Cascais-Tejo Regional Airport Spotting Guide

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Cascais-Tejo Regional Airport Spotting Guide

September 4, 2019 - last modified on August 2, 2021

Cascais-Tejo Regional Aerodrome (CAT/LPCS), located about 20km west of Lisbon Airport, is an airport focused on general aviation. The airport is home to Sevenair, Portugal’s biggest general aviation group. Sevenair operates scheduled flights out of Cascais to Bragança, Portimão, Viseu and Vila Real. Furthermore, a lot of business traffic uses Cascais instead of Lisbon because there is less capacity available nowadays at Lisbon.

However, the airport is also known as Aeródromo de Tires among locals. Be aware that Tires and Cascais are the same airfields.

The airport currently has 5 aprons. Apron Alpha is used by Sevenair for parking of their props. Apron Bravo is used for small visitors. Apron Charlie is used for long-term visitors and stored aircraft. Apron Delta is used for business jets as well as the passenger flights from Sevenair. Apron Echo is used by the maintenance companies as well as some smaller local aviation schools.

The airport gets some nice visitors from time to time, for local festivals and races at the famous circuit of Estoril. The airport is also used for fuel stops during delivery flights. The local maintenance companies (TAP, TAG) get some nice visitors as well. Their are some based business jets which fly very often.

Written by Jesse Vervoort. Last update August 2019.

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Airport Information
Runways
17/35	1190m / Asphalt
Terminals	Just small buildings around here, no real terminals. Only the GAT and “normal” passenger traffic difference is worth to be mentioned here.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not necessary, but usefull at some locations.
Car/Public Transport	Recommended; most locations are not reachable with public transport.
Restrooms	At the terminal and restaurant.
Drinks/Food	At the restaurant. There is a supermarket as well around the airport. It will take you about 5 minutes by car to get there.
Hotels	The nearest hotels are in Estoril and Cascais. It’s an 20 minute drive from there to the airport
Season	Since the weather is better during summer, I recommend visiting Cascais in the summer.
Runway Usage
17/35	17/35, depends on wind direction. 35 very frequent in use.

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	Spot #1 – Restaurante Do Aeródromo – Arrivals and departures 17/35
WHERE	When at the terminal, follow the street called ‘Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmão’ in northern direction. Go straight ahead at the first roundabout. Follow ‘Avenida Amália Rodrigues’. Take the first exit at the roundabout and continue on the ‘Avenida Amália Rodrigues’. After about 1 km, a little blue sign with ‘Restaurante Aerodromo’ is located on the left side of the road. Enter the parking space on the right here. A lot parking spots here are reserved for pilots, students etc from Sevenair and other companies, so please don’t park your car on these spots. If the parking lot is completely occupied, then drive 200 meters further until the t-junction ‘Rue Júlio Dinis/Avenida Amália Rodrigues. There is a little unpaved parking space here.

WHAT	Mainly aircraft arriving via runway 17/35 or departing 17/35. Also planes parked on the B Apron as well as the Sevenair Apron.

TIME	From sunrise till roughly around midday.

MISC.	As the spot is next to a restaurant, restrooms are available as well as something to eat/drink. There is a small aviation store as well. Be advised that you are shooting through the fence, unless you bring a big ladder (5-6 steps)

FOCAL LENGTH	Legacy 80mm, Cirrus 270mm, Tecnam 70mm

	Spot #2 – Alto do Moinho Velho – Arrivals 35
WHERE	When at the terminal, follow the street called ‘Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmão’ in northern direction. Go straight ahead at the first roundabout. Follow ‘Avenida Amália Rodrigues’. Take the first exit at the roundabout and continue on the ‘Avenida Amália Rodrigues’. After about 1.2km, turn right at the t-junction ‘Rue Júlio Dinis/Avenida Amália Rodrigues. After about 500 meters, the spot is located on your right. You can park your car in the street. Only 35 arrivals are photographable without a ladder. If you want to photograph 35 departures, you have to bring a big ladder (5-6 steps) because of the double fence here.

WHAT	Arrivals and departures 35.

TIME	From sunrise till around midday.

MISC.	If you want to photograph 35 departures, you have to bring a big ladder (5-6 steps) because of the double fence here. No restrooms, nearest supermarket is a 5 minute drive.

