St. Thomas Cyril E. King Airport - Spotting Guide

St. Thomas Cyril E. King Airport – Spotting Guide

January 28, 2020 - last modified on December 6, 2023

Cyril E. King Airport (STT/TIST), previously known as Harry S. Truman Airport, is the sole airport serving St. Thomas and the biggest airport in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The airport mainly serves tourists wanting to visit St. Thomas, St. John, and the British Virgin Islands. As of 2020, there are 11 gates across a variety of airlines serving over 1 million passengers per year.

St. Thomas first saw an aircraft in 1927 when Charles Lindburgh landed in Mosquito Bay (now known as Lindburgh Bay) with the Spirit of St. Louis. Then, from 1942-1943, the 36th Fighter Group sent out P-40 Warharwks. Over time, a runway of approximately 4,200 feet was constructed. Terrain on the East side had to be dug out and artificial land had to be built out towards the west into the ocean. Many airlines operated aircraft to the mainland using anything from narrowbodies to even widebodies once the runway was extended to 7,000 feet in 1992. The name of the airport was changed to it’s current name in 1984 to honor the second govenor.

The airport has been damaged throughout many hurricanes spanning from the 1980s to the 2010s. However, in 2019, a modernization plan was created by governor Kenneth E. Mapp. This plan includes utilizing the second floor as a secondary departure lounge, installing jetways, moving airport offices to a third floor, redesigning the airport terminal, improving the apron and improving the lighting system.

Various carriers serve Cyril E. King Airport. Passenger carriers range from American, Delta, United, Spirit, JetBlue, LIAT, Seaborne, Seaflight, Tradewind Aviation, Air Sunshine, VI Airlink and Cape Air. All mainstream cargo operations are done with Air Cargo Carriers, who are contracted by FedEx, UPS, and DHL. This airport also sees many private charters, ranging from National Airlines, Swift Air, Miami Air, Ameristar, and various private jets.

Written by Jacob Singer (local spotter). Last visit Jan 2020.

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
10/28	2.134 m (7.000 ft) Asphalt
Terminals	One for all operations
Spotting Information
Ladder	While a ladder could be useful at spots 2 and 3, it is definitely not recommended as most police officers will not be happy with you having a ladder near the airport boundry.
Car/Public Transport	A car is definitely recommended in general as there aren’t many accomodations nearby. There are safari taxis that run around the airport and go all the way to the east end of the island for $2 ($1 to Tutu), however they follow a route that probably won’t help you out when it comes to spotting. There are private taxi services, but they cost a lot of money and you’d have to wait for them.
Restrooms	There is a restroom in the terminal pre-security, however there are plenty of restaraunts and retailers within driving distance of most spots that most likely have a restroom.
Drinks/Food	There is a few cafes and food bars around the terminal parking lot, but your best bet would be to drive to Charlotte Amalie where there are various markets and restaraunts.
Hotels	There are two airport hotels: Lindbergh Bay Hotel and Emerald Beach Resort.
Season	Spotting here is best in the winter. There’s more seasonal traffic during this time, and although the temperature is still comfortable, the sun is a bit less extreme and you’ll get better lighting during the winter months. Haze and heat haze also seems to decrease during the winter. Not to worry though, it’s still nice and warm outside!
Runway Usage
10/28	This is the sole runway serving the Cyril E. King airport. Due to the prevailing easterly winds, runway 10 is almost always the runway in use. However, if the winds are calm or have a direct crosswind, most carriers will opt for a runway 28 departure as there is no terrain risk. Spirit almost always departs using 28 due to the high load factors disabling them from meeting the minimum climb requirements for 10. If the winds are blowing from the west (which is very rare), you will see runway 28 in use. However, due to the very large extended threshold on runway 28, jet aircraft are not alowed to land on 28. They must land on runway 10 with a tailwind or divert to a nearby airport.

	Spot #1 -VIPA – All Runways & Taxiway A
WHERE	This spot is right by the Virgin Islands Port Authority building and can be accessed by car, bike, or walking. There is a gravel lot right next to the spot. Spot 2a should be used if you want to catch 10 departures, 10 arrivals (mostly jet aircraft and aircraft that roll out to the end), 28 departures and 28 arrivals. There is a fence that obstructs the view around taxiway D, but when the fence dips down in elevation, it’s an excellent spot that gives you perfect visibility near the runway 28 side. Spot 2b should be used if you want to be a bit closer to the general aviation departures off of runway 10. There is a fence that obstructs the view around taxiway D and there is a bush that obstructs your view from between taxiway D and E. There are only two opportunities to get unobstructed shots on the ground from this spot as there is the fence, bush, and multiple powerlines. I would not recommend this spot, but it has its uses. Spot2c should be used if you want a better view of any movements on the ground that don’t roll out farther than the elevated fence. There is slightly better visibility for aircraft near taxiway D. However, there isn’t many more uses for this spot as there are many powerlines obstructing your view.

WHAT	All runway momvents can be seen from these spots, however 10 arrivals are mostly obstructed by the terminal and you can only witness the rollout of aircraft that use more runway.

