Rocky Mountain Aviation Photography

Pros: Close to the threshold of 35R. Excellent for take-offs and landings on Rwys 35L/R. Decent for take-offs on Rwys 17L/R. Good afternoon spot. Good overview of APA. Little if any hassle.

Cons: Bad morning spot. Horrible for landings on 17L/R. Focal distance to 35R/17L a bit of a problem.

The SW Lot is a business park parking lot, minus the business. This is the default afternoon spot at APA. Many times, other aviation buffs, people of their lunch breaks, and families will be parked here and watching biz jets and Cessnas take off and land. Because both 35R/17L and 35L/17R border most of the Fixed based operators- FBO's... think "mini terminals"- it's easy to see that this spot will get you close to most of the runway action. Don't worry about the Douglas Co. PD here; they're open to the idea of aviation photography. 200mm will be a bit of a problem for the smaller aircraft on 35R. To get to the SW Lot from E-470 or Lincoln Ave, exit/turn North on Peoria St. Go under E-470 and turn left of Liberty Blvd. Liberty Blvd will curve south around the airport perimeter but will curve back to the north. Turn right on to Inverness Dr. South and right again into the business park parking lot. Go to the back of the lot and enjoy. From Arapahoe and Peoria: Turn south on Peoria; Peoria will have a fork. The right fork will go the Northern FBO area, and the left one will turn into Brocos Pkwy. Take the left fork down to the Potomac St light. Turn right on Potomac St and take another right on Potomac St; oddly enough this will still be Potomac St. Potomac St will border the airport. The road will curve to the east and become County Line Rd. Travel down to the Peoria St. intersection and turn left. On Peoria, turn left on Liberty Blvd. Liberty Blvd, as mentioned, will curve south around the airport perimeter and will curve then back to the north. Turn right on to Inverness Dr. South and right again into the business park parking lot.

2. Cul-de-sac

Pros: Close to the 35R/17L centerline. Easy to access spot. Good sillouette spot- late afternoon. Excellent spot for takeoffs and landings on 17L and 35R, respectively. Little harrassment.

Cons: Bad afternoon spot- backlit. Distant 35R threshold- bad 35R takeoff spot. Hardly any view of the field.

This is one of the older "new-spots" at APA. A few years ago, Liberty Rd. was expanded, but they old cul-de-sac remained. Liberty Media will be behind you, and the expansion of the Liberty Media Group will hopefully mean more airport operations. You're close to the action here, but be advised that early rotations on 17L will get out of range of a 200mm telephoto quickly. A major problem with this spot is the inability to see movements around the field; this adds a degree of difficulty to Rwy 17L takeoffs. To get to the To get to the Liberty cul-de-sac from E-470 or Lincoln Ave, exit/turn North on Peoria St. Go under E-470 and turn left of Liberty Blvd From Arapahoe and Peoria: Turn south on Peoria; when Peoria forks, take the left fork down to the Potomac St light. Turn right on Potomac St and take another right on Potomac St; oddly enough this will still be Potomac St. Potomac St will border the airport. The road will curve to the east and become County Line Rd. Travel down to the Peoria St. intersection and turn left. On Peoria, turn left on Liberty Blvd, and follow the road to the cul-de-sac- right side of the road.

3. 17L Threshold

Pros: Extremely close to the action! Less than 30 feet from taxiway Alpha and Alpha One. Little hassle Less than 100 feet from Rwy 17L. Hidden. Good morning to mid-afternoon spot. Good sillouette spot- later afternoon. Decent views of the field. Mountain background.

Cons: No good for 35L/R departures. Backlit in mid-late afternoon. Fence. Hidden.

If you like to be up close and personal, do not miss this spot! As stated, the 17L threshold is extremely close to your viewfinder. Often, on weekends and late afternoons, a family will stop by and look at the action. Future spotters. One question: Do you have car insurance? You'll need it! There is a fence, about 8 feet high, sperating you from the runway. Furthermore, the fence is set on a small rise, as the parking lot has been "sunk." Thus, that insurance will come in handy when you have to stand on your hood, or roof! But you will be close to the action, none the less. This spot will allow you to nab a friendly wave from a pilot as he taxis out, departs, and arrives on 17L. To get to the 17L threshold exit I-25 at Arapahoe (Exit 197). Go east on Araphoe and turn right on Peroia.

4. Ballpark

Pros: Great views of the field. Good morning to mid-afternoon spot. Good for sillouette spot in late-afternoon. Belly shots. Good for closest spot to 35R approach path.

Cons: Farthest spot from the field. Subject to hassle from an adjoining sweage plant. Bad mid to late-afternoon spot.

Take me out to the ballgame... A search around the area south of APA yielded this spot. While this spot may be almost a mile from the threshold of 35R, biz-jets will fly over you at less than 300 feet. Easy with a small telephoto. The spot is great in the morning, but loses its light by the middle of the afternoon; all shots will be backlit. This spot is pretty worthless when aircraft depart on the 17s, but every so often a strait-out departure will happen. None-the-less, its better to just go to the 17L threshold. To get to the Ballpark from E-470, exit Peoria. Go south on Peoria to Mt. Belford Av- about a 1/4 south of E-470. Turn right on Mt. Belford Ave. The Ballpark will be on your right- about 1/2 mile down.

5. Easter Av

Pros: Similar conditions to 17L Threshold, good approach shots to 17L. Belly shots. Good morning to early afternoon spot.

Cons: Not nearly as good as the 17L threshold spot. No view of the airfield. Bad mid to late afternoon spot-backlit photos. Not even a good sillouette spot.

This is a new spot at KAPA, and this spot complements the ballpark spot. Hell, there's even a batting cage near Easter Rd. This spot will allow you to view arrivals to the 17s off airport property. Thus, you can get a bit closer to arriving traffic. What's not so hot about this spot is the fact that you cannot view any departing traffic. However, if you walk along Easter Rd, you can use this spot all day; just walk until the light is on your back. From Arapahoe, go south on Peoria to the Family Fun Center. Enter the Family Fun Center parking lot and go to the southern end of the lot. Park.

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All material copyright 2006 Kyle Matson, Eric D Smith, Jason Thacher, and Ryan Richter.
No use without permission.