SPOTTING

Cork Airport is an ideal area for aviation spotting. With its wide variety of low-cost carriers and major airlines combined with the numerous viewing points it is well suited to taking photos and just watching. There are some well located areas to take photos and as yet Cork Airport has not become over regulated or hampered by over policing and security.

The Cork Spotters photo gallery has all the unusual, strange and interesting aircraft that visit Cork. It is updated regularly, and you are free to upload your own photos from Cork Airport.

On the map some of the best viewing spots are marked with a “V”. There are however other spots, but these I feel are the best.

Starting at the top left and working clockwise, these are the areas:

1)      The new terminal has a limited view of the main apron from the restaurant. The public are not at the very front of the terminal unless in the departures area. Recommended only if using the departures lounge.

2)      The old terminal is now closed, and no longer available for viewing airside operations.

3)      Lios Cross is possibly the best viewing point of activity in all directions and ideal for photographing landing and departing aircraft on runway 35. There is car parking space and an elevated area to take photos over the airport boundary fence.

4)      The emergency gate before the start of runway 07 is a good place to see what aircraft are parked on the stands and to see aircraft touching down/rotating on runways 17/35 respectively. The ditch to the left can also be stood on with caution! Please do not leave a parked car in this area as it is an emergency services access point.

5)      This next point is really only for taking “one-off” photos as it is on the road. If you continue from the emergency gate for ~1km there is a minor road to the left and a farm to the right. 20m after the farm is a gate on the right. There’s enough space for a car to pull in but no more. Photos can be taken here of landing aircraft on runway 17 provided one is quick as the aircraft pass quickly.

6)      This area is inside the first airport boundary where the approach lights are. One may proceed as far as the primary airport boundary. I do not use this area very often. Also, just after the sharp bend in the road there is a small area large enough to park two cars. There is a view of aircraft on finals to runway 17 from this point.
 

As always, display discretion in these sensitive areas and do not interfere in any way with anything inside the boundaries. These are not official spotting or viewing points but the airport authorities do not bother people using them in general. Be considerate in these areas as we do not want them blocked off to the public for viewing, as in other airports.