Yes, you can do aircraft spotting in Oregon! Just keep it to a seasonal basis and make sure you don't ruin your camera when the rain starts falling! My dad was on a flight to Portland from Reno on Southwest Airlines one time; he reported the flight being less than half full. He was flying back after attending the
Reno Air Races. And usually around the time when the air races happen, airline staff ask passengers if they're willing to give up their seats because flights get overbooked often. When this happens, passengers who volunteer to give up their seats usually get compensated with things such as free tickets for future travel or hotel
accommodations if there are no more flights for the intended destination. My dad being the opportunist, hoped that would be the case but it wasn't and he had a theory why; a good percentage of those who attend the Reno Air Races are fellow aviation enthusiasts and general aviation pilots. The event occurs in September and in Oregon, it rains A LOT during the fall and winter months. And WHO would would want to fly in crappy conditions anyway? So usually no general aviation pilot would wanna fly in such poor weather Oregon is occasionally known for. So the theory is these type of attendees don't even live in Oregon (and for good reason) and that's why flights even on Southwest Airlines between Portland and Reno are half empty when other flights are overbooked for just one weekend in September.
Needless to say, I have done pretty much half my spotting since officially starting here in Oregon. But with the weather, Oregon does get to become Boregon every once in a while. I would like to pick apart three different airports here around the Willamette Valley:
1.) Portland International Airport (PDX) 4/5
Serving as a hub for
Alaska Airlines, its sister carrier
Horizon Air, as well as the small commuter
SeaPort Airlines,
Portland International Airport is the largest airport in the state of Oregon. Various U.S. carriers offer direct connections to other major hubs in the country as well as Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands. PDX is also a joint civil-military airport so the Oregon Air National Guard is present with the 142nd Fighter Wing's
F-15 Eagle. The first time I spotted at PDX was when it was by a chain link fence next to the business aviation terminal. Didn't get the greatest results but I kept trying; otherwise I wouldn't have spotted here five times until present day. Second all the way to my fifth time was done on the top level of the short-term parking garage (which is $3.00 an hour) and let me tell you the view was great. You can see the entire length of Runway 10L/28R and a portion of 10R/28L despite the rest of it being obstructed by the main terminal building; at least one can get a good view of the Horizon Air ramp. Despite a good view and a decent place to do some spotting, I give PDX a 4/5 because the spotting gets bland. The majority of the air traffic are U.S. carriers with the only non-U.S. airline to serve PDX at present is Air Canada. There was a time however when a couple other international carriers flew to PDX on their routes; German carrier Lufthansa offered daily flights to Frankfurt for six years before the route was indefinitely suspended due to a lack of profitability. Then there was Mexicana Airlines with services to Guadalajara and Mexico City for five years until high fuel prices and changes in demand ended it in 2008. But if you the spotter are a fan of the
Bombardier Dash 8, welcome to the "Dash 8 Mecca" of the west coast! And if you're lucky, you might catch the occasional "delivery flights" of new and used aircraft of foreign carriers as well as other "out of the ordinary" traffic come through PDX. Since there's no state sales tax in Oregon, aircraft companies such as Seattle-based Boeing can conduct "tax free sales" of aircraft when changing ownership. Boeing also has a paint facility at PDX for their aircraft prior to delivery.
Overall, I give PDX a 4/5 for a not-too-shabby place to go spotting but the airport sure could use a little more variety and a little more frequency. But I'll come back here because it's the major airport I usually frequent and if your timing is good, it'll be worth spotting here.
2.) McNary Field (SLE) 3/5
Located in Oregon's State Capital, Salem's
McNary Field serves as a general aviation airport, an
Army Aviation Support Facility for the Oregon Army National Guard, as well as home base of the Oregon Department of Aviation. The airport currently offers no commercial air service but has a history of airlines serving at some point in the past. Regional carrier Horizon Air offered commuter service to Portland and Seattle in the 1980s. United Airlines served SLE with Boeing 737 services to San Fransisco until 1993. The most recent services SLE had until recently was by Delta Airline's Delta Connection operated by SkyWest with flights to Salt Lake City from summer of 2007 until fall of 2008, and then again from April to July 2011 when commuter SeaPort Airlines started Salem-Portland-Seattle routes. Delta suspended the service and disappointed many nearby residents due to rising fuel prices despite the fact flights were up to 80% full. The airline released a statement that in order to make a profit from the route, flights needed to be 85% full. Local experts countered by stating that the only reason why Delta/SkyWest never got to that 85% capacity is due to the airlines' failure to compete more fiercely with the nearby Portland market. SeaPort Airlines tiny fleet consists of general aviation-sized aircraft (the
Pilatus PC-12 and the
Cessna 208 Caravan) capable of carrying at least nine passengers. The service ended after a little over four months due to fuel costs and the lack of ridership, which is just sad for aircraft that only seats nine. Other reasons were also cited such as lack of advertisement among other things.
Despite SLE coming up short on airline service, I give the airport a 3/5 for an okay view and the events that it may host. There's a restaurant located on the general aviation side called Flight Deck Restaurant & Lounge which offers views of the ramp and the entire length of the runway so anyone dining in can catch planes coming in and out, but air traffic at SLE can be next to nothing. The restaurant also hosts a static display/car show event called Hot August Flights which is held for one day when else? In August! It's usually a small fly-in event but it's an opportunity to go on rides and check out the things that are on display. Another event that usually occurs annually would be the Wings of Freedom Tour conducted by the Collings Foundation where they bring in World War II-era aircraft (usually a
B-17 at least) and take people up for rides and put the aircraft on display for one weekend out of the year (usually in the summer). Overall, Salem is not the best but if you're there at the right time, you might be able to catch a few events held at the airport.
3.) Albany Municipal Airport (S12) 2/5
My uncle keeps his
Cessna 172 in a hangar at this airport.
Albany Municipal Airport is the oldest known operating airfield in Oregon (the airport opened in 1920). Because of this history, Albany Municipal Airport became the first airport in Oregon to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as the Albany Municipal Airport Historic District. It also serves as the location for the aeronautics portion of the annual
Northwest Art and Air Festival. Not much to really be seen at this airport since there's only an average of 68 aircraft operations a day. But spotting is possible if you have the right connections and timing. Plus, if you're a fan of
light-sport aircraft and
kit aircraft, there are plenty to be seen and kept in hangars at this airport. In fact, in a hangar across from my uncle's Cessna is a man restoring an
ERCO Ercoupe. So unless you're really interested in light-sport or kit aircraft or that annual festival, I don't really recommend spending time spotting not just in Albany but any other small general aviation airport that only sees an average of under 100 aircraft operations. Remember, these airports only exist in order to accommodate private pilots and their personal aircraft.
Without being biased, I give Albany Municipal a 2/5 for it's history, events, and the slight uniqueness in terms of what aircraft are seen here.
