Trento Airport - Spotting Guide

Trento Airport – Spotting Guide

July 26, 2021 - last modified on November 29, 2023

Trento airport (-/LIDT) is a general aviation airfield located a couple of kilometers south of Trento city itsself and is about one hour by car from bigger cities such as Verona and Bolzano. The airport is a base for over 100 small private aircraft, 2 flight schools (including 1 helicopters flight school), an Airbus helicopter maintenance facility, gliders and last but not least the HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) base with 5 helicopters (AW139, as well as AS365/350). This all results in roughly 40000 movements per year. The 1130m long runway can handle all small aircraft up to a Beechcraft King air, a C27 Spartan and also bigger bizzers like a Bombardier Global7000.

The airport is easy to reach by car, exit A22 highway at Trento south and in less than 5 minutes you are at the airport. By public transport from city center, you have to take bus letter “a” to the bus stop “Parcheggio via Lidorno” (which is located just next to the Bici grill) and from there start your walk to the spotting points. Inside the airport you will also find a nice museum called “Museo dell’aeronautica Gianni Caproni” – for more information visit their website.

Written by Mattia De Bon – some pictures provided by Federico Tombarelli, Fabrizio Gandolfo and Marco Papa. Last Update: 2021

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
18/36	1130x30m – Asphalt
18/36 Gliders	225mx30m – Grass
Terminals	Only one terminal facility in the east handling all operations.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Useful for spot 2, for the rest you are elevated enough and can easily shoot over the fence or sometimes there are holes within the fence (such as at spot 1).
Car/Public Transport	There is a public bus stop 1km away from the airport terminal, which is served from city center/main station, after that you have to walk. So a car is recommended as you can move way better and faster.
Drinks/Food	Outside of the terminal such as a McDonalds and other restaurants like the Bici grill near the parking.
Hotels	There are some hotels along the mountain front in the west, but no real spotter hotels among them.
Season	Summer is of course the best time of the year to visit because of more daylight and greater possibilities of good weather. Furthermore, summer is also the busiest time because of foreign aircraft paying a visit for refueling as is the first aerodrome with refueling available directly after the Italian border.
Security	No problem at all, even general aviation can be photographed without any issues here.
Runway Usage
General Info	36 is the main runway direction, however during summer months (especially during the afternoon) strong southerly winds often cause a runway change to 18. Exception: the yellow HEMS helicopters don’t care too much about the runway usage as they depart in the preferred direction of their target – sometimes they just cross the airfield somehow.

	Spot #1 – Picnic Area – Apron + Runway movements
WHERE	Left of the main airport entrance (south of the terminal facility) you will find a small pic nic area with tables. Parking is available at fastpark garage just south of the picnic area.

WHAT	Apron movements and runway actions can be seen from here through holes in the fence.

TIME	From sunrise till noon roughly.

MISC.	Restrooms, food and drinks can be found at the restaurant here directly.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-400mm Fighter on display = 65mm / Aircraft on ramp = 50mm / Runway = 100-400mm

	Spot #2 – Fastpark Garage – Apron + Runway movements
WHERE	This spot is located on the upper floor(s) of the Fastpark parking garage, which is located just next to the picnic area and easy to reach. From spot 1, simply walk 50m to the south and go up the floor.

WHAT	From here you can view all runway and apron movements (taxiing aircraft, landing traffic vacating, …). In front of this spot there are also a few helicopters bays and parking spots so you can shoot parked/static aircraft, too.

TIME	From sunrise till noon roughly.

MISC.	Restrooms, food and drinks can be found at the restaurant/spot 1. A ladder may be useful as there is a fence for the lenght of the parking but at each corner there’re small holes to put the camera.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-400mm Piper on ramp = 90mm / All heli shots ~170-200mm

	Spot #3 – Cycle Path South – 18/36 movements
WHERE	North of the airport you will find a restaurant called Bici grill. You can park there or at the nearby public parking area. This is also the position, where the bus stop “Parcheggio via Lidorno” is located. So you can approach this spot either by car or public transport and then simply walk the cycle/pedestrian path down south along the entire runway perimeter – this spot can be found just on the opposite site of the terminal/parking garage (spot 1/2), roughly 1,5km down the path.

WHAT	All runway 18/36 movements (vacating/departing/arriving), plus traffic entering the runway for backtracking prior 18 departure.

TIME	Later noon till sunset. Aircraft flying towards you may also be shootable earlier due to the different angle.

MISC.	You can find everything at the Bici grill, but consider that you have to walk around 1,5km from this facility to reach this spot. No ladder needed, as the path is elevated and your view thus cleared (no fence in the pictures).

FOCAL LENGTH	100-450mm Close-ups ~420mm / side shots = 200mm

	Spot #4 – Cycle Path Centre – 18/36 movements + Italfly apron
WHERE	Same as spot 3, now just do not walk down the path for 1,5km, stop after roughly 1km (exact position marked on the map) just on the opposite site of the Italyfly apron.

WHAT	All runway 18/36 movements (vacating/departing/arriving/backtracking), plus Italfly helicopters and their apron movements.

TIME	Later noon till sunset. Aircraft flying towards you may also be shootable earlier due to the different angle.

MISC.	You can find everything at the Bici grill, but consider that you have to walk around 1km from this facility to reach this spot. No ladder needed, as the path is elevated and your view thus cleared (no fence in the pictures).

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm C208 = 160mm

	Spot #5 – Cycle Path North – 18/36 movements + HEMS apron
WHERE	Same as spot 3/4, but now you only need to walk 600m down the path until you reach the opposite site of the HEMS helicopter base (the yellow ones).

WHAT	18 landing with city/mountains in th background, as well as 18 Line-ups. In addition also takeoffs on 36. But main reason to come here are the HEMS apron movements. Especially during workdays they make some exercises with helicopters and staff. Once they have a mission they depart towards the destination, so they don’t care too much about the active runway direction (except for the strong winds).

TIME	Later noon till sunset.

MISC.	You can find everything at the Bici grill, which is 600m away. No ladder needed, as the path is elevated and your view thus cleared (no fence in the pictures).

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm Heli on ramp = 275mm / Heli in action above runway ~175mm