Turin Intl. Airport - Spotting Guide

Turin Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide

July 30, 2016 - last modified on November 29, 2023

Turin Airport (IATA: TRN, ICAO: LIMF) is located 16km north of Turin and it is the main airport in Piedmont region. Turin is the fourth biggest city in Italy, but it has the 13th busiest airport in Italy. In 2015 it served more than 3.6 millions passengers with Germany as its main market. It is a single runway (18-36) airport with a single terminal. The most used runway is 36 but sometimes also 18 is used. It has two parking aprons: the main apron which is always used, and the Kilo apron which is used in case of extra traffic, sometimes for business-jets and mainly for cargo aircraft. The terminal was totally renewed in 2006 for the XX Winter Olympics Games. Turin is the second biggest base and hub for the Romanian low-cost airline Blue Air. Actually the main airline is Ryanair which doesn’t have planes based.

There aren’t some regular cargo flights, but, as there are a lot of big industries in Turin like Fiat or Thales-Alenia, sometimes arrive some cargo aircraft. Usually arrive an A300 of MNG Cargo Airlines for Fiat, the Antonov An-124 for Thales-Alenia (which some space modules and satellites) and some other smaller aircraft like An-12 or An-26 or Dornier 228. Turin Airport is not a military airport but there are two Alenia’s (now Leonardo) facilities which produce the Alenia C-27J, the Eurofighter Typhoon and convert the ATR 72s in the Maritme Patrol version. The production rate is not very fast so is rare to catch brand new planes, but Alenia is also a maintance facility for the Tornado and for the Alenia MB-339. Military flights are never in the weekend and mainly in the morning. For test flights pilots prefer a sunny day so it’s quite difficult to see military movements with cloudy or rainy weather. In Turin there is also based a business jet airline called Eurofly Service. The general aviation traffic is not very busy. There is also a flight school with some light aircraft.

Written by Alberto Cucini (Based at Turin) / (Last update July 2016)

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
18/36	3.300m (10,827 ft)
Terminals	One Terminal for all flights
Spotting Information
Ladder	It is required at most of the spotting points.
Car/Public Transport	No public transport around the airport. Car is required for most spots.
Drinks/Food	There is a supermarket in the terminal and also some in the nearby town of Caselle. Around the airport there are some restaurants and cafes so you can quite easily find somewhere to eat.
Hotels	Hotels are available in the nearest town (Caselle Trines) which is very close to the airport.
Season	Turin airport has almost the same amount of traffic all the year long as most of the flights are scheduled. However the best season is winter because there are a lot of charter flights during the weekends from UK and northern Europe. Chance of bad weather during winter is pretty high too but some nice shots could be made with the snow and mountains in the background.
Runway Usage
18/36	Usually 36 is the main runway in use. Runway 18 is used for landings only if there is strong wind from the south. Take-offs are more common from runway 18 as airlines shorten their routes.

	Spot #1 – Airport Parkade
WHERE	It is just behind the terminal in the middle between the terminal and the railway station. You need to go to the upper floor to have a better view.

WHAT	In the northern part of the parking you can see a part of the main apron with the taxiway and a portion of the runway. You can spot planes parked, taxiing, touching down and takiing off. In the southern part you can see Leonardo’s facility with some military planes parked (too far to take a picture) and planes about to land on runway 36.

TIME	From noon to sunset. With spot #2 is the only spot where you can take night shots.

MISC.	Not the most loved spot because runway is far and there are a lot of obstacles. Parking is easy to find but costs a lot. If you don’t want to pay you can leave your car in Strada San Maurizio and use the railway station to reach spot #1 and #2. Be careful as this parking isn’t very safe.

FOCAL LENGTH	220mm (E145); 180mm (B717)

	Spot #2 – Little bay of Gate 1
WHERE	It is just north of the terminal. It is a small bay only accesible by foot and you have to leave the car at the terminal parking. It is between the catering offices and the baggage vehicles rest place. To reach it you have to walk in the staff parking.

WHAT	You have in front of you the plane parked at Gate 1 and at your left you have the main apron. You need to place your lenses trough the fence to take the pictures.

TIME	Not before noon. Better in late afternoon. Best at night.

MISC.	There is a “No Entry” sign at the entrance of the spot but they know that spotters go there so they don’t care. Pay always attention to the Police. A bad aspect is that often there is something left in front of the plane or even a truck parked. You are at ground level so heat is a problem for planes but not at gate 1.

