Spotter's Guide to Buchan Airport (X36)

Englewood, Florida: Buchan Airport (X36) is a grass-strip public airfield located just outside downtown Olde Englewood. The air strip is the highlight of the Buchan Airport Community Park operated by Sarasota County Parks & Rec.

 Buchan Airport features a lone runway. Runway 12/30 is a 2,040 grass runway marked my white tires. There are no lights nor tower operations at the airport.

Buchan Airport is home to a few single engine and experimental aircraft. They also host an annual fly-in breakfast and is a popular spot for flying groups get-togethers.

2012 Buchan-Dearborn Aviation Day
The fly-in breakfast is held annually in October. Pilots of various types of aircraft fly into Buchan Airport for a breakfast and conversation. While the pilots are eating and networking, their aircraft are available to view. 

The only drawback to spotting at Buchan Airport is the lack of reliable air traffic. Chance of observing air traffic increases on weekends, evenings and during the winter resident tourist season. Planning a trip just to spot at Buchan Airport may not be a great idea, but it is a great addition to a trip to Manasota Key, downtown Olde Englewood or nearby Lemon Bay Park. Venice Municipal Airport is about 30 minutes north of Buchan Airport and features more air traffic.

Area A
Access to the airport is not restricticted. The best spotting location is adjacent to the runway along the park driveway (Area A).

As for equipment, the sample photos I took here were all taken with a hand-held Canon Rebel XS with a 55-250mm IS lens. The camera was programmed to the factory sport setting. So your individual results will vary with the camera, lens and settings you choose. I am extremely amateur with the camera and the settings, so I kept everything basic.



There is no tower to communicate with at Buchan Airport, all pilot communications occur on the Common Traffic Air Frequency (CTAF) 122.900.

Buchan Airport is located at 1390 Olde Englewood Road in Englewood, Florida 34223. It is just south of State Road 776 (Englewood Road). You can reach State Road 776 from I-75 via either Exit 191 (River Road) or Exit 193 (Jacaranda Blvd). The airport is about 7-10 miles from the interstate.

All of these locations and information are of an information purpose only. They are not official positions or approved by Buchan Airport/Sarasota County. As with spotting at any airport post 9/11, travel with photo identification and obey the requests and orders of airport officials or local law enforcement.

Enjoy your time at Buchan Airport. Be sure to share your photos and experiences below. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or send me an e-mail.

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