Steve has written this report of his spotting observations after recently passing through Halifax Airport in Canada.

Sitting at the above airport waiting for my flight on the first leg of my journey to Portland OR, first hop being on a Air Georgian B1900D to Moncton NB and then on to Toronto ON on a long Jazz CRJ before finally getting my Air Canada E190 flight to Portland. Front cabin seats today compliments of Continental One Pass;-)

Anyway, since I have a bit of time to kill decided to give a short report on viewing from the terminal here at Halifax or more specifically the public viewing area. Said area which is behind glass is located on the top of the terminal reached via elevator from the main lobby level. In the morning as it is now, the sun is right in one’s face so no good for photos which is what I do but one could log happily away, no seems to care, at least of the occasional John Q Public that have wandered in and out since I have been here. From this spot one can see about 10 gates and what is parked on them although the problem would be ID’ing some them while parked. One can see both runways or parts thereof from here so anything on the move is easy with optics. Later in the day photos would be good from this spot and the glass does not look tinted so as to cause a problem although I have not shot anything to test that statement.

Washrooms are provided and the place is comfortably climate controlled. Food and drink is a short elevator ride away so a civilized place for the essentials.

Traffic is as expected here in Canada with Air Canada using mostly narrow body Airbus and Embraer types and an occasional B763. Jazz use the small Dash 8 and both CRJ models they fly although the operation here is not big and the few Dashes repeat all day. Westjet use mostly the 700 series of their only type but do occasionally use the 600 and 800. Porter are pretty frequent, one nosing up to the gate to my right as I type. I already mentioned my Georgian flight and they are in and out all day with 3 airplanes based here.

On the American front, Delta Connection CRJ’s, American Eagle ERJ’s, United/Continental Express will use E170′s, E145′s and Colgan Dash 8′s depending on the season and the final item I can think of off the top of my head is US Airways Express with E170′s just now but could also be a CRJ.

That about covers the terminal traffic which one can expect to see easily from the viewing area. Of course some traffic from the hangars and FBO’s will be seen on the runways but that traffic is subject for another report on another day;-) Today I must have been blessed as in the hour I have been here I have seen 3 “special” liveries, Jetz and Kids Horizon of Air Canada and the Star Alliance CRJ2 of Jazz. I sure hope that is an omen of things to come in the next 10 days at Portland and Seattle with the home team at those places having lots of special liveries to show me;-)

Now, time to sign off and head through the wall of paranoia, er security and up to the departure lounge where the views are about the same as they are here. Hope this report might be of use to someone in the unlikely event they are actually travelling in this rather remote part of the globe.

Jaunted has posted another excellent piece on plane spotting. Get Thee To The Jetty: Perfect Plane Spotting in Vancouver is a nice little overview on wandering along the waterfront as small seaplanes buzz over your head as they land in the harbour.

Take a look at the blog post.

Canada’s principal gateway in the east and a very busy airport, Toronto Pearson is worth the visit if you need any of the Air Canada fleet. Most of the country’s other airlines also visit, as well as various regional types from the main US carriers across the border.

The airport can be quite complex to negotiate, and never has one perfect solution to the spotter given the differing runway directions – especially if photography is your thing.

The best bet intially is to drive the perimeter road which will give you a good idea of what aircraft are in, and where the best spots may be.

The best place to join this road is at ground level outside Terminal 1. Look out for Silver Dart Drive and follow it as it passes the various ramps and runways. It soon turns into Convair Drive, and then Courtneypark Drive E. Turn onto Dixie Road, Derry Road E, and then Airport Road to take you back to the terminals and complete the loop.

There are various vantage locations around this perimeter road, although sometimes the police may move you on. A courtesy call to the airport police has often been very much welcomed, with the spotters being encouraged to carry on at will.

The best spots seem to be on the mound to the west of the FedEx ramp, and in the midfield cargo terminal area.