Lihue Airport (LIH/PHLI) is the gateway to the Hawaiian island of Kauai and is located on its eastern coast just east of the city of Lihu’e. The airport was opened in 1949 and is not very busy as there are only a few airlines flying into LIH. Apart from a handful of Hawaiian B717 services to the other Hawaiian islands, you can see some American, Delta, Southwest and United flights to the main land (or some very few Hawaiian routes flown by them) plus some freighters such as TransAir or Aloha Air Cargo B737s – mostly they fly during the night and are thus hard to catch except for a few days when they are delayed into the sunshine. In addition you will have some very few business jets like Gulfstreams and rare US Navy or Air Force visits, but plenty helicopter movements – especially from the Helipad wets of the terminal.

The airport roughly serves 3 million passengers a year. As you see, LIH is not that busy and interesting due to its traffic, the stunning scenery is rather the reason to come here…

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Jochen Reitze, Sierra Aviation Photography, Tomas Milosch and Alan Lebeda. Last Update: July 2024 (spot 1 updated)

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
03/21	1981m – 6500ft
17/35	1981m – 6500ft
Terminals
T1	There is only one terminal serving all flights/destinations.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Needed at some points as the fence may be in the picture otherwise. But mostly you can also just stand on your car or shoot thru the mesh (except spot #7).
Car/Public Transport	Car is definitely needed, especially as the spots #5-8 are hard to reach otherwise.
Restrooms	Only inside the terminal as there are no restaurants/shops directly around the spots otherwise.
Drinks/Food	In the city of Lihu’e just west of the airport, there are many shops/restaurants to grab snacks and drinks.
Hotels	There is a hotel complex directly southwest of the airports, but there are plenty more on the island.
Season	Summer has longer days and thus may allow catching the freighters in the morning, but it is also worse due to more heat haze.
Security	Security/Police may ask for the reason you take pictures or your ID at spots #4-8. So as always in the US, keep an ID Card with you at all times, otherwise spotting is fine there along the fence. But keep a low profile at spot #1 as the general aviation’s VIPs do not like photographers and GAT employees may send you away then.
Runway Usage
03/21	Majorly used for departures into 03 direction.
17/35	Majorly used for arrivals from the south on runway 35.

	Spot #1 – Ahukini Road – GA Ramp, 03 departures
WHERE	This spot is actually not one exact position, it is rather located all along the fence running along Ahukini road and including all the side streets going in to the southwest. Park your car nearby somewhere where you are allowed to and then walk all along the fence here (as marked on the map) from the Cargo Centre up to the northermost end of the GA ramp.
WHAT	From the fence sections here you can see the whole GA ramp which is used by business jets, light sports aircraft and private helicopters mostly. 03 departures are possible too as they are already airborne at any of the postions.
TIME	Depends on your position and the subject’s angle, but acutally you can use this spot all day long.
MISC.	Ladder may be useful to shoot over the fence, but movements are static, so you can also shoot thru the mesh or quickly climb your car’s top. Haze may be an issue though especially on hot summer days.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm Gulstream linked below e.g. = 200mm, 752 departure = 180mm

While business jets are mostly parked like THIS, helicopters often look like these here:

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	Spot #2 – Helicopter terminal – Helicopter apron
WHERE	Park your car somewhere along Ahukini road in the parking areas next to the helicopter terminal/fence and then position yourself along the little which runs along the apron.
WHAT	Along the fence here you can see all the sightseeing flight’s take offs from the apron here. Typically you will see flights flown by Blue Hawaiian or Island helicopters.
TIME	Depends on the angle, but actually this spot can be used somehow from sunrise till later noon.
MISC.	Haze may be an issue though especially on hot summer days. Nothing around here, but the terminal is nearby. A little ladder might be useful, but as the fence is not that high and security does not like ladders here, you can also shoot thru the mesh or use a crate of bottles/drink box where you can stand on.
FOCAL LENGTH	24-150mm Helicopter on stand = 100mm / Heli-Double = 35mm

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	Spot #3 – Terminal – Passengerterminal Apron + 03/21 movements
WHERE	This spot is located inside the terminal and can only be reached WITH A VALID BOARDING PASS. It’s located AIRSIDE, so AFTER SECURITY CHECK. So once you are in there, just search your favourite position at the terminal’s eastern glassfront between the shops and gates.
WHAT	From here you can nicely shoot all movements on runway 03/21 as well as the ones on the apron just in front of you/the passenger terminal.
TIME	Depends on the angle and your position, but the spot works best around later noon.
MISC.	Heat haze can be an issue here, but all you need as food and shadow are just around you. Keep in mind, that you need a VALID BOARDING PASS to reach this spot, which is located AFTER SECURITY CHECK, so it’s AIRSIDE.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm B717 close-up taxiing = 200mm

The position itsself looks like THIS  and pictures taken from here like these:

