SRQ-Spot1
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April 6, 2021Sarasota-Bradenton Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
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- last modified on September 7, 2021
Sarasota-Bradenton Intl. Airport (SRQ/KSRQ), locally marketed and commonly known as SRQ Airport, is situated between the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton. It is the gateway to the “Cultural Coast” – a coastal strip on Florida’s Gulf coast, which stretches from Bradenton on the northern end to Venice in the South. In 2019, the airport saw close to two million passengers and around 132,000 aircraft movements, of which more than 75% were contributed by General Aviation.
The airport is being served by all US legacy carriers (Delta, American, United) including their regional subsidiaries (Delta Connection, American Eagle, United Express), as well as Allegiant, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier. The top dogs are Delta Air Lines and Allegiant Air with a combined market share of slightly over 50%. Sun Country Airlines and Air Canada Rouge offer seasonal flights from Minneapolis and Toronto respectively, the latter also being the only international route. As indicated above, most traffic is being generated by general aviation, hence spotters will find a great variety of private and biz jets at SRQ.
Written by Thomas Okaty, sample photos for spot #3 courtesy of Jason Beck (local spotter). Last Update: August 2021
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety | |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather |  |
| Visitor Rating How was your trip? Rate this airport! |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 04/22 | 1.527 m (5,009 ft) Asphalt |
| 14/32 | 2.896 m (9,500 ft) Asphalt |
| Terminals | There is one civil passenger terminal serving all flights. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Useful at spots #3 and 4#, but not necessarily needed and definitely not recommended. |
| Car/Public Transport | Spots #1 and #2 are within walking distance from the terminal. A car or bike is needed to get to spots #3 and 4#. |
| Drinks/Food | Not much inside the terminal. There are some fast food places and restaurants along N Tamiami Trail (US Hwy 41) west and south of the airport. |
| Hotels | Several options available south of the airport on University Pkwy and along N Tamiami Trail (US Hwy 41). |
| Season | Best is from late fall through early spring as this is the high season for travel to/from the region and due to heat haze during the summer months. From May through October the volume of traffic goes down and the chance of thunderstorms and hurricanes increases significantly. |
| Security | During our last visit we did not encounter any problems. As always, in case of being approached by police or airport security, stay calm, be cooperative, be nice. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 04/22 | Mainly used by general aviation traffic. |
| 14/32 | Main runway, which is being used by all commercial traffic and also most of the general aviation traffic. |
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Spot #1 – Official Viewing Area – Rwy 14/32 Arrivals & Departures and Movements on ramp east of concourse |
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| WHERE | This is the official viewing area at SRQ airport just outside the eastern end of the terminal. It’s a nice shaded and elevated area with a few benches and a great view of the ramp. It is accessible by foot from Airport Circle (terminal access road) as well as Air Cargo Avenue. If arriving by car, then the short-term parking lot is just across the terminal road (Airport Circle). For parking fees, please check the airport’s website. |
| WHAT | Departures and arrivals on rwy 32. Departures on 14 in climb, arrivals on 14 when they vacate the runway past the crossing of rwy 04/22. All traffic on the ramp east of the terminal concourse. |
| TIME | From early afternoon (rwy 14 arrivals from around noon in winter when the vacate the runway) until sunset. |
| MISC. | Some snacks and drinks as well as restrooms can be found inside the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-400mm A320 on taxiway: 150mm A320 departing/landing on rwy 32: 200mm |
The spot itsself looks like this:
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Spot #2 – University Pkwy/Desoto Rd – Rwy 32 Arrivals
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| WHERE | This spot is located at the corner of University Pkwy and Desoto Rd. As there is no public parking available at this location it is recommended to leave the car in one of the lots at the terminal. It’s a 15-20 minute walk from there. The view is partially obstructed by some trees (check out sample shots). |
| WHAT | Arrivals on rwy 32. |
| TIME | From early afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby, bring what you need. No parking, no restrooms, no shade. It is recommended to keep some distance to the road to avoid distracting drivers. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-200mm A320: 120mm |
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Spot #3 – Restaurant N Tamiami Trail – Rwy 14 Arrivals and Rwy 14/32 Departures |
