YOW-Spot1
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October 2, 2018Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on November 10, 2025
Ottawa International Airport is the main airport serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and its metropolitan area as well as Gatineau, Quebec known as the National Capital Region. The airport is located 10 km south of downtown. It is named after the founders of Canada John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier. It is the 6th busiest airport in Canada with 4.6 million passengers passing through in 2024. Traffic consists of mostly domestic, transborder, corporate and some international routes.
Scheduled international flights include Air Canada to London-Heathrow and Air France to Paris. During the winter months there are several routes to Caribbean destinations such as Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba. YOW is the home base for Porter Airlines and Canadian North Airlines. Porter has become the primary airline for Ottawa with a large hangar built on the north side of the airport and continuous route expansion with their Embraer E195-E2. Other airlines serving YOW include Air Canada, Rouge, Jazz, Westjet, United Express, PAL, Propair, Air North, Air Transat (seasonal), Cargojet (757/767F) and FedEx (757F). Corporate jet movements are quite regular with AirSprint being the primary operator with their E545 and CJ2/3+ aircraft. Frequent charters, military, VIP/State visits bring a lot of very interesting movements.
Next to the terminal there is an NRC hangar which has old aircraft such as Falcon 10, CV-580 and T-33. It shares the apron with the RCMP and its PC-12’s. Along taxiway Bravo lies an RCAF military hangar with CL60 jets, Transport Canada’s hangar with C560’s and two NavCan CRJ200’s based in one of the two FBO’s . Sanders Geophysics is based on the north of the airport next to the Ottawa Flying Club with their DHC6 and C208’s. There are two CC-330 aircraft based in YOW and are parked by the CRC (Hangar 11) area when not flying.
Written by Jan Jasinski (follow him on Insta), Marcus , Tombarelli Federico. All spots checked September 2025
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety | |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 04/22 | 1.006 m (3.300 ft) Asphalt |
| 07/25 | 2.438 m (8.000 ft) Asphalt |
| 14/32 | 3.048m (10.005 ft) Asphalt |
| Terminals | One for all operations. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Needed at a few spots. Sometimes certain police officers or security cars “206, 207” driving on the service road airside will invent their own rules and tell you that you cannot have a ladder. You can politely tell them that it is legal as long as you are respecting the 3 meter rule. If they still have a problem with you just step away and wait for them to leave. If you just chat with them and show your passion/intentions they usually go on their way. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is needed, without one most spots are out of reach. The airport can be reached by car from downtown in approximately 20-30 minutes using the Airport Parkway. There is bus and new train service with OC transo best reference by Google Maps for their roster. |
| Restrooms | Can be found in the restaurants and in the terminal. |
| Drinks/Food | Inside the terminal or at the restaurants around. |
| Hotels | Around the airport are some hotels. Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Airport offers views of runway 07/25. There is a new ALT hotel being built next to the terminal which will soon offer a rumored observation deck* |
| Season | Winters are very cold with snow, best time is from May to September. |
| Security | YOW is generally calm for spotting and rarely confronted by security/police. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 04/22 | Used mostly by The Ottawa Flying Club and occasionally by Sanders Geophysics. Mostly flight training/general aviation with rare visitors such as DHC-6 or DHC-2. No night movements here. |
| 07/25 | The most common and preferred runway in use. Winds typically favour 25 and 07 is often used during bad weather or low visibility/snow conditions. When winds vary between runway 25 and 32, both are used for arrivals which forces you to pick only one spot and miss some movements. |
| 14/32 | The longest runway in Ottawa. 32 is used more often than 14. During de-icing operations departures are usually from runway 14 due to close taxiing proximity. Air France’s B777, Air Canada’s 787 and some Porter E295’s usually request 32/14 for operational needs. ATC typically accommodates pilot requests for runway changes so be prepared to listen to Live ATC and adjust your position if needed. |
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Spot #1 – Alert Road – Runway 25 |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The Gravel parking lot on Alert road by runway 25 is the main spotting location in Ottawa for airplane enthusiasts and photographers. There is a large area for cars to freely park on but you may also park along the road to be closer to the fence for quick photos. Do not park in front of the crash-gate as security will tell you to move. It is walking distance from both airport hotels and a 5 minute drive from the terminal. |
| WHAT | Landings and departures on runway 25. For landings no ladder is required but if shooting 25 departures a ladder is recommended for optimal views. Widebodies and some narrowbodies landing on 07 will usually vacate at the end right next to you. |
| TIME | Afternoon until evening year round. With cloudy or snowy conditions it’s possible to shoot here during the day. |
| MISC. | Airplanes taxiing for runway 25 pass by very close to you. A B777-300ER’s wingtip will pass directly over you if you are standing by the fence and you will get hit by jet-blast. You can move along the road and towards the other gravel parking lot behind to adjust your viewing angle. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 763=40mm; Dash8-Q400=80mm; |
