BWI-Spot1
Kingman Airport Spotting Guide
June 7, 2019
Bydgoszcz Airport Spotting Guide
June 13, 2019Baltimore-Washington Int’l Airport Spotting Guide
at - last modified on July 02, 2019
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI/KBWI) is the international airport serving the city of Baltimore and Washington DC metropolitan area in the East Coast of the United States. It is located 9 miles south of Baltimore and 30 miles northeast of Washington DC. It is the biggest airport in the state of Maryland, with an annual passenger turnover of 27 million (as of 2018). The airport is named after Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native who became the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.
The passenger air service operators in BWI include Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines and Condor. BWI is one of the major hubs for Southwest Airlines, which contributes 67% of airline market shares here. The second biggest carrier at BWI is Spirit Airlines, with a 9.5% market share, followed by Delta Airlines at 7.3%. There are air routes connecting Baltimore to most of the major cities in the United States, as well as Toronto and Montreal in Canada. With the end of service of WOW air, British Airways’ Baltimore – London Heathrow route is the only year-round intercontinental service. Condor operates seasonal service from Baltimore to Frankfurt.
BWI is also a significant cargo turnover station in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The cargo terminal is served by FedEx, UPS, DHL, Atlas Air, ABX Air, and Amazon Air. Its air cargo ramp provides parking for 17 aircraft with direct nose-in access for 8 freighters.
Guide written by Ruoyao Wang. Last Update: June 2019
| Rating | Movements |  | Visitor Rating How was your spotting trip? Rate this airport now.   (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading... | |
| Airline Variety |  | |||
| Photo Locations | | |||
| Weather |  | |||
| Airport Information | Runways | 10/28 | 3201m(10503ft) | Asphalt |
| 15L/33R | 1524m(5000ft) | Asphalt | ||
| 15R/33L | 2896m(9501ft) | Asphalt | ||
| Terminals | ||||
| Concourse A and B | Concourse B | Concourse C | Concourse D | |
| Southwest | Southwest and American | Air Canada Express, Alaska, Allegiant, Contour, Delta, United, and Jetblue | British Airways and Condor | |
| Spotting Information | Ladder | Not Needed | ||
| Car | Recommend. Spot 4, which is located inside the terminal, can be accessed easily. All other locations can be accessed by bus transportation but not tested. | |||
| Restrooms | All locations except Spot 3 have restrooms nearby. | |||
| Drinks/Food | Spot 2 and 4 have shops nearby. | |||
| Hotels | There are multiple hotels near Baltimore Airport. Most of them provide shuttle bus services to the airport terminal. | |||
| Season | Aircraft spotting is an all-year-round activity at BWI. | |||
| Runway Usage | 10/28 | All day operation, mainly used for westward departures and eastward arrivals | ||
| 15L/33R | All day operation, used only for small propeller aircraft due to length limitation | |||
| 15R/33L | All day operation, 33L used only for arrival and 15R used only for the departure | |||
 | Spot #1 – Thomas A. Dixon Jr Aircraft Observation Area – 33L Arrivals and 15R Departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The address of this location is 1911 Dorsey Rd, Glen Burnie, MD. If you are driving towards this location from the south on the Interstate 97, exit the highway at exit 15, then follow the Dorsey Rd west. Thomas A. Dixon Jr Aircraft Observation Area is on the south side of the road. Park your car at the parking lot. If you are on foot or bike, this location can also be accessed through BWI trail. |
| WHAT | This location is good for spotting Runway 33L arrivals and 15R departures. It is one of two official spotting locations in BWI. When winds are from North, West, and Southwest, Runway 33L is the preferred runway for arriving traffic. All the arriving traffic except the small propeller aircraft uses this runway. From here you can spot all the passenger jets and the cargo jets. |
| TIME | From noon to Sunset all year round. |
| MISC. | There are portable restrooms and a playground inside the park. This park can also access the BWI trail for recreational activities like hiking and biking. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 60mm for Boeing 767 and 787, 100mm for narrow-body jets and business jets. |
 | Spot #2 – Royal Farm gas station – 28 Arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The address of this location is 5994+X6 Glen Burnie, Maryland. From southbound Interstate 97, exit the highway at exit 15. The gas station is right off the highway exist. From northbound Interstate 97, exit the highway at exit 15. Then you can turn right from Dorsey Rd onto Aviation Blvd. The gas station is on your right-hand side. Park your car at the gas station. |
| WHAT | Runway 28 arrivals can be spotted here. This runway is not commonly in use. |
| TIME | This location is good for the entire day. However, in the summer months it is backlit during sunrise and sunset. |
| MISC. | Food and restroom are available inside the gas station. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 80mm for Boeing 767 and 787, 120mm for narrow-body jets and business jets. |
 | Spot #3 – Charnwood Road – 10 Arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This location is at Charwood Rd. To access this point please make a right turn from Dorsey Rd onto Candlewood Rd. Then continue north onto Charwood Rd. Park your car by the side of the road. The aircrafts lands on the North. |
| WHAT | At this location, the arrival traffic to Runway 10 can be spotted. When the wind is from East or South, Runway 10 is the preferred runway for arriving traffic. All the arriving traffic uses this runway. |
| TIME | This location is good for the entire day. However, in the summer months it is backlit during sunrise and sunset. |
| MISC. | No restrooms or shops at this location. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm for Boeing 767 and 787, 140mm for narrow-body jets and business jets. |
 | Spot #4 – Airport Observation Gallery – Taxiway |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The Observation Gallery is inside the airport terminal, adjacent to the B/C security checkpoint on the upper level. You do not need to go through the security to go to this location. |
| WHAT | The Observation Gallery is an official spotting location in BWI. It overlooks the concourse B and concourse C. It is a public area with multiple aviation exhibits, including the cockpit section of a 737 and a horizontal stabilizer in Southwest’s “Maryland 1” scheme. The taxiing aircraft and aircraft at the terminal can be spotted. The movements on Runway 10/28 and 15R/33L can also be seen in the distance. The Observation Gallery is a relaxing place to visit while transferring flight. However, the photographing situation is far from ideal. The windows of the Observation Gallery are tinted and photos here are backlit all day. |
| TIME | The Observation Gallery faces south, hence it is backlit all day. |
| MISC. | Restaurants, shops, and restrooms are inside the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50 – 300mm |
