@LeppAviation joins me to show some of the locations for spotting at Willow Run airport (KYIP).
0:00 Intro
4:07 Spot 1: Along Ecorse road runs a service drive. This spot is ideal for approach shots when runway 23 is in use and departure shots when 5 is used. The road allows you to be on either side of the runway depending on the lighting. Closer to Denton road is better for later in the day shots how ever to far and the trees will start to obstruct. Cons about this spot, power lines will obstruct a head on shot. There is also a lot of road noise if taking a video as well as the occasional person honking to say Hi.
5:05 Spot 2: At the end of the hangars on the east ramp, there is a parking lot with a short fence. From here aircraft on Ameristar's ramp can be photographed as well as aircraft clearing customs. Aircraft beginning their take off rolls down 5L can also be photographed. Yankee uses the hangar space on the other end so Bombers taxiing out maybe be photographed when runway 5 is in use.
5:32 Spot 3: There is a large gravel lot off of Tyler road where the old hangar used to be. This spot is ideal when runway 5 is in use and offers great approach shots and offers departure shots when 23 is being used, however the aircraft might be high at that point. There is a gravel hill that will get you about level with the fence line making it possible for 5R arrivals as well as 23L departures that roll long or climb slow. This spot will become back lit later in the day.
You can walk or drive through the gravel lot towards Kalitta's buildings which will allow you to take pictures through the fence of the aircraft on Kalitta's ramp. As you get closer, the fence will become short where it makes a 90 degree turn which will allow you to take pictures of Kalitta's planes above the fence and from a different angle.
7:48 Spot 4: Along Tyler road the fence is short and the road is high. There is a small pull off by a gate where you can sit. When runway 5 is in use aircraft taxiing from the West ramp can be photographed when they taxi down H as well as aircraft taxiing to the west ramp after landing on 23L. The photo shown was taken from the bed of my pickup truck with a 55-250mm lens. Photos and videos of aircraft departing are very far away and will be extremely heat hazed in the summer. Due to the distance, it is also very hard to pick up engine noise during video.
8:34 Spot 5: UPDATE: ***B52 has been moved and there is now a hangar here. View is still more or less the same from the parking lot*** If you take A street all the way to the end, you will end up in a gravel lot near Yankees B52 bomber and some corporate jets owned by the A/P school. This spot is ok for 23L and 27 arrivals but becomes backlit later in the day and is kind of a far shot. Videos will be at some points partially obstructed by the trees and by the B52 tail. Unlike the spot on the Ecorse service drive, this spot is very secluded and won't have car noise, people honking or really people in general.
Further down from this spot is AV flight West and USA jet. The fence along the entire west ramp is short and photos can be taken over it with minimal effort. You can drive down C street, D street, the parking lot at Odyssey aviation, F Street or Tyler road and take photos of corporate aircraft or charters at the FBO, USA jets fleet and any cargo carriers that fly in and are not based at YIP.