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Spot #2 – Golf Course – Runway 07/25 |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Close to a golf course there is a parking lot at Alert Road for 7 to 8 cars next to the fence offer good views on the runway. Access from Leitram Road is not possible. Few meters from the parking lot the fence is lowered due to a depression (Spot 2A). In general you can position yourself all along this road all the way up to (Spot 2B). There aren’t too many spots to pull over along the road so make sure to pick a spot with your car where you are not blocking traffic. If you have to stop for a photo by a “no parking” sign you may be told to move away. Generally no one should bother you along this road. |
| WHAT | All activities on the runway 07/25 can be seen from both spots. Spot 2A is better for 07 activities whilst Spot 2B for 25 movements. |
| TIME | Light is best in the mornings all year round and good in late afternoon. Heat haze isn’t too problematic but can exist on hot days. |
| MISC. | There is nothing around, so bring food and water. Be smarter than others and use the garbage can for your trash. There is not a lot of clearance between you and the road when you park so watch out for oncoming traffic. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 150mm for A320 |
Spot 2A
Spot 2B
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Spot #3 – Adastra Road – Runway 32 |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This isn’t the best spot available but if you need to get a runway 32 arrival or taxiing photo in a hurry it is suitable. It is located at the end of Alert road next to the Ornge hangar. Access from Leitram Road is not possible. .You can also shoot through the fence by the Ornge helicopter hangar parking which gives you photos like the FedEx A300F example. |
| WHAT | Line up and landings on runway 32 can be seen. Landing aircraft arrive between some trees and a hangar so your timing to get the photo is very short. |
| TIME | Light is good in the morning (summer) and mostly backlit throughout the afternoon and evening year round. |
| MISC. | Ladder is recommended but shooting through the fence is possible. Nothing around here. Don’t stay too long here as you might be asked to leave in case security passes by. Stay at spot 2 and only drive for specific movements to this spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm for A320 in line up; 200mm Dash arrival |
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Spot #4 – Leitrim Road – Runway 32 Landings |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Next to runway 32 there is a busy road called Leitrim Rd. Just beneath the approach lights there is room for only a few vehicles to park. From there you can find your preferred angel. If you are in a rush to get a photo or only there for a few minutes, you can pull over along the side of the road as long as you see a large enough space for your car and traffic allows you to do it safely. Alternatively you can park on Adastra Rd. or Bowesville Rd. and walk 5-10 minutes depending on the angle you want to shoot at. |
| WHAT | Best for runway 32 landings, lineup 32 and 14 departures. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon is good when you are facing west. During afternoon to evening, head on angle or shooting towards the east is good. Winter light provides the best light. |
| MISC. | This can be a very busy road with fast moving traffic. Some drivers are aggressive on this road and you will occasionally get people honking at you for no reason. A ladder is not necessary but useful for some parts along the fence. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 735=170mm, Egypt 777 = 100mm |
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Spot #5 – Riverside Road – Runway 14 and 32 departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | From Riverside / Limebank Road turn into River Road and park your car in Lewer Street. From there take a short walk to the airport fence. |
| WHAT | Landings and line ups on runway 14 and 32 departures. Note, 32 rotations are quite far down (A350 at 500mm). Widebodies will usually roll out at the end for a side on photo. |
| TIME | Late afternoon until evening. |
| MISC. | You can take the ground pictures through the mesh. You are shooting in a field where there is nobody. You should be left alone but security may drive by airside and ask what you are doing since there are so rarely spotters here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 767=100mm |
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Spot #6 – Shopping Center – Runway 14 arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located at a shopping center access via Riverside Rd. You can park you car directly at the airport fence next to restaurant. To get closer to the action it is also possible to stay on the sidewalk of the Riverside Rd. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 14. Also the short runway for small aircraft can be seen here. |
| TIME | Depends on where you stay but better in the morning hours. |
| MISC. | Several restaurants and a supermarket within 100 meters. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm |
Pictures taken from Riverside Rd:
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Spot #7 – Porter Airlines Hangar – 14/32 movements, ramp |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Located by the Porter Airlines hangar employee parking lot. It is quite easy to get to by car. From Croil Private road, turn right onto Convair Private until you enter the parking lot. In the lot, make a left turn and follow it to the end where you will see the fence. Park your car there and walk up to the fence. There is nothing around here if you are without a car. |
| WHAT | Best for Runway 14 departures and arrivals. Mostly 32 landings vacating at the end are visible, departures from 32 and de-icing apron view. E195-E2’s tend to vacate at the end here when landing on 32 to help with cooling down their engines. Heavy aircraft will almost always exit here.
