YYC-Spot1
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November 29, 2017Calgary Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on December 17, 2024
Calgary International is Canada’s third busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements and even as recently as 2014 it was also ranked third busiest for passenger traffic, although Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau has since taken back this title. The airport serves the city of Calgary, Alberta and is 9km (5.6 miles) northeast of downtown.
In 2016 it handled 15.7 million travellers and many of this number will have been generated by the oil and gas industries located in the area as well as tourists visiting the region. As well as a large number of domestic services, Calgary also has non-stop links with the rest of North and Central America, as well as Europe and Asia.
The airport is a hub for Westjet and Air Canada and several regional and commuter operators also serve Calgary. There are two terminals, domestic and international, and four runways. The newest of these, Runway 17L/35R, was the longest in Canada when it opened in 2014. The are also warehouses for cargo handling and the airport is served by a number of national and international cargo carriers.
There are many ramps with stored aircraft at Calgary, mainly at the south of the airports boundary. The most interesting one is between spot four and five with planes of Air North, Flair Air or Ken Borek Air. Another ramp is next to the viewing area spot #6. Just drive around and watch out for the stored aircraft.
Written by Clive Grant, Bas Velders and Jan Seba. Last change: January 2024 (Spot 7 updated).
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 08/26 | 1.890 m (6,200 ft) |
| 11/29 | 2.438 m (8,000 ft) |
| 17R/35L | 3,863 m (12,675 ft) |
| 17L/35R | 4.267 m (14,000 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Concourse A, B and C | Domestic flights |
| Concourse D and E | International flights |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not required. |
| Car/Public Transport | Highly recommended as for most spots there is no public transport and its tricky to get there without. |
| Restrooms | Spread around the airport in the restaurants and hotels. |
| Drinks/Food | Spread around the airport you find enough places. There is a two shopping plaza west and east of the airport (see map). |
| Hotels | The Marriott and the Delta by Marriott are located adjacent to the terminals. The Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre is located to the southeast of the airport, adjacent to the threshold of Runway 35R. Runway view rooms may be available. The Best Western Port O’Call Hotel is south of the airport. It’s located on the south side of McKnight Boulevard NE, south of the Hangar Flight Museum. Rooms at the back of the hotel should overlook traffic on approach to Runway 35L. There are also plenty of cheap options (Motels Chain) available wihtin 5-10 Min of the airport. |
| Season | Best to visit during the summer months between April and September and the north/south direction of the main runways. Just a few hours in the winter on each side as the sun is coming from the south all day long. Freezing temperatures between December and February are likely to put off all but the hardiest of enthusiasts. Best months in terms of sunshine percentage are July and August. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | Traffic mainly uses the two parallel runways and these appear to operate in ‘compass mode’, ie. traffic to or from the east will maily utilise 17L/35R and traffic to or from the west uses 17R/35L. At quieter times, this may change to allow shorter taxiing times for inbound or outbound traffic. Also ATC may redirect traffic to allow a continued stream of Jet aircraft on one runway and prop aircraft on the other – so unfortunately you will not have a 100% guarantee based on the origin. |
| 17R/35L | Used in both directions. Preferred runway for arrivals and departures from the west. |
| 17L/35R | Used in both directions. Preferred runway for arrivals and departures from the east. Larger, heavier aircraft are likely to this one as it is layered with concrete, a material more durable than the asphalt used for the other three runways. |
| 11/29 | Used in both directions. Only active if there are strong crosswinds and the two parallel runways are closed. |
| 08/26 | Used in both directions. Not really in use due to its shortness and distance to the terminals, only by some GA-traffic that is located there. |
Farm Track - 36St - 17L arrivals
| WHERE | From the airport turn right and use the airport trail NE tunnel to get to the eastern corner of the airport. After you have passed the runway turn left into 36St N and drive until the next T-junction. But cross this junction straight and drive onto the dirt road. Park on the side and stay here. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY 17L only. |
| TIME | In the summer from morning until noon. |
| MISC. | If you continue the main road westwards/terminal there are some restaurants along the road. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | CRJ700 = 320mm; Beech1900 = 500mm |
Airport Trail NE tunnel - 17L arrivals and departures
| WHERE | This spot is to the east of the airport, adjacent to Runway 17L/35R. From the terminals, take Barlow Trail NE, turning right at the junction of Airport Trail NE. Drive through the tunnel underneath the runway and take the next right. This spot is right next to the tunnel entrance on the grassy area. Parking is not possible directly at this point so park your at the nearby warehouses by the roadside and walk back on the sidewalk and use the crossing lights to get over the busy road. You can then walk towards the runway and choose your spot at any point where it’s possible to take photos over the fence. Some small hills will help you. The photos attached were taken opposite the D4 intersection where a lot of the 17L departing traffic lines up.