TIME	You can spot here all day during the winter and from late morning to early evening in peak summer months. However, this spot is practically good year round. Do be warned that heat haze and dust can be more apparent during the summer months.

MISC.	Police officers will have an issue with you spotting here. It’s almost guarunteed you’ll run into one within an hour. It would be a wise idea to contact the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) before spotting here. However, once you get permission, you should have no issues. It gets very hot here during the summer, so bringing a hat, sunglasses and water is very advisable. The closest place to get food, water, or use the restroom would be in the terminal building. However, there are many facilities within driving distance downtown.

FOCAL LENGTH	This will wildly depend on what you’re shooting. For airliner departures, 100mm-350mm should be sufficient. For props/small jet departures, you’ll need around 200mm-600mm. For any aircraft that roll out to the end of runway 10 (most likely jets), you can get away with 150mm-400mm depending on what kind of angle you want to shoot. (FULL FRAME)

Spot 1A:

Spot 1B:

Spot 1C:

	Spot #2 – Airport Road – All Runways
WHERE	Airport road runs along runway 10/28. There is a fence that sits between the road and the runway. The road elevates a fair amount towards the west side near the parking entrance/exits. It’s very easy to get here, and if you’re taking a car, you can just park it in the same gravel lot mentioned in the VIPA spot.

WHAT	It is possible to shoot through the fence to get aircraft on the ground from runway 10 arrivals, but the fence mesh is very hard to shoot through. You can see runway 10 departures and runway 28 prop departures and all arrivals depending on where you situate yourself.

TIME	You can spot here all day during the winter and from late morning to early evening in peak summer months. However, this spot is practically good year round. Do be warned that heat haze and dust can be more apparent during the summer months.

MISC.	If you’re shooting near the parking exit, the staff at the booth will not like you taking pictures. We don’t recommend staying on the end of the road near the terminal. Otherwise, you shouldn’t have any issues. Just be mindful when crossing the street and don’t take photos while standing in traffic (obviously). The accomidations situation is similar to spot #2.

FOCAL LENGTH	For runway 10 departures, airliners will need 50mm-300mm depending on the distance. Any props departing 10 will need anywhere from 200mm-600mm. For runway 10 arrivals, you’ll only really see airliners. You can shoot them through the fence with 20mm-50mm on the taxiway and 50mm-125mm on the runway. For runway 28 departures, you’ll need to be on the western end and you’ll need roughly 200mm-600mm. You won’t be able to see airliner takeoffs as they would’ve rolled too far. For runway 28 arrivals, place yourself on the eastern end and you’ll need about 50mm-200mm for airliners and 150mm-400mm for small jets and props. (FULL FRAME)

	Spot #3 – St. Thomas Jet Center – Executive North Ramp
WHERE	St. Thomas Jet Center is the only FBO that can support jets at this airport. It’s situated on the north side of the airport and can be easily accessed by any means of transportation. If taking a car, you can park it in the gravel off the side of the road near the fence.

WHAT	You can photograph the aircraft on the eastern north ramp.

TIME	This totally depends on how the aircraft is parked. Since the aircraft park facing pretty much north and south, the side that is lit will change throughout the day. It’s easy to change sides most of the time, but it depends on how many aircraft are parked.

MISC.	There is a fence in the way. I would definitely not suggest using a ladder or getting on top of your car, however if you want to, you’re at your own risk and you should still never go onto airport property. It is possible to shoot through the fence, but it will depend on where the aircraft is parked. It’s very difficult to shoot through this mesh. The accomidations situation is similar to spot #2.

FOCAL LENGTH	Anywhere from 35mm-100mm is sufficent. (FULL FRAME)

	Spot #4 – UVI Parking Lot – All Runways
WHERE	This spot is located in one of the parking lots for the UVI campus on an elevated positions to overview parts of the runway. The only sensible way to get here is by car.

WHAT	You can see all runway action plus some of the ramp.

TIME	This is tough as on the north side most of the time everything is backlit. Your best bet is to photograph during the summer and use a sun calculator during your stay.

MISC.	There is a slight possibility that someone may stop you, but I’ve only had it happen once and never again. Your best bet at food, water, and restrooms will definitely be downtown which can be accessed by some type of car, whether your own or a taxi.

FOCAL LENGTH	For jets, you will need around 150mm-400mm. Bigger props and smaller jets will need 300mm-600mm. The smaller props will need 600mm+ or just simply aren’t possible to shoot. (FULL FRAME)

	Spot #5 – Blackpoint Hill – Airport Overview
WHERE	This spot is on blackpoint hill and is an overlook built exactly for this purpose. The only real way to get here is by car.

WHAT	You can see the western end of the airport and some of the south ramp.

TIME	Any time is fine as you won’t really be shooting planes here.

MISC.	This is only good for getting a bird’s eye view of the airport. Shooting planes here is almost a no go unless you really want to get this angle. The closest acccomadations are downtown, and you’ll need a car to get there.

FOCAL LENGTH	Use what you have, it really depends on what you want to do with this spot.