Sometimes weather diversions are parked here such as Boeing 777, A330, 787. |
| TIME | Early morning is best year round. During late sunset hours the light is also lovely. De-icing operations are visible but at night the lighting on the apron is very yellow and backlit due to the light poles. Heat haze can be problematic for 400mm + photos during warmer months. |
| MISC. | Shooting through the fence here is fine but challenging at some angles. The fence is taller than other areas which requires at least a 6 step ladder here. Nobody should bother you here but keep a low profile to avoid attracting attention. There are food/beverage options less than 5 minutes drive either towards Hunt Club road or the terminal. Both can be walked to in the warmer months as well. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | For de-icing photos 150mm to 400mm is best and 70-200mm for when they enter or vacate the apron depending on the de-icing orientation. For landings on runway 32 vacating at Kilo between 300-600mm is best for all types. |
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Spot #8 – Employee Parking – Ramp |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Located within a 10 minute walk from the main terminal and across from the employee parkings lots. You can park along the main road to take photos as long as you are not blocking a VIP movement or asked to leave by police. |
| WHAT | View of the Hangar 11 (CRC) apron used by government/VIP aircraft and the apron used for diversions/charter flights. Two RCAF CC-330 aircraft are based here and parked very close to the fence. There is a limited angle for runway 32 departures and arrivals. GSE or parked aircraft can block certain angles along the fence. During winter ops you can see aircraft entering or exiting the de-icing pad here. |
| TIME | Best light is very early morning, sunset time and at night year round. There are large light poles installed with good white balance that help provide clarity on parked aircraft at night. Heat haze can be a problem in the summer if shooting movements on runway 32. |
| MISC. | A 3 step ladder or better is recommended for the clearest view although shooting through the fence is adequate. If you use a ladder closer than the legal 3 meter limit make sure to be quick to avoid attracting attention. Inside the terminal there are restrooms, food/beverage and access to the train or bus.Photos are generally not a problem even with VIP/State visits. There will be increased security during those times but if you state your intentions to police/security they usually still allow photos. During motorcades drive by’s they can become a bit more strict with your position. This apron sees a lot of unique visitors including weather diversions from Toronto or Montreal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Wide range of aircraft such as GLEX, A320, B777 are often parked close to the fence and require a 17-35mm. 200-500mm is recommended for all movements on the apron including taxiways D, CC and A. |
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Spot #9 – Terminal – 14/32 movements, apron |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Past security inside the terminal there are large windows where some good photos can be taken. A valid boarding pass is needed which makes this a good spot while waiting for your flight. On the upper level where you pass security, there is an elevated view of a few gates and an open view of runway 32/14 and the apron. There are some benches there and no one will bother you. When you take the escalator down to the main terminal area you can walk along the gates and take photos through the windows. The best gates for photos with the tower are around gate 18-24. The Bridgehead coffee overlooks gate 15/17 which usually has heavy aircraft. If you have access to the Air Canada lounge there is also a good view there but not as useful as the other two. |
| WHAT | The main apron is visible here with most movements passing through here. Arrivals and departures for runway 32/14 passing in front of the tower are visible. Arrivals for runway 07 can also be shot from the terminal at a distance. |
| TIME | Best light is in the morning with the sun behind you. Backlit most of the day in the summer. |
| MISC. | Windows are quite good but distortion, blurry results and reflections are possible under certain conditions. Lot’s of coffee options available and some food options. No issues with taking photos. Good area to see Government/VIP aircraft taxiing to or from the CRC (Hangar 11) area. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | For aircraft parked at the gate, a 24-105mm lens is useful. For aircraft taxiing on the apron or using runway 32/14, 200-400mm is ideal. |
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Spot #10 – FedEx – 07/25 movements |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located parallel to runway 25/07 and is best accessed by car. When you reach Thad Johnson Road Private road, look for the FedEx sign on your left and enter at the 2nd entrance. Continue to the end of the parking lot where you will see a couple of trucks parked by the fence. There is a yellow line painted along the fence, make sure to have your car parked behind it to avoid security asking you to re-position your car. Shooting through the fence is fine but a 3 step ladder or better is recommended for the best view. |
| WHAT | Open view behind a fence of landings and departures on runway 25 and 07. Runway 25 you can get touchdown photos as well as aircraft taxiing by very close for departure. For runway 07 most aircraft will exit in front of you on taxiway F with the occasional airplane vacating at the end of 25 and taxing past you very close. A small view to the West of aircraft taxiing into the Skyservice FBO can also be viewed with a longer lens. There is also a view to the East of the FedEx, Cargojet and Canadian North apron where you can get good photos of them parked of being pushed back. |