Update August 2023: access and parking from the south side via the gravel roads is no longer possible. This area is blocked for cars. |
| WHAT | All traffic on Runway 17L and slower climbing departures from 35R. |
| TIME | In the summer from morning until noon. |
| MISC. | There can be a lot of coyote activity in the entire area, so be very cautious going near dawn and dusk, and keep your eyes open any other time of day. They tend to keep their distance, but it’s best to not get too close, the closer you get to the runway/fence the more you’re in their territory – recommend sticking closer to the road. Heat haze can became an issue here. There are no facilities at this spot and no shade, so bring whatever you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300mm should cover most things. |
Golf Course - 35R arrivals and departures
| WHERE | Just continue on the 36 Street NE southwards from spot #2 until you see a Raddisson Hotel to your left and the beginning of the golf course to your right. Turn left into 63 Ave NE and park your car there along the road. Exit it and walk back to the 36 St, cross it and stay there. You have a nice sight over the fence to the approach path. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and departures RWY 35R only. Latter is only recommend in the morning due to upcoming heat distortion. |
| TIME | In the summer from morning until noon. |
| MISC. | Taking pictures of the line up is a little bit tricky due to some small mounds and some smaller trees of the golf course. A hotel is just next to you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Arrival: A300 = 220mm; 738 = 270mm; 744 = 150mm Departure: 738 = 300mm; E170 = 360mm |
Hill - 35R line up /arrivals and 29 arrivals
| WHERE | From the spots above continue on the road along the golf course until the next big junction, next to some hotels. Turn right here and drive northwards. When you have passed approach path of RWY26 you can see a mound to your right. Park your car as marked on the map and walk up the way to the mound where you have a sight over the perimeter fence. If you don´t wanna have a background on your photos just walk a few hundred meters southwards as marked on the map. But you can´t photograph departures from here! |
| WHAT | You get arrivals and the linup (only at the northern spot) of RWY 35R. RWY 29 arrivals should be possible from the southern spot but we were not able to prove that. |
| TIME | For the arrivals and departures on 35R in the summer from afternoon. Be aware of the heat for dep. shots! For 29 only from the late afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | There are some hotels and restaurants at the last big junction. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Beech1900 = 450mm; A321 = 200mm; 788 = 150mm |
NORTH
SOUTH
Baseball Field - 35L arrivals
| WHERE | There is a huge sport complex south of 35L and opposite of the museum. It can be accessed from 19St and once entered just drive to the northermost baseball field where you find a huge parking area. Stay there and start shooting. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY 35L only. |
| TIME | In the summer from morning until noon. |
| MISC. | There are some hotels in the industrial zone next to you aswell as some fast food chains. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Dash8-Q400 = 180mm; 738 = 160mm |
Official Viewing Area - 35L arrivals and departures
| WHERE | This is the one and only official viewing area at Calgary called Edward H. LaBorde Viewing Area. If the sun has turned around and you are coming from #5 just get on the McKnight Blvd turn left and then next right. The park is just at the corner of the runway and the Blvd. |
| WHAT | Mainly for arrivals on RWY 35L. Departures/line up on this runway is possible too from the southern end of the carpark itself. It is elevated to overview the fence. Also the risk of heat haze is very high due to the distance. |
| TIME | For the arrivals on 35R in the summer from afternoon until sunset. Departures can be photographed earlier from noon till evening. |
| MISC. | Its possible that the grass is not mown properly and parts of the aircraft are cut off (see samples below). There are some fast food restaurants in walking distance. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Arrival: 736 = 160mm; Dash8-Q400 = 150mm Departure: 734 = 210mm |
Crash Gate - 17R/35L and taxiway movements
| WHERE | This spot is west of the airport, adjacent to Runway 17R/35L. From Spot #6/McKnight Boulevard NE and, adjacent to McDonalds, take the exit on the right for Aviation Boulevard NE and then first left onto 49 Avenue NE. At the next junction turn right onto 11 Street NE and then right again at 64 Drive NE which then becomes Aero Drive NE. Take the next right onto Aero Road NE and follow this past the YYC Airside Maintenance Centre and drive towards Crash Gate 103 as shown on the map. It should be OK to park alongside as long as you don’t block access to the crash gate.