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| WHERE | This spot is behind a restaurant (currently a Japanese Steakhouse) located on North Tamiami Trail. Coming from the rental car lot, proceed to the airport exit and turn right onto University Pkwy. Then turn right again at the next light onto N Tamiami Trail. Follow along this road for about 1.5 miles until the restaurant, which is located between Hernando Ave and Suwanee Ave, is coming up on your right. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant, but keep in mind that this is a private property! The property is adjacent to the airport fence, there are some pieces of concrete near the fence, which you can stand on to shoot over it. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and departures on rwy 14 as well as line-up/traffic on taxiway for rwy 14. Departures on rwy 32 in climb, but smaller or light loaded aircraft could already be too high for a decent shot. |
| TIME | From mid afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | There are a handful of fast food places nearby. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200mm (taxiway <50mm for 90 degree side shot) A320 landing/departing: 100mm |
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Spot #4 – Abandoned Building N Tamiami Trail – Rwy 14 Arrivals, Departures and Line-up |
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| WHERE | This spot is just a little bit farther down the road from spot #3, between Somerset Ave and Bernard Ave. It is located behind an abandoned, pink colored building and just before the noise barrier, which starts here and expands north along N Tamiami Trail. There’s a curb block right at the fence (see overview photos), which you can stand on, but it’s barely high enough, you need to be at least 6’2″/190cm tall to be able to shoot over the barbwire at the top the fence. Hence, a ladder could be useful at this location, but it is not recommended. Instead consider renting a pick-up truck – the elevated bed of the truck will make an excellent spotting platform as it will be high enough to easily shoot over the fence. It is recommended though to park in some distance from the fence to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention. Although the building appears to be abandoned, please still keep in mind, that this is a private property! |
| WHAT | Rwy 14 Departures and line-up as well as arrivals. |
| TIME | From early afternoon until sunset. |
| MISC. | There are a handful of fast food places nearby. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200mm (taxiway <50mm for 90 degree side shot) A320 landing/departing: 100mm |
4 Comments
What about 301 Blvd E and Lindberg across from the storage place just south of the FBO in that gravel lot where everyone hangs out? That’s good for morning spotting in the summer and I thought that was an official location too
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your comment. In fact, I have been to that location – it’s great for registration spotters and for people who just want to watch the traffic, but for photographers (those who care about proper shots), as you have mentioned it, it’s only good for a short window in the morning. Also, for anything except takeoffs from 14 something to get you elevated above the top of the fence is required (ladder, truck bed etc.). Nonetheless, I was going to add this location and therefore had asked in the SRQ spotter group on Facebook quite a while ago if anyone could provide some sample photos, but that request unfortunately remained more or less unanswered. I’ll probably be down there again in February and are planning to get some shots there then, but in case you happen to have some sample shots, which meet our standards (non-backlit, in focus, properly leveled), and you are willing to share them with us, then feel free to send them to support@spotterguide.net (please mention “SRQ” in the subject). Full credit will be given in the header of the guide.
Thanks and happy spotting,
Thomas
– spotterguide.net crew –
In reference to spot three, my favorite location to spot SRQ when aircraft are arriving/departing runway 14.. If you are looking from the parking lot towards the airport property, on your left hand side where the fencing connects in that corner are a few loose pieces of concrete one could stand on.. if you’re tall enough you can obtain clear shots of both aircraft on final approach as well as on the taxi way, you can also shoot between spacing in the barbed wire.. use your own discretion of course but I myself shoot here often and haven’t come across any issues with restaurant staff, local law enforcement, airport police, airport ops, etc.. there is also a small cluster of trees you can set up a chair and seek refuge under while waiting for the next arrival or departure.. on a small final note it seems between 13:00-14:00 action really slows during this time but allows for a great opportunity to escape the heat and grab a bite to eat..
I’d also like to thank Thomas for creating this article and info contained within.. Amazing work and many kudos as this has become by go to spot for runway 14..
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated! Would you be able to email us a few sample shots taken while standing on those pieces of concrete at location 3 (Email: support@spotterguide.net)? I only stopped at this place briefly as there wasn’t much traffic at the time. Unfortunately I didn’t notice the concrete blocks.
Also, it would be great if you could provide us with an overview shot of the location (similar to location 4).
Thanks,
Thomas
– spotterguide.net crew –