuvering and parking area, but it is also possible to photograph the runway (be aware of heat distortion).
TIME	The best time is in the morning until noon. From afternoon the sun is in front of you.
MISC.	You are inside the terminal, with air-conditioned bathrooms and snack bars.
FOCAL LENGTH	737/A320 in the 50mm yard 737/A320 taxi and runway 90 to 160mm

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	Spot #3 – Forno e Brasa Restaurant
WHERE	The second floor of the Forno e Brasa restaurant has a place with a wide view of the runway, great for landings and takeoffs. It can be found roughly 900 meters north of the terminal at the Av. Centenário. The problem here is that the restaurant is not open all day, but from 10 am it is already possible to access the second floor, asking permission from employees, who are generally very kind and allow access.
WHAT	Wide view of the runway, great for photographing landings and also takeoffs in both directions of the runway.
TIME	From sunrise to around 12 am
MISC.	We advise you to consume something like drinks and food so that it doesn’t seem like you’re just using the place for photos. The restaurant is open from monday to sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. A safe and spacious place with restrooms and shade, besides being able to enjoy lunch and snacks
FOCAL LENGTH	Here it is possible to take photos on runway 20, so you can use the zoom that you have available, touch the runway, it should use 300 mm on an Airbus A320 type aircraft and as the plane approaches it can use 120 to 90 mm

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	Spot #4 – Banks of the River Poti
WHERE	This location is far away from the airport boundaries, about 4 kilometers north of the airport located on the banks of the Rio Poti. From the airport take Avenida Centenário northwards and continue on Rua João Isidoro França for a few kilometers. After crossing  the Mariano C. Branco Bridge over the river Poticrossing, keep right and stop at some trees, where you can stay and park your car.
WHAT	Landings on runway 20 only. Takeoffs are impossible due to the height that the aircraft pass.
TIME	After 1 pm until sunset
MISC.	This is a place where you need to be very careful, you are on the sidewalk of a busy road, so always keep your equipment discreetly, and preferably go with companies. There are no toilets or places to buy food and water, take what you think you need. There is a very large tree that can provide abundant shade. Sometimes there are sellers of local products and water.
FOCAL LENGTH	150/120 mm for a 737 or A320 250/160 mm for General Aviation

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