Update January 2024: there are concrete barriers blocking the road to the crash gate and signs saying authorized persons only. It still works for takeoff shots as most are above the fence at this point.
|
| WHAT | All traffic on Runway 35L. This spot should also be OK for slower climbing traffic from 17R as well as 17R arrivals which don’t turn off too early. There is a gap between the gates large enough to fit a camera lens through. |
| TIME | In the summer from afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | There are several eateries close by on 64 Avenue NE to the west of Spot #2. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm should be OK for most things. |
AeroDr - 11 arrivals
| WHERE | The location is on the westernmot end of the airport, next to an industrial zone. It can be reached from the terminals by driving north to get on the Aero Drive NE or if comming from the south on the Deerfood Trail North use exit 265 to get on the 11 St and then left, left into the Aero Drive. The spot itself next to the the first/last building of the industrial zone on a flat area where you can park your car too. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY11 only. This runway is mainly in use during heavy crosswinds |
| TIME | In the summer from noon till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is absolutely nothing nearby. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Beech1900 = 280mm; A319 = 160mm |
WestJet HQ - Runway 11-29 arrivals and departures
| WHERE | +++ Update July 2018: There are huge ongoing construction works at the whole area around this spot so actually spotting is not possible from here+++ |
| WHAT | |
| TIME | |
| MISC. | |
| FOCAL LENGTH | ~ 70-200 mm. |
Cargo - 17R arrivals
| WHERE | Easy to reach from the terminals by driving north to get on the Aero Drive NE or if coming from the south on the Deerfood Trail North use exit 265 to get on the 11 St and then left, left into the Aero Drive. After you have passed the approach path you will find some hangars to your left hand side. You can actually park directly on Aero Drive NE, there are several areas where parking is not prohibited. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on 17R only. |
| TIME | In the summer from afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is absolutely nothing nearby. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Dash8-300 = 330mm; 788 = 180mm |
Warehouse - 17L arrivals
| WHERE | If the sun has turned around in the afternoon and you stay at #1 you can move around to this position. Its close to the airport so just take the next left into Barlow Trail NE, heading to the terminals. Then take the next left, where the airport hotel is located, to reach some warehouses. Turn left again and drive all the way up until the end of the road. Park at the end of the road and you can basically spot from everywhere here. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY 17L only. |
| TIME | In the summer from afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | Keep in mind that its private property and you may be asked to leave! Closest facilities within the hotel and the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Dash8-300 = 200mm; A320 = 150mm |
As of December 2024, it seems like 17L/35R is mainly used for arrivals for planes coming in from east of the city and some departures at times. 17R/35L is now used for most departures it seems and most arrivals from the West.
Runway 17R: I recently watched a video of a 17R touchdown and landing rollout uploaded by a prolific local Youtuber. It looks to have been filmed from the Sunwest Aviation/Shell AeroCentre hangar, near the passenger pick-up/drop-off area and crash gate.
Are the FBO staff there generally accommodating of spotters?
I’m at spot 7 now and there are concrete barriers blocking the road to the crash gate and signs saying authorised persons only. It still works for takeoff shots as most are above the fence at this point but you can’t access the crash gate
Sad news at is a great location. I have updated the guide. Thanks for the feedback!
