VCE-Spot1
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at - last modified on December 9, 2019
Venice Tessera Airport (VCE/LIPZ) is the main hub for aviation in the northeast of Italy. Located about 7 km north of the historical city of Venice. It was built in the late 50s in a swampy area in the northern Venetian lagoon.
In 2018, it handled more than 11 million passengers. Nowadays, EasyJet and Volotea have a base in Venice. In addition of these two airlines, Venice is being served by several European flag carriers like Air France, Iberia, Alitalia, British, etc. During the summer Delta, United, American, Air Transat and Air Canada Rouge connect VCE with the North American continent. Emirates, Qatar and El Al are the only airlines offering flights from/to the Middle East. Finally, Asiana has a frequent flight from Seoul with a B772. There are also some cargo flights, but all during the night or in the early morning. Business and private flights are not unusual here, especially during some particular weeks.
Generally, military movements are quite rare, except for the test flights of the new NH90s from a military hangar of Agusta Westland on the north side of the airport. For security reasons, is better to avoid taking photos of these facilities.
Venice is not a spotter-friendly airport. The southern side of the field is surrounded by water and there is just one photo location for taking pictures. Second, most of the listed spotting locations are quite far and is not easy to take good photos in the morning and during the winter.
Written by Andrea Spoladore (local spotter) and Thomas Okaty. Last visit: December 2019
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 04R/22L | 3300 m (10827 ft) |
| 04L/22R | decommissioned – used as taxiway |
| Terminals | One Terminal that serves all traffic |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | There is no need for a ladder. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is useful but not really necessary (except for spot 7). You can move between the spotting locations using only public transport, but it requires a longer walk. |
| Restrooms | None directly at the spots. |
| Drinks/Food | Only a restaurant close to spot 4, but there are other bars in Tessera. |
| Hotels | “Titian Inn” and “Courtyard” are the two hotels in Tessera. Close to locations 5 and 7 are two B&B, but you can find many others in the area around the airport. |
| Season | Summer is definitely the best season. During winter it is really difficult to take nice pictures. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 04R/22L | Runway 04R/22L is the only active runway in VCE. Due to the predominant wind direction runway 04R is in use for most of the time. |
| 04L/22R | Runway 04L/22R is inactive and only used as the main taxiway. |
 | Spot #1 – Barena – RWY 04R movements |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Drive to the village of Tessera (2 minutes from the terminal) and park the car there. Then walk along Via Bazzera until reaching a small bridge with a red and white gate on the left. Continue to walk on the dirt road for 350 meters and, if the tide is low, go down from the embankment and stop wherever you want. For some line up shots it is better to walk along the road for another 600 meters. |
| WHAT | All the landings on runway 04R. From here there is a fence and other small obstacles that hide the bottom of the aircraft while taxiing. Walk along the road until it is possible to take some “clean” shots of the aircraft lining up on the runway. |
| TIME | In the summer after 4pm only. In winter, only airplanes lining up after 1pm. |
| MISC. | Heat haze can be a problem in the summer. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 150-300 mm |
 | Spot #2 – Beach – RWY 04R arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | From the spotting location #1, walk along the road and after 700 meters turn left until reaching a small sandy beach. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 04R. |
| TIME | After 4pm during summer only. |
| MISC. | There is absolutely nothing around here, so bring what you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A332: 135 mm A319: 240 mm |
 | Spot #3 – Ramp – New apron |
|---|---|
| WHERE | After reaching the first floor of the terminal (departures), walk northbound until you have a clear view of the apron. If you want to save some money avoid to park the car in the parking lot near the terminal. It is better to park in Tessera, like for the previous locations, and then walk to the airport (15 minutes). |
| WHAT | Aircraft taxiing to the new apron (north of the terminal) via taxiway Q. |
| TIME | From around noon until sunset. |
| MISC. | There are a lot of obstacles, such as light poles. The gaps are narrow and it is impossible to take a photo of anything larger than a B738. Keep a low profile and put your camera away if you encounter longer breaks. Police could send you away if they see you taking photos of airplanes. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A319: 140 mm |
 | Spot #4 – Casino – Runway 04R Departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Park your car on the right side of Via Paliaga, about 100 meters after passing the casino. From there walk back towards the casino, and after 150 meters you will find a small bridge. Position yourself on the grassy area on the left just before the bridge. |
| WHAT | All departures from runway 04R, but very distant for narrow-body aircraft. |
| TIME | After 4pm in the summer. In the winter it is backlit all day. |
| MISC. | Best spotting location for heavy departures from runway 04R. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | B77W: 210mm |
 | Spot #5 – Field – Runway 04R Departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Drive along Via Triestina (SS14) and turn onto Via Paliaghetta. Park your car on the side of the road and walk until reaching a gate. |
| WHAT | All departures from runway 04R. This is a good alternative to spot #4. |
| TIME | After 4pm in the summer. |
| MISC. | There is a B&B at the top of the road. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | B748: 135mm B738: 250mm |
 | Spot #6 – VOR – Runway 04R Departures / Runway 22L Arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Park the car on Via Paliaga, exactly as for the previous spot. Then, walk eastbound along the road until reaching Via Cà Vallesina, turn right and walk to the end of the road. After a gate, continue on the right along the embankment. In the case that runway 22L is in use during the morning (really unusual), after the red-white colored gate walk left for about 500 meters. Position yourself wherever you like. |
| WHAT | Departures from runway 04R, however, smaller aircraft will already quite high, and arrivals on runway 22L, but which are rare. |
| TIME | After 4pm, during the summer. |
| MISC. | It is quite a long walk from Via Paliaga (more than 2Km) and there is literally nothing nearby this spot, so bring what you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300 mm |
 | Spot #7 – Runway 04R Departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Drive along SS14 until a locality called “Montiron” (about 6 km from the airport terminal), then turn right towards a B&B. Park your car on the side of the road near there. Cross the gate located in front of the hotel, and after 100 meters turn left until reaching the top of the embankment. Stop wherever you prefer. In case of left turn takeoffs, continue to walk for 1 km southbound until reaching the mouth of a river. |
| WHAT | Departures and right banking from runway 04R. Narrow-body aircraft can already be too high from here. |
| TIME | From sunrise until noon. |
| MISC. | Although it is the only location at VCE where it is possible to take some pictures in the morning, is not used much for several reasons. In the summer almost all the heavy departures are after midday and in the early afternoon, when the sun is already too high for good photos. Also, due to the considerable distance, low clouds and mist make it impossible to use this spotting location during bad weather conditions. There is nothing around here and also no shelter and no shade. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A332: 400 mm |