| TIME | Afternoon until dusk for summer and winter. Mornings are backlit. Heat haze can be a problem during hot days. It is a dark area at night but some nice photos can be taken. |
| MISC. | There are rarely any issues being at this location. There isn’t much around here other than the two hotels which can provide shelter or transportation back to the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 24mm to 500mm. Narrowbodies and widebodies like B777, E295, A321, 737 landing on 25 around 150-400mm is best. For smaller aircraft such as Q400, GLEX, C560 400mm or better is recommended. For aircraft taxiing by on Bravo a wide angle lens such as 24-105mm is recommended for a versatile angle for all aircraft types. |
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Spot #11 – Ramps |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Skyservice/Execaire FBO area. You can walk here from the terminal but it is recommended to come by car. Along Comet Private road there is an open view through the fence just before the Execaire FBO where you can take photos of parked visitors. The Execaire entrance has a small road leading to a crash-gate where you can also take a quick photo. At the end of the road you will find the Skyservice FBO. There is a parking lot next to taxiway Golf where you can see a few aircraft parked through the fence. Towards the Skyservice entrance there is a round about next to a crash-gate. This spot overlooks the Execaire apron and the taxiway entrance to Skyservice. |
| WHAT | Apron view of Skyservice and Execaire FBO’s. Taxiway Golf and Transport Canada apron movements can also be seen. Aircraft found here are corporate jets, hockey charters such as B757, B737, most military aircraft like A400M, C-17, Alpha Jets and helicopters. |
| TIME | Afternoon to evening and night time have good light year round. In the mornings light is good shooting towards the west (near round about spot). |
| MISC. | Beware of taking photos here. Since 2023 management has changed and become very unfriendly towards spotters. They have told spotters to stop taking photos and leave the area. Supposedly security has supported the spotters by saying this is a public area and no rules were being broken. In either case, to avoid being confronted by FBO staff be quick when going up to the fence and leave the area as soon as you can. Sometimes GSE can obstruct your view through the fence. Avoid using a ladder here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70mm to 400mm. |
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Spot #12 – NavCanada – 25 departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located at the entrance of NavCanada’s tower facility and is best accessed by car. It is possible to walk to but there is nothing nearby. As soon as you enter Tom Roberts road, make a right turn into a small gravel parking next to the NavCanada sign. Be respectful of the environment and be polite if anyone asks what you are doing. |
| WHAT | Runway 25 departures. |
| TIME | From afternoon until sunset all year round. |
| MISC. | There are a few power lines and a line of trees that may obstruct your photos a bit. Overall it is still a quite open area which is the closest you can get to for this end of the airport. Employees from Nav Canada use this road to get to their workplace. From here you can walk along the surrounding areas to adjust your angle but be mindful of your vehicle parked there unsupervised. No ladder required. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 700mm fits A220, E295, Q400. 400-500mm for B777, 787, 767. |
Nice article ! Thanks for your detailed sharing, I am planing my first spoting of YOW and ChatGPT refers almost all the infos from your article.
Hello! I am a regular YOW spotter. Just to let you know runway 25/07 is the preferred runway to be used however runway 14/32 will be used if pilot recommends (usually the YVR flight takes that runway as it is longer).
If you are spotting on Alert road, just watch where you park as there are no parking signs along the roads however the police usually don’t make a fuss (in my experience this may differ) – Also there is not a lot of clearance between you and the road when you park so watch out for oncoming traffic.
When spotting on Leitrim road, you aren’t allowed to stop on the road or on the side; you will get a ticket if a cop passes. The easiest thing to do is park on alert road and walk down Leitrim (on the grass). It takes no more than 5m (max 10m to get to the complete other side).
For Riverside Road (spot 5), watch where you park as there is no parking along the road. However if you want to play it safe, you can park at TNT market (Spot 6) and walk around – that is at least 15m (if not longer, i havent done that).
Hope this helps 🙂
Facilities: Cargojet parks at First air hanger. RCMP does have a small hanger next to the NRC (fleet includes C208 and PC12). The military apron (big hanger next to apron along runway 25) is where RCAF CL60 and Transport Canada parks.
The CRC (or Hanger 11) next to the apron along runway 14 is mainly where VIPs park and heavy militaries (like RCAF CC150, C130 etc..)
De-ice pad is not spotter friendly, you will be asked to leave so don’t stay long.
Hi Mark, thanky you for the useful infos. I have added everything so far to the guide. The only thing is the parking situation for #5. We parked at the Lewin Street in the nearby neigbourhood. Is this okay? And for #4 I noticed some lay bays at the junction to Bowesville Rd and Adastra Rd.. This is a bit closer so you don´t need to walk so much.
-Julian