-Julian
Hello spotters. My name is Dipayan and I have been spotting in Guadalajara, Mexico for quite some time. I have been working from Mexico since the last 2 years. This December I am visiting Calgary for about 8 days and I want to spend few hours 1 day spotting. This would be my first time visiting Canada. I would appreciate if anyone from the Calgary spotting group would be kind enough to let me accompany them for spotting. I would not have a car and mostly will be using Uber and I heard that the spots are tough to access if you don’t have a car. Thanks in advance! If you would like to connect with me I leave my Instagram handle “photographia_dipayan”.
Most of the spots are going to be very difficult to access without a car, you’ll spend a very long time walking and waiting for buses, if at all possible I’d recommend renting a car for the day so you can spend your time spotting and not walking!
That being said, just East of spot 9 there’s a little spotting area off Aerial Pl that an Uber could drop you off at for a bit, it’s a nice spot to watch planes come and go off 35R/17L, and if you’re lucky they’ll be using the Romeo taxiway so you can get up close as they taxi past the gate there. You could hike south of that to spots 4 and 5, not a terribly long walk, but it will be made more difficult if there’s snow as it gets quite deep near spots 4 and 5 so make sure you have good boots and warm socks if it’s snowy! Those are about the only 2 locations I can think of that are within a reasonable walk of one another, outside of that you’ll want to have a car.
Another thing to keep in mind is that very few, if any, of these spots have coverage from wind/snow/cold, so if it’s cold and snowy and you’re stuck out there without a car it could be dangerous.
I don’t believe spot number 2 is still accessible. All the paths there are fenced off so you can’t drive into that lot anymore – might still be accessible if you walk, I haven’t seen any signage, but I haven’t looked super closely
Okay thanks for the hint. I recommend to park behind the warehouses here 51.13052004682087, -113.9783175291605 and walk to this point. There is a road crossing to reach this spot safely.
-Julian
Quick update – I decided to walk over to this area, there’s some great spotting directly south of this on some of the hills right at the intersection with 36th and 88th – HOWEVER there is a lot of coyote activity in the entire area, so I would be very cautious going near dawn and dusk, and keep your eyes open any other time of day
Saw a group of 5 this morning while I was near that intersection, coming down from the North (right near spot 2) towards me, they tend to keep their distance, but it’s best to not get too close, the closer you get to the runway/fence the more you’re in their territory – recommend sticking closer to the road
I hope you managed to make some decent shots anyway. I left a not in the guide about the coyotes. Thanks, Julian
A good place for spotting on 29:
If coming from Deerfoot Trail N head east on McKnight Blvd, then turn onto Barlow Trail NE. From here, keep straight at the roundabout onto McCall Way NE. Continue until you see the localizers for Runway 29 to your left hand side. Turn left and park at the fence. If you stand on the hill you can get great pictures
This spot also works for Runway 35R. Once you see the localizers for Runway 29, turn right, then turn right again. Continue on the road until it ends, then park there. Climb up the hill and you can capture arrivals on Runway 35R
Is there a difference to spot 4, which is more or less the complete area around these hills.
-Julian
Yeah, 4 is slightly further away from the parking and climbing the hill is a lot easier from this location. Also, this spot I mostly prefer for 29 because you can get better shots at the localizers vs 9 which is harder due to the fence.
Is it here for 29? 51.116555603253985, -114.00137188939566
Would be fine in the summer mornings only. Maybe you can send me some photos to support@spotterguide.net please so I can add it.
-Julian
I recently found a guide online from a local: https://www.alexpraglowski.ca/yyc-spotting-guide.html
Seems nice and has many locations in it. I tried to contact the guy to get a PDF version when I travel to Calgary in summer. And also pointed him to that site so he may can asisst. But I never got a reply :/
Dead link as at 28 Jan 2023.
Wonderfull
I want to go to YYC soon to visit a relative and I want to photograph for 2 days.
Is it quiet? Can we photograph with tranquility at the points marked?
hug
Fernando
Brazil
Hi, spotting in Canada is much more tolerted than in the USA. We had no problem whith secuirty during our visits.
-Julian
Can someone maybe do one for Edmonton too? Will go there next year but could not find any good information. Only the typical information along some roads for some “planes in front of the sky”.
I will work on one for Edmonton
Thank You for your wonderful website !
Hi Demonty Alain!
Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Regards (in the name of the whole crew)