Planespotting Warsaw — EPWA
Warsaw Chopin is the biggest spotting scene in Poland and one of the few places in the region where a single day can give you a long-haul Dreamliner, a heavy transport and a government Boeing 737 BBJ2. Two runways carry the traffic: the longer 15/33 (3,690 m) and the shorter 11/29 (2,800 m) — and which one is working decides where you stand. When 11/29 is active, spotters head for the hill on ul. Wykusz or out to Opacz-Kolonia; on 15/33 they move to Paluch, Kinetyczna and the viaducts over the southern ring road. The military side of Okęcie is home to the 1st Air Transport Base with two Gulfstream G550s and two Boeing 737-800 BBJ2s, so government colours are a regular sight rather than a lucky one. This page tells you where to stand and what to expect — and Spotterra pings you the moment something worth chasing is inbound.
- PLF033 C295 6 800 ft
- LOT4YA E75S 5 275 ft
- SPRWG AAT3 1 175 ft
- SPAWY SD4 1 075 ft RWY 33
- TXLU01
- TXLU02
- LOT5N B772
- LOT1MH E295
Conditions right now
Runways
- 15/33 RWY 33 3,689 × 60 m · 12,103 × 197 ft asphalt
- 11/29 2,563 × 49 m · 8,409 × 161 ft concrete
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody55%
- Widebody22%
- Cargo8%
- Bizjet7%
- Turboprop5%
- Military3%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Spotters' hill on ul. Wykusz
The Okęcie classic and the first place to send anyone who asks where to watch aircraft in Warsaw. From a low rise right at the perimeter fence you get landings on runway 11, departures on 29 and movement on the apron. The area is fenced with a metal gate, and it draws families as much as photographers with long lenses.
- Getting there
- ul. Wykusz, 02-186 Warsaw — turn off Aleja Krakowska into an unremarkable side street. By car right up to the gate; by public transport it is a walk from the P+R Al. Krakowska park-and-ride or the Szyszkowa stop.
- Best time
- Whenever the 11/29 pair is in use. Which direction is active comes down to the wind — check before you set off; Spotterra predicts the active runway from the live METAR. Free, open around the clock.
- Lens
- 70–200 mm for finals and departures, 24–70 mm for aircraft passing close overhead. You will not need anything longer here.
Opacz-Kolonia — the long final to 11
This village in the Michałowice district sits under the approach path to runway 11. Aircraft are still a few hundred metres up but already have gear and flaps out. It is a different picture from the tight portrait at the fence: more sky, more landscape and far fewer people next to you.
- Getting there
- Opacz-Kolonia, gmina Michałowice, just beyond Warsaw's western boundary. Easiest by car or bike; park at the edge of the village and stay off the field tracks.
- Best time
- Only when arrivals use runway 11. In the opposite configuration you will be looking at an empty sky, so check the direction first.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm — the aircraft are higher than at the fence.
Raszyn viaduct over Aleja Krakowska
The footbridge over Aleja Krakowska gives you, with a long lens, aircraft descending to runway 11 with the Warsaw skyline behind them — a frame you cannot get from the hill or the terrace. Shots from here turn up in Warsaw spotters' archives all the time.
- Getting there
- Raszyn, the pedestrian bridge over Aleja Krakowska. By car or bus towards Raszyn; park off the road and do not block the walkway on the bridge itself.
- Best time
- When runway 11 is in use. The skyline works best on a clear day — after a front has passed, not in summer haze.
- Lens
- 300 mm and up. This is a long-lens spot; a compact will not cut it.
Paluch — runways 15 and 33
When the airport works the longer runway, spotting moves here. Behind the animal shelter a track runs along the allotment gardens to the airport fence, giving you arrivals and departures on 33 and departures on 15. The fence is high, so a step ladder or a platform genuinely helps.
- Getting there
- Paluch, the track behind the animal shelter and then along the allotments to the fence. By car or bike; respect the allotment grounds and keep access clear.
- Best time
- In the 15/33 configuration. This is the long runway (3,690 m), so widebodies come down here too.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm plus something to stand on. Without a platform half your frames are fence.
Kinetyczna, Wirażowa, Czempińska and the Złote Łany viaduct
The extended centreline of runway 33: aircraft head-on and from below, and from the ul. Złote Łany viaduct over the southern ring road with the city behind them. Several points sit close together, so if the light fails at one you simply walk on to the next.
- Getting there
- Reach the area along ul. Kinetyczna; the Złote Łany viaduct crosses the Warsaw southern ring road. By car or bike, parking on the side streets.
- Best time
- When arrivals use runway 33. The viaduct is busy — keep the pavement clear and do not shoot from the carriageway.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm from the viaduct, 70–200 mm on the extended centreline.
Terminal A observation deck
A glazed, covered deck above the rebuilt part of the terminal: both runways, the taxiways, part of the apron and a monitor showing the radar picture. Everything is behind glass, so reflections are a permanent nuisance — but in bad weather or with a child in tow it is the most comfortable option in the city.
- Getting there
- Terminal A, entrance from the stairs leading to the railway station; two lifts and a staircase take you up. Admission is free, opening hours 6:00–22:00.
- Best time
- NOTE: the airport's own website states the deck has been closed since 1 August with no reopening date announced. Check lotnisko-chopina.pl before you travel — the Wykusz hill is free and open around the clock.
- Lens
- A rubber lens hood pressed against the glass, or a cupped hand. Without it reflections will eat most of your frames.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
European narrowbodies all day — the A320 family and 737s — plus LOT's Embraers on regional routes. The arrival banks add 787 Dreamliners off the long-haul network. The military side of Okęcie is a layer of its own: the 1st Air Transport Base flies two Boeing 737-800 BBJ2s („Roman Dmowski” and „Ignacy Jan Paderewski”) and two Gulfstream G550s, the fleet that carries the country's leadership. Heavy transports like the An-124 or C-5 Galaxy keep no schedule here, but Warsaw spotters' archives are full of them — and those are exactly the aircraft an alert pays for itself on.
What actually flew over Warsaw in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B38M 28.6 %
- A21N 16.6 %
- B738 13.8 %
- E195 13.3 %
- E75S 10.8 %
- E190 8.9 %
- AAT3 4.3 %
- B788 3.8 %
Radio frequencies
Listen in — knowing what is inbound beats staring at the sky.
| Okęcie TOWER | 118.305 |
| Okęcie GROUND | 121.905 |
| Okęcie DELIVERY | 121.605 |
| Warszawa APPROACH | 128.805 |
| Warszawa ATIS ARR | 120.455 |
| Warszawa ATIS DEP | 123.430 |
FAQ
What's that plane over Warsaw?
Open Spotterra's live map — you'll see every aircraft over Warsaw in real time, with type, registration and route. Free, no install, straight from the ADS-B network.
Where's the best spot at EPWA?
On the 11/29 pair it's the hill on ul. Wykusz and Opacz-Kolonia. On 15/33 it's Paluch, Kinetyczna and the viaducts over the southern ring road. Which direction is working depends on the wind, and Spotterra predicts it from the live METAR.
Is the Chopin Airport observation deck open?
The airport's own website states the Terminal A deck has been closed since 1 August, with no reopening date announced. Check before you travel. The hill on ul. Wykusz is free and open around the clock.
How do I get alerts for interesting aircraft?
Sign up, set your location and radius, pick your categories (military, cargo, rare types) and the alert arrives by push, Telegram or email — often 10–30 minutes before a long-haul arrival.
Spotterra watches the sky over Warsaw
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
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