FOCAL LENGTH	55mm (A320); 35mm (B767)

	Spot #3 – Trade square (Piazza Giovanni Falcone)
WHERE	It is located in the center of Caselle Town. You can spot from everywhere in the square and park your care there.

WHAT	You can spot planes about to land on runway 36. It is the only spotting point useful for smaller planes and military planes as they are too small and far for spot #1 and they don’t pass in front of spot #4 as they vacate the runway earlier.

TIME	From noon to sunset.

MISC.	There are some lampposts all over the square that are a bit annoying. There is a free fresh water parlour in the southern corner of the square.

FOCAL LENGTH	170mm (ATR-72); 140mm (A320); 270mm (F35)

	Spot #4 – Intersection Bravo or Fire station
WHERE	It is north of the Terminal building. Arriving from south use the first highway exit after the Terminal and then follow the signs for San Francesco al Campo. When you arrive at the first roundabout follow the sign “Nucleo Elicotteristi Vigili del Fuoco” with the helicopter icon. It is just in front of the intersection B of runway 18/36. You can place yourself wherever you want on the road near the fence.

WHAT	It is the most beloved spot during afternoon. You can take photos of the planes vacating the runway at Bravo intersection and planes taxiing on taxiway Y. Also good for takeoffs. Note that sometimes smaller or lighter planes vacate at C intersection so you can’t take a photo of them. For the smallest planes you don’t want to miss use spot #3.

TIME	Best after noon until sunset.

MISC.	You need a ladder (Three steps are enough). Note that sometimes the an Army’s Jeep can ask you not to touch the fence because of the alarm. Please be friendly. Bring with you all you need.

FOCAL LENGTH	-On the runway: 120mm (B737); 170mm (SSJ100); 70mm (An-124) -On the taxiway: 30mm (B737); 25mm (MD80)

	Spot #5 – Goats Farm
WHERE	East of the runway near the village of Malanghero. It is the narrow road on your left, just after the center of Malanghero village between an house and a field. The last part of the road is not paved. Howevere you can place yourself along all the fence.There are few Spots assumed all as Malanghero that are accesible via the narrow roads between the fields.

WHAT	You can see almost every movement of the airport. You can’t spot planes that vacate at C for landing but you can catch the rotation of the long takeoffs.

TIME	Only in the morning until noon. Note that the grass is not always trimmed and the gears may covered. During summer time mind the heat distorsion especially nearing noon.

MISC.	You need a ladder. Note that the acces roads to this spot is not paved. There is CCTV always in function for security reasons. Bring with you all you need. In Malanghero there are some restaurants.

FOCAL LENGTH	70mm (B757-200); 75mm (A321); 100mm (E175); 65mm (A300)

Pictures are coming soon

	Spot #6 – Football Field
WHERE	It is the southern narrow road just after Leonardo Aircrafts facility and the small football fields before entering the village of Malanghero. The street is not paved.

WHAT	is good for almost everything on the runway.

TIME	Only in the morning until noon. Note that the grass is not always trimmed and the gears may covered. During summer time mind the heat distorsion especially nearing noon.

MISC.	You need a ladder. Note that the acces roads to this spot is not paved. There is CCTV always in function for security reasons. Bring with you all you need. In Malanghero there are some restaurants.

FOCAL LENGTH	Similar to Spot #5. 70mm (B757-200); 75mm (A321); 100mm (E175); 65mm (A300)

	Spot #7 – Cemetery of Caselle
WHERE	It is south-est of the runway near the cemetery. On the access road of the cemetery turn left in the first not-paved road with an open barrier (It reamins always open) and follow the road always turning right until it ends under a tree between two fields. To take photo of the planes aligning on the runway for takeoff reach the fence walking. If you only want to take a photo of landing remain on the access road of the cemetery and park in the parkings under the trees.

WHAT	If you remain on the paved access road of the cemetry you can catch all landings on runway 36 also with the mountains in background. At the fence all the planes entering runway 36 at intersection G. When you are near the fence for landings stay at the end of the road.

TIME	From Sunrise to noon for arrivals, ground until afternoon. In summer note that is better reamin on the cemetry access road as there is too much heat distorsion on ground.

MISC.	At the fence having a ladder is better, but as the planes are slow you can shot from the normal holes in the fence. Bring with you what you need, but there is a bakery very near to the spot on th other side of the main road.

FOCAL LENGTH	-From the access road: 100mm (A340-500); 400mm (Do-228); 200mm (B737) -From the field (landings): 110mm (B737) -Plane aligning: 150mm (A320)