FOCAL LENGTH	Legacy = 130mm

	Spot #3 – Dirt hill – Arrivals and departures 35
WHERE	When at the terminal, follow the street called ‘Rua da Pradaria’ in southern direction. After about 400 meters, when you have passed the maintenance hangars, park you’re car on the right side. There is a small unpaved strip here. The terrain here is used a lot by Dirt-track racers, so make sure you park you’re car somewhere that you don’t bother them. If unsure, just ask them. They are usually very helpful. After you have parked you’re car, walk down the path next to the apron where the maintenance hangars are. It’s about 700 meters until you reach the spot, a big hill. You can position yourself here, depending on which angle you like.

WHAT	Arrivals and departures 35.

TIME	Later midday till sunset.

MISC.	During summer, there might be heat haze in the early afternoon. No restrooms, nearest supermarket is a 10 minute drive. No ladder needed.

FOCAL LENGTH	Pitts = 140mm, Cessna = 120mm

	Spot #4 – Concrete block – Arrivals and departures 35
WHERE	This spot is a nice alternative for when the heat haze is to extreme at spot #3. After about 400 meters on the same path you use to walk to spot #3, there is an concrete block on which you can stand. It gives you a nice view on the runway and you are very close to the action there. You can als bring a ladder, but it should have at least 5-6 steps. You can park your car at the same place as for spot #3.

WHAT	Arrivals and departures from runway 35.

TIME	Later midday till sunset.

MISC.	No restrooms, nearest supermarket is a 10 minute drive. No ladder needed.

FOCAL LENGTH	Pitts = 140mm, Cessna = 120mm

	Spot #5 – Miradouro – Apron Charlie and Delta
WHERE	When at the terminal, follow the street called ‘Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmão’ in northern direction. After 200 meters, turn right on ‘Rua Sírius’. Drive to the end of this street and turn left on ‘Rua Vega’. Park you’re car at the beginning of this street, and walk up to the spot via a little unpaved path

WHAT	Aircraft on apron Chalie and Delta.

TIME	Depends on the way an aircraft is parked. Ideally from 3pm until sunset (winter and summer)

MISC.	Ladder (6+ steps) required if you don’t want to shoot through the fence.

FOCAL LENGTH	Gulfstream = 35mm, Jetstream = 25mm, Global Express = 140mm

	Spot #6 – Av. Amália Rodrigues – Arrivals and departures 17
WHERE	When at the terminal, follow the street called ‘Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmão’ in northern direction. Go straight ahead at the first roundabout. Follow ‘Avenida Amália Rodrigues’. Take the first exit at the roundabout and continue on the ‘Avenida Amália Rodrigues’. After about 500 meters, turn left on “Rua Dr. João das Regras’. Park your car in this street and walk to the spot. Only arrivals for runway 17 can be photographed without a ladder. For departures, you will need a ladder with at least 5-6 steps.

WHAT	Arrivals and departures 17.

TIME	Sunrise around midday.

MISC.	No restrooms, nearest supermarkt is a 5 minute drive. No ladder needed.

FOCAL LENGTH	XXX

Unfortunately we can’t provide any example pictures from here yet. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, if you have some taken from here!

	Spot #7 – Terminal – Apron delta
WHERE	This spot is located next to the terminal, where you will find a litte grass field. It can be reached best from “R. Bartolomeu de Gusmao” street, which makes kind of a u-cirle just infront of the mentioned grass pitch. Just get rid of your car by the roadside close to this area and search your favourite position along the fence-

WHAT	Aircraft on the Delta Apron. The Sevenair Dornier flights are handled here, as well as business jets.

TIME	Depends on the way an aircraft is parked. Ideally from 3pm until sunset (winter and summer)

MISC.	Ladder (5+ steps) required if you don’t want to shoot through the fence. Restrooms in the terminal, nearest supermarket is a 10 minute drive

FOCAL LENGTH	less than 100mm for parked biz jets.

	Spot #8 – Gestair
WHERE	South of the terminal is this spot within the plot of land owned by Gestair Flying Academy. They are friends of the spotters so they allow access to the site, leaving the gate always closed (as indicated on the gate). Use the parking lot for spot 1 and walk the few meters to the area.

WHAT	This allows you to photograph the parked airplanes, taxiway and runway movements, as well as the opposite side where the hangars and the terminal are, requiring a larger zoom and on hot days with haze. The view is limited by the net and a staircase is required, but on a quick visit you can climb the wall on the left.

TIME	Depends on the way an aircraft is parked. Ideally from sunrise until noon.

MISC.	All you need is at spot 1.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-400mm due to the wide range of possible angels.