PUS-Spot1
Gimhae Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on October 7, 2024
The airport of Gimhae is the largest military airport in Korea. It is the gateway to the cities of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongju, and serves as an air transport hub in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It ranks fourth among Korean airports in terms of logistics and passengers, and second after Incheon International Airport when only international passengers are counted.
It is also the largest public/military airport in Korea. 5th Air Mobility Wing shares the runway. It is also a base for the US Air Force to deploy from the Pacific Ocean to the Republic of Korea in case of emergency. Since 2010, four Korean Air Force early warning aircraft, E-737 and four aerial refueling aircraft, KC-330, have been in residence.
In addition to the 5th flight group, the Namhae Regional Maritime Police Agency’s Busan Port Technology, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency’s aviation unit, and the Busan Metropolitan City Fire and Disaster Headquarters’ aviation unit reside at the airport and share the runway. In addition, there is the Korean Air Tech Center, also known as Gimhae Maintenance Window, and Air Busan’s headquarters are located in the western Busan distribution district next to the airport. Air Busan has Gimhae International Airport as its main hub, in line with the characteristics of companies and institutions participating as shareholders and the company’s name, and airports in the metropolitan area are focused only.
Due to Shinseosan Mountain and Todeungsan Mountain, which are located right behind the airport, the runway itself is long enough, but the maximum takeoff and weight limit is significant, making it difficult to take off and land large optical fuselage aircraft capable of operating long-distance international flights. It is an airport with a major drawback of being unprofitable because it is impossible to take off due to weight problems if the passengers are full in the optical fuselage, and it has to empty part of the seats and operate. Due to geographical problems, it is no longer possible to expand the runway, making it difficult to add various international routes.
Ssome airports in Korea can listen to ATIS on their mobile phones, so it is recommended to check the direction of the runway before visiting. (Calling is a paid service and may be subject to usage fees. They say you can talk for up to 3 minutes per call, but if you talk for about 4 minutes, the notification will be cut off. It is said that the number of concurrent users is limited to 8 people.)Gimhae ATIS: +82 51-974-2676
Written by Seunggyu Jae. Last Update: September 2024
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 18R/36L | 3.200 x 60 m / Concrete |
| 18L/36R | 2.744 x 45 m / Concrete |
| Terminals | |
| International | All international flights |
| Domestic | All domestic flights |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | No ladder required in all places |
| Car/Public Transport | It is helpful to use a car as access to spots 3 and 4 is not easy with public transport. There is a light rail (Busan-Gimhae LRT) and rapid / village bus service to Busan Central (Seomyeon, Haeundae) near the airport. |
| Drinks/Food | Convenience stores, banks (ATMs), and restaurants (lunch boxes) are located nearby as furniture and building materials complexes are located near the light rail station (Seobusan Yutongjigu Station). Convenience stores are open 24 hours a day and restaurants in the surrounding areas are sometimes affected by the rush hour or working conditions of people in the commercial district. |
| Hotels | The AirSky Hotel (3-star) is located within 2km of the airport, next to the Seobusan Yutongjigu station. Rooms should offer a good sight of the 36 movements and the southern part of the airport. |
| Season | Summer months are recommend due to the runway alignment. But ground photos are almost impossible during this period due to massive heat waves. |
| Security | Keep in mind it is a military airport too so be cautious! All locations are away from the airport fence so spotting is fine. There will be no sanctions as long as you do not anything suspicious. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | In summer, runway 18 is more often used because of the seasonal wind. Runways with ILS are mainly assigned. Instrument landing gear is 36L, 36R, or all located in a direction facing north with their backs to the sea. This is because the opposite direction, 18R, 18L, cannot land properly at low clock because of the mountains right behind them. |
| 18R/36L | Mainly used for landing flights. Occasionally, heavy aircraft (the A380 and Boeing 747-8, which visit the Korean Air Maintenance Center for maintenance), take off on the runway. |
| 18L/36R | They mostly use take-off flights. Large-sized aircrafts are also guided to this runway as much as possible. |
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Spot #1 – Rooftop – Apron (Domestic) |
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| WHERE | There is a office complex at 76, Yutongdanji 1-ro, Gangseo-gu, Busan. There is a tall building in the middle and you can spot from the rooftop. It can be climbed by stairs and lifts, depending on the location of entry. To get there by public transportatio take the Busan Gimhae Light Railway from the airport station and get off at Seobusan Distribution Jiu (Geumho Village). Left the station at exit 1, walk northwards and cross the road to reach the office complex. |
| WHAT | Nice view of the apron and the parking postions 41~48 / 31~38 (domestic). Runway can be seen in the distances but too much heat. |
| TIME | Best in the morning hours. Night shoots are possible too. Not recommended in summer season as haze rises from the ground-surface. |
| MISC. | There is a 24-hour convenience store near the light rail station and some franchise restaurants such as simple lunch boxes. You can also go to the bathroom with the help of staff from the light rail station, convenience store, or cafe. In particular, employees working in the building often come up to smoke after lunchtime (1240-1330). |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm Air Busan A320 = 130mm; t’way 738 = 180mm |
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Spot #2 – Pink building – 36L Arrivals |
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| WHERE | There is a small enpty/close pink building (2A) at 3537-1, Daejeo 2(i)-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan. Just go up the stairs to the roof. It the case someone is there, ask for permission. The spot is in walking distance from the Seobusan Distribution Jiu (Geumho Village) station. There is another option where you can stay. It is directly underneath the approach path (2B) leave the building to the left and turn right at the next junction. Now just walk down the road until the airport’s perimeter fence. |
| WHAT | Runwy 36L arrivals only. From Spot 2B only belly shoots. |
| TIME | Best from sunrise until noon. |
| MISC. | There is a steel factory right next door and you may be surprised by a barking dog in the morning, so please be careful (the leash is always full). There are only factories, tomato farms, senior citizen centers, and warehouses nearby. As mentioned earlier, it is recommended to prepare food and beverage at the light rail station. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-200mm 738 = 100mm |
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Spot #3 – Green Houses – 36 L/R departures |
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| WHERE | There is a gravel area next to some green houses where you can park and stay. The exact address is 1641-4, Gangdong-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan. Even if there is a village bus in this area, it is recommended to travel by taxi because the dispatch interval is very long (there are also 80 minutes for long routes). |
| WHAT | You can see aircraft taking off and banking on RWY 36. |
| TIME | From noon until sunset. |
| MISC. | There is a convenience store nearby and you can buy simple drinks and snacks. Be aware of movement as farmers’ cars sometimes speed up. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | At least 400mm for narrow-body aircraft |
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Spot #4 – Island – 18 L/R approach |
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| WHERE | The spot is very far from the airport, on a small island with a rural neighborhood and some green houses. It is located at the regional boundary (between Gyeongsangnam-do and Busan) and the address is: 832-4, Singman-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan. Once you have crossed the bridge to the island place yourself along the road and park by the roadside. There is no bus connection so it is recommended to travel by taxi. |
| WHAT | A place where you can see the turning 18 approach, imagined by the old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport avoiding the mountains. |
| TIME | From noon until sunset. |
| MISC. | It is recommended to purchase food and beverage near the airport main building or at the convenience store described above. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-300 mm for narrow-body aircraft |
The first area serves primarily as a resting place for office workers in the building, so it is advisable to maintain a quiet atmosphere.