Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Continent: North America

Country: United States

Region: Minnesota

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota
IATA code	MSP
ICAO code	KMSP
Airport type	Commercial
Website	http://www.mspairport.com
Overview map	Google Maps
Communications
Tower	123.675(Rwy 17/35) 123.95(Rwy 12L/30R) 126.7(Rwys 12R/30L & 04/22)
Ground	121.8(North) 121.9(South)
Clearance	133.2
Approach	118.72(Rwy 35) 119.3(N or E of arrival Rwys & Rwy 17) 126.95(S or W of arrival Rwys & Rwys 04 and 11)
Departure	124.7(S or E of arrival Rwys) 125.75(N or W of arrival Rwys)
ATIS	120.8(Dep) 135.35(Arr)
Departure	122.95

Official Spotting Locations

Concourse D Observation Deck

The observation deck at MSP is located just prior to the Concourse D departure lounge, and is up a flight of stairs marked "Observation Deck", but the stairway and sign are somewhat concealed (it's immediately to your left as you transition from the hallway outside Quizno's to the departure lounge). The deck offers good views of Concourse C, Concourse E, and on Runway 12L/30R, as well as traffic to and from Concourses A, B, and C on the taxiway paralleling Runway 12L/30R. A lens of about 200mm on a 1.6 DSLR should be plenty for just about all operations visible from this location. The observation deck is covered by windows on all sides however.

Post Road Parking Lot

The observation deck for those who are not able to get into the terminal can view 30L/12R operations off Post Road. From Highway 5: Take the Post Road exit and follow it west past a gas station. The parking lot is on the left. From I-494/Mall of America: Take the 34th Avenue exit towards the HHH terminal. Go past the terminal and take a left on Post Road. Spotter notes: There is a large blast fence which blocks the right half of the area. This place is fantastic when 30L is in use as you can get a decent shot of every aircraft landing or departing. When 12R is in use generally you will miss all of the landings as they tend to exit to the left off the runway before they come into a good view.

Lindbergh Terminal Parking Ramps

While this option will cost you a few dollars, it gives you a great view of both the 12/30 runways. Drive up to the 8th or 9th floor, and you can walk (or drive) between the different ramps for different views.

Other Spotting Locations

Gate F10

There are a number of gates at MSP that are generally more photo-friendly than most, due to a number of factors (direction the windows face, availability of windows at certain points in relation to the gate, no adjacent gate, etc..), and Gate F10 is one of these. Generally, photography is good earlier in the day, and a standard zoom is more than enough coverage for stuff at the gate, although a long telephoto could be used to shoot ops on Rwy 30L/12R, and also Taxiways A and A7.

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large

Locations to Avoid

Regular Traffic

Northwest has the largest presence by far, accounting for 85%+ of the traffic. Generally you will see these Northwest aircraft daily:

• DC-9-30/40/50
• Airbus A319/A320/A330
• Boeing 757-200/300
• Boeing 747-400
• CRJ-200/440
• Saab 340

Other frequent visits include:

• American Airlines/ American Eagle/ American Connection
  • ERJ-145
  • MD-80
• United
  • CRJ-200/700
  • Boeing 737-300/500
• US Airways
  • Embraer 170
  • Boeing 737-400
  • Airbus A319
• Continental/ Continental Express
  • ERJ-145
  • Boeing 737-300
• Sun Country (also hubbed, these tend to be 2nd most frequent)
  • Boeing 737-800
• Delta
  • CRJ-200
  • MD-80
  • Boeing 737-800
• Midwest/ Midwest Connect
  • 717-200
  • CRJ-200
• Frontier
  • A318/319
• AirTran
  • 717-200
  • 737-700
• FedEx
  • DC-10
  • MD-11
  • A300
  • 767
• UPS
  • MD-11
  • DC-8
• DHL
  • DC-8
  • 757