Nanaimo Airport (YCD/CYCD) is a small regional airport west of Vancouver. After the pandemic, YCD has been hit hard with service reductions by Air Canada (10 services daily (pre-pandemic) to 4 services daily now). Westjet’s service level has returned to about the same level as pre-pandemic. Westjet will fly an infrequent 737 service to YCD. Other than that, AC and WS each fly their Q400 aircraft for most services. North Cariboo Air and Summit Air will fly infrequent charter flights on weekdays to camps in Northern BC: mainly operated by the Avro RJ 85 or RJ 100. Alkan Air also has it’s southern base at YCD so they’ll be in/out frequently with King Airs and Beech 1900s.

Written by Cody McVie and Tim-Patrick Müller. Last Update: 2024

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
16/34	2012 x 45m
Terminals
T1	There is one small terminal in the west handling all operations.
Spotting Information
Ladder	A ladder is very useful or even needed at spots 3-7. A small 1-2 step works fine though as well.
Car/Public Transport	A vehicle isn’t essential, but highly recommended for spotting at YCD. There’s an infrequent city bus that runs between Ladysmith and Nanaimo which stops at the main terminal. If you decide to bus to the airport, spots 3 to 7 are nearby to the terminal and within walking distance. For spots 1-3 a car is highly recommended. It is recommended staying nearby to your vehicle when not actively shooting.
Drinks/Food	There are some shops in the terminal or there is a restaurant north off the airport.
Hotels	No spotter hotels around.
Season	Summer is definitely the better time to come here as the weather is way better and you have more hours of light. However, haze and insects can be an issue.
Security	Spotting is no problem at YCD normally.
Runway Usage
General Info	Arrivals: Runway 16 has a full ILS meaning it’s the preferred arrival runway for most flights. Runway 34 arrivals usually only happen on days with good visibility and/or high cloud ceilings and favourable winds. Departures: Runway 34 is the preferred departure runway. Runway 16 has rolling hills/mountains in the vicinity of the climb, so it is the less preferred departure runway.

	Spot #1 – Simpson Rd – 34 Arrivals
WHERE	Park your vehicle along Simpson Rd and shoot from your desired angle. Note that large trucks use this road so ensure you’re parked off to the edge leaving plenty of room for them to pass.
WHAT	From here you can nicely spot 34 arrivals.
TIME	Sunrise till early noon.
MISC.	No ladder needed, nothing nearby.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm

YCD-Spot1

	Spot #2 – Haslem Rd – 16 Arrivals + 34 Departures
WHERE	Park your vehicle on the approach lighting service road. And from there, you can walk east or west for your desired shot. Stay nearby to your vehicle when not actively shooting. Note that the road can have vehicles travelling at a high rate of speed so use caution whilst walking to your desired angle.
WHAT	Arrivals on runway 16, low 34 departures.
TIME	All day, just walk with the sun along the fence.
MISC.	No ladder needed, nothing nearby.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm

YCD-Spot2

YCD-Spot2

YCD-Spot2

YCD-Spot2

	Spot #3 – Mustang Rd – Taxiway + 16/34 Movements
WHERE	This spot is located at the fence front by the side of a parking lot just at the end of Mustand Rd, before the road ends up in front of a crash gate with the airside street on the other side.
WHAT	From here you can see movements on the taxiway in front plus the ones on runway 16/34 in the back.
TIME	Later noon till sunset.
MISC.	Ladder needed, nothing around. Keep a low profile!
FOCAL LENGTH	24-250mm

YCD-Spot3

	Spot #4- Enex Aviation – Ramp + Taxiway
WHERE	This position can be found by the fence around/next to Enex Aviation just by the roadside of Mustand Rd. Just get rid of your car nearby somewhere and position yourself along the fence here.
WHAT	From here you can spot the ramp in front and the taxiway in the back.
TIME	Depending on the angle, but in general later noon to sunset as well.
MISC.	Haze and foreground clutter may be an issue. You will find restrooms and a cafe in the terminal just next to you.
FOCAL LENGTH	24-250mm

YCD-Spot4

YCD-Spot4

	Spot #5 – NAV Canada Flight Service Station – Ramp + Taxiway Alpha + 16/34 Movements
WHERE	You can either park at the terminal (paid parking) or park nearby to the NAV Canada FSS Building. If parking at the NAV building, refrain from parking directly in front of the building in NAV designated spots, and keep a low profile leaving your only to grab a your shot.
WHAT	Taxiway Alpha movements to/from the terminal and runway. General overview of the apron/terminal. And all runway movements; Runway 16 and Runway 34 arrivals and departures.
TIME	Noon-sunset for taxiway/runway movements. Aircraft parked on the apron from late morning to early evening.
MISC.	Avoid using a ladder at this location as you want to keep a lower profile. No issues (to my knowledge) have been posed by Airport staff or NAV Staff regarding shooting from this spot. Terminal nearby with cafe and washrooms.
FOCAL LENGTH	18-135mm for apron and taxiway. 100-400mm for runway.

YCD-Spot5

YCD-Spot5

YCD-Spot5

YCD-Spot5

YCD-Spot5

YCD-Spot5

	Spot #6 – Abandoned Building – Taxiway Alpha + 16/34 Movements
WHERE	Park your vehicle near the (seemingly) abandoned building @ 3432 Spitfire Way and simply shoot from the fence front.
WHAT	Taxiway Alpha movements to/from the terminal and runway. And all runway movements; Runway 16 and Runway 34 arrivals and departures.
TIME	Noon-sunset. Heat haze can be problematic for runway movements; taxiway movements shouldn’t be an issue.
MISC.	Haze can be an issue during runway shooting. A 3-step ladder is handy here. The angle of the fence with the taxiway could cause difficulty getting an unobstructed shot. However, still possible at certain angles. Terminal nearby with cafe and washrooms.
FOCAL LENGTH	55-250mm lens for taxiway. 100-400mm for runway

YCD-Spot6

YCD-Spot6

YCD-Spot6

	Spot #7 – Spitfire Way – Taxiway Alpha + 16/34 Movements
WHERE	Most popular spot as it’s very unlikely to miss what you want to shoot from here. Park your vehicle in the gravel lot at the south end of Spitfire Way and easily shoot from the fence front.
WHAT	Essentially all movements on the South end of the airfield. Runway 34 arrivals and departures. Most runway 16 arrivals will roll full length so you’ll see them taxiing to the terminal. Runway 16 departures are doable. However, aircraft can be quite high.
TIME	Noon to sunset.
MISC.	A 3-step ladder is handy. However, not necessary as you can either shoot aircraft as they pass over the fence or shoot through the fence. Nothing nearby
FOCAL LENGTH	18-250mm

YCD-Spot7

YCD-Spot7

YCD-Spot7

	Spot #8 – Timberlands Rd Hill – 34 Movements
WHERE	Park your vehicle at the round-a-bout near the intersection of Timberlands Rd and HWY 1. From there, cross the road with caution and follow the dirt road/trail approximately 800 meters. Once you see a trail leading up the hill to a singular telephone pole, go up it and then you’ll have a great overview of the airport. Careful climbing the hill as it’s lose dirt and could be difficult for walking.
WHAT	Runway 34 arrivals and departures. Runway 16 departures could be feasible from here as well.
TIME	Noon to sunset.
MISC.	Haze can be an issue during shooting aircraft still/already close to the ground. Bring water as it’s quite the trek to this location. Nothing nearby. Plus wear proper footwear.
FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm, but the more the better

YCD-Spot8

YCD-Spot8