Spotter’s Guide to Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)

Punta Gorda, Florida: Although it lacks in commercial traffic, Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) has plenty of photo opportunities in the air and on the ground thanks to a thriving restoration base and general aviation traffic. The airport is also home to the Florida International Airshow, an annual event that takes place in March.

PGD features three active runways. Runway 4/22 is the longest at 7,193 feet and is the primary runway for commercial and jet traffic. Runway 15/33 is 5,688 feet long and is the primary general aviation runway. Runway 9/27 is the shortest runway at 2,636 feet and is rarely used.

With the financial problems suffered by Direct Air in 2012, PGD was left with just one commercial carrier, Allegiant Air. But Allegiant stepped up and made PGD a focus city for their operations, offering flights from PGD to twelve destinations.

PGD is also home to Trudeau Warbird Enterprises Trudeau is a renowened warbirds restoration company. With their operations at the airport, you never know what you will find flying into the airport or in the hangar area.

2012 Florida International Air Show

A major event at the airport is the annual Florida International Air Show. Occurring annually in March, the show combines stunning static displays with amazing aerial acts. Major headlines have included the US Air Force Thunderbirds and most recently the Blue Angels. While the show does charge an admission in the area of $25, the close proximity to the flight line makes it well worth the money.

PGD is a difficult airport for spotting. Much of this is due to the lack of scheduled service. While Allegiant serves twelve destinations, they are not daily flights. They actually only operated 2 or 3 flights a day at PGD. In addition, Allegiant has a history of not being on time, making it hard to time a visit with their flight schedule.

Another problem to overcome is the positioning of the runways. Much of the traffic occurs on Runway 15/33 with the jet traffic using Runway 4/22. But the intersection of these runways occur in the southern portion of the runways, making it hard to photography both runways from the same location.

Here are a few locations I have tried at PGD.

Area A

A - Woodlawn Dr on the south end of the airport is the best location to capture both runways. The is the only place where you can position yourself between both active runways. There are wide grass shoulders on the road and very limited vehicle traffic making it a safe place to watch. This area is idea for departures from runways 5 & 22 for arrivals to runways 4 & 33.

Area B

B - Old UPS facility on Challenger Blvd on the north side of the airport. This is an abandoned facility with a paved parking lot that site between both runways. However this is the end of the airport in which the runways are the furthest from each other. You will need a decent lens to get the the general aviation traffic on 15/33 since they are smaller, however it is possible. 4/22 isn’t a problem since the aircraft are typically MD-80 series.

Area C

C - Empty pad on Challenger Blvd. Just a little further east of location B lies an abandoned parking lot and concrete pad that lies right next to the fence of the airport, adjacent to Runway 4/22. This is an excellent spot for Runway 22 arrivals as you are right next to the numbers on the runway. From this location, you are too far and secluded to get any traffic from Runway 15/33.

Area D

D - SkyView Cafe. Next to the Bailey terminal is the SkyView Cafe. It is open to the public and located outside the terminal so you do not have to deal with a security checkpoint. The cafe features patio seating overlooking the ramp, allowing you to watch the aircraft at the gate. There is a large chain link fence that forms the barrier for the secure area so you will need to deal with obstructed photos, have a lense that can focus through the fence or try and photograph through the openings through the links.

Area E

E - Flightline Seating. This location is only available for the air show, but it is as close as it gets. If you are not lucky enough to be a VIP in a chalet, there are numerous paid upgrade tickets or get to the show early enough to secure a front row seat in the unreserved area. The show also has a photographer package that allows you access to the statics before the gates open and a reserved spot on the flightline for up close action. But no matter where you sit, there isn’t a bad seat in the house for this one.

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.

If you would like to listen to the action, here are the radio frequencies for the airport:

• Punta Gorda Tower - 121.000 
• Punta Gorda Ground - 119.550 

The tower at PGD is only staffed from 0700-1900. Afterwards, pilots using the airport communicate on the UNICOM channel (122.975).

PGD is located at 28000 Airport Rd in Punta Gorda, Florida 33982. It is located at Exit 161 off I-75. Once you exit the interstate, head east on Jones Loop Rd until you reach Piper Rd. Follow Piper Rd until you reach the airport. You will pass spotting location A (Woodlawn) first, then Airport Rd followed by spotting locations B & C (Challenger).

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

Enjoy your time at PGD. 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.