Spokane International Airport (GEG/KGEG) is located roughly 10km southwest of the city center of Spokane and was opened as Sunset Field before 1941. Then it was bought by the US War Department, which made it a military air base and renamed it into Geiger Field (this lead to today’s code GEG) after a US Major who died in 1927 during a crash. The military base was closed after WW2 once the airfield was transferred into a commercial airport. It became Spokane’s major airport in 1946 once it replaced Felts Field and was only used by the military as base partly till the 60s. Since then facilities ere expanded to today’s situation where Spokane Intl. is Washington’s second busiest airport with 4.1 million passengers a year (2019).

The airport mainly serves as passenger hub for the region here, but is also regularly visited by some cargo planes and is home to the AeroFlite BAe146s. Some rare military and frequent GA movements add special character to this mainly domestic serving airport.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with De Jeroen Stroes and C. v. Grinsven.

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
03/21	3353m / 11002ft
07/25	2499m / 8200ft
Terminals
Concourse A	Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines, Frontier
Concourse B	Delta, United
Concourse C	Alaska Airlines, American Airlines
Spotting Information
Ladder	Ladder definitely useful for spots #2-4 although most aicraft there will be static shots and can be made through the fence.
Car/Public Transport	Needed as soon as you wanna leave the terminal/spot #1. No public transport around the field.
Restrooms	No restrooms around except inside the hotels north of the terminal and inside the terminal obviously.
Drinks/Food	There are no restaurants around the airport.
Hotels	There are a cuple of hotels just at the terminal.
Season	Summer is better mostly as the days get longer and thus you can use more spots. However, then you may miss the AeroFlite tankers if they are away for some firefighting missions.
Security	Spotting is fine here although you may be checked by airport/security staff when being on the parking garage a longer time. Otherwise just keep a bit low profile as spotting is not that popular here and thus you may attract some attention when running around with ladders and cameras.
Runway Usage
03/21	Major runway used by almost all passenger and cargo aircraft. Biggest airplane to be allowed to use this runway is a B763.
07/25	Rarely in use. Biggest airplane to be allowed to use this runway is a B735/Q400.

	Spot #1 – Parking garage – 03/21 movements + Passenger terminal apron
WHERE	West of the airport’s main passenger terminal, there is a big parking garage. Get rid of your car somwhere and then just make your way into the garage and up to the top floor, which must be either the 4th or 5th floor. Then you can just position yourself along its southeastern front from where you can comfortably shoot.
WHAT	This spot offers a good overview over all passenger movements either on the runway 03/21 in any direction or on the apron in front. However, the runway is not that eas to shoot with all the foreground clutter and movements.
TIME	Depends on the exact angle and position, but from later afternoon till sunset is perfect here.
MISC.	Haze may be an issue in summer. In addition, foreground clutter and movements make spotting here a bit tricky. But all you need is inside the terminal just east of you.
FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm Dash8 = 300mm

GEG-Spot1

GEG-Spot1

GEG-Spot1

GEG-Spot1

GEG-Spot1

GEG-Spot1

	Spot #2 – AeroFlite – AeroFlite + Southern ramp
WHERE	Turn off W Electric Avnue to the north into an unnamed road, which can be found just some meters east of the access road leading towards the AeroFlite builings. So now head north on this little road towards some hangars and try to park your car somewhere by the roadside here before positioning yourself either east or west of this purple hangar which is ran by Intl. Aerospace Coatings.
WHAT	Here you can see the AeroFlite aircraft plus some various other parked airplanes.
TIME	Depends on the angle they are parked in but actually all day as you can easily walk along the fence and thereby change sides. However, noon is not ideal.
MISC.	Parking may be a bit tricky here due to limited possibilities. No shops or restaurants nearby. Ladder recommended, but you can also shoot thru the mesh.
FOCAL LENGTH	18-100mm

GEG-Spot2

GEG-Spot2

GEG-Spot2

	Spot #3 – W Pilot Drive – GA + Cargo + Mil Apron
WHERE	To get to the Signature Flight facilities/the GAT at the east of the airport. Get on W Pilot Drive and drive westwards. On your way to its western end (a turning pad), you will pass some fenceparts right and left of you from where you can see the aprons. Park at the turning pad and then just walk to the fence where you can shoot from the walkways mostly already.
WHAT	This spot offers good view onto the big middle apron here at various points along the road. This apron is mostly used by GA, Cargo and some rare military aircraft for parking. While you can also see the nearby taxiways, runway 03/21 will be too far for good shots.
TIME	Depends on your position and the angle of parked aircraft, but the ramp north of you is good from later morning till evening actually while the ramp south of you is only good on early summer morning or late summer evenings.
MISC.	Keep a low profile as the military and GAT with its VIP passengers do not like cameras that much. No shops or restaurants nearby. Ladder recommended, but you can also shoot thru the mesh.
FOCAL LENGTH	18-200mm

GEG-Spot3

GEG-Spot3

GEG-Spot3

	Spot #4  Flightline Blvd – 03/21 Movements + Storage aprons
WHERE	Head for United States Postal Service, but continue on Flightline Boulevard till the end till your reach the turning pad. Park on the side of the turning pad without blocking the gate and then just position yourself along the airport fence here somewhere.
WHAT	From here you can see the runway 03/21’s northern end plus two storage aprons (north and south of you).
TIME	Runway is well lit from sunrise till afternoon. The aprons can be shot all day actually, but the best time depends on what exactly in which angle and from where you wanna shoot it.
MISC.	Parking may be a bit tricky here due to limited possibilities. No shops or restaurants nearby. Ladder recommended, but you can also shoot thru the mesh.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm

GEG-Spot4

GEG-Spot4