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	Spot #4 – Ninini Point Street Forest – 03 Arrivals + Line-Ups
WHERE	For this spot you have to turn off HI51/Kapule Highway to the east onto Ninini Point street once you pass the Vidinha football staidum on the west. There should be sings saying “Kauai Lagoons” and right at the entrance there is a little house/cehckpoint. Mostly this one is not in use and you can pass, but if you should be checked and asked for your destination just say you are heading for the Ninini Point Lighthouse which this roads leads to and is public. So once you passed the gate, the airport fence airport should directly appear on your left. You can stop your car by the roadside here and now position yourself somewhere along the street/fence here. If you are asked to leave as you cannot stop the car here, just park it somewhere around the Kapule Highway and return here by foot.
WHAT	Here you can nicely see all aircraft lining up on runway 03 as well as rare 03 arrivals.
TIME	Spots works well from noon on till sunset.
MISC.	Heat haze can be an issue on hot days as well as maybe too high grass on the airside. Ladder not recommended along the busy street here directly, you can actually also shoot Line-Ups thru the mesh easily and arrivals without ladder anyway. Be prepared to be checked at the gate as mentioned, just tell them you head for Ninini Point Lighthouse if you should be asked for your destintion.
FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm B717 ~300mm

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	Spot #5 – Fence corner – 03/21 movements
WHERE	For this spot you have to turn off HI51/Kapule Highway again at the mentioned place and pass the gate as described in spot #4. But now do not head directly to the fence on your left. Continue on this street for a while and keep left all the time. First you should make a 90-degree left turn once you passed 03’s approach path. Then continue till you reach a y-junction, where you have to turn off to the left street again. After another ~800m you should arrive at the fencekink where the Ninini Point Street reaches a four-way-junction. Just position yourself here along the fence now and just park your car by the roadside. Actually you can also stop your car anywhere along the street here by the roadside, just spot from wherever you want.
WHAT	From here you have a nice view onto all 03/21 movements.
TIME	From sunrise till later noon.
MISC.	Ladder recommended otherwise you can also stand on your car’s top. Shooting thru the mesh is difficult here as the aircraft are passing by quite fast. Be prepared to be checked at the gate as mentioned, just tell them you head for Ninini Point Lighthouse if you should be asked for your destintion.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm B732 side on = 120mm

	Spot #6 – Golf course – 17/35 movements
WHERE	For this spot you have to turn off HI51/Kapule Highway again at the mentioned place and pass the gate as described in spot #4. But now do not head directly to the fence on your left. Continue on this street for a while and keep left all the time. First you should make a 90-degree left turn once you passed 03’s approach path. Then continue till you reach a y-junction, keep to the right here. The street will now make a slight right turn and lead you to the airport fence running along runway 03/21 after a while. Keep going on to the south on Ninini Point Street now, pass a golf course on your left and head for the parking a bit more to the south marked on the map. Park your car here and walk back a bit to the north. There you can just stand on the elevated golf course and thus clear the fence.
WHAT	All movements on runway 17/35.
TIME	Later noon till sunset.
MISC.	This spot is located next to a golf course and players may not like photographers around here all the time. So only go up the elevated golf course’s edge once an arriving aircraft is visible. Keep a low profile otherwise and only climb up one of the artificial hills, giving you an unobstructed view of aircraft touching down. Nothing around otherwise, but there is a Mariott hotel a bit south of the spot close to the carpark. You can find accomodations there…
FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm B717 side on = 105mm

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	Spot #7 – Airport Gate – 17/35 movements
WHERE	Leave your car in the bulge next to spot #8’s southern end (marked on the map) and continue by foot along the fence for about 600m. Once the street starts making a little left turn and the fence starts leading away from the runway, continue till you find an airport gate on your right in the fence – then you roughly reached the spot we used. Just position yourself somewhere along the fence here…
WHAT	All movements on runway 17/35.
TIME	Sunrise till early noon.
MISC.	Haze may be an issue around noon and on hot days in general. Nothing around, but a ladder is needed as here are no rocks anymore. As this spot is located on a kind of private road (cannot accessed by everyone due to a barrier), the police may stop when patrolling airside and will ask what you are doing here. Just take an ID with you (recommended in general) and kindly explain that this is our hobby. Then there will be no problem usually and you can stay… There is a gate up north you need to pass – be aware of the opening times: Gate open 6am till 5:30pm // closed on holidays!
FOCAL LENGTH	50-200mm

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	Spot #8 – Rocks – 17/35 movments + 03 Departures + 21 Arrivals
WHERE	Coming from the airport on Ahukini road northwestwards, turn right just before you would reach the island’s shore. Continue on this gravel road to the south for about 500m, then the road should start running straight for a while. Now you can just park your car by the roadside and search your favourite position along the fence as you can just spot from anywhere on the rocks next to the street.
WHAT	All movements on runway 17/35 plus from the northern end of the spot you can also nicely shoot 03 departures and probably also the rare 21 arrivals. Some 03 and the rare 35 departures may be too high already though.
TIME	17/35: Sunrise till early noon. 03/21: Sunrise till late noon.
MISC.	Haze may be an issue around noon and on hot days in general – especially on 03/21 shots. Nothing around, no ladder needed thanks to the rocks. There is a gate up north you need to pass – be aware of the opening times: Gate open 6am till 5:30pm // closed on holidays!
FOCAL LENGTH	50-400mm 17/35 side on (90 degree) = 50mm 03/21 movements > 300mm

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