The Best Plane Spotting Location At CVG Cincinnati
January 4, 2025
Photographing Commercial Aircraft At CVG
When I’m in or around Cincinnati, I enjoy visiting CVG (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport) in Hebron, Kentucky, to photograph airplanes. There is a fantastic plane-spotting location at CVG airport. It is a small park overlooking the cargo terminal, runways, and aircraft taking off and landing. The park is thoughtfully designed and includes amenities like restrooms, a playground for kids, plenty of parking, and trash bins. It’s located on a hill, providing a nice vantage point.
Although the park is not right next to the airport, you’ll need a good zoom lens to capture close-up shots of the planes. It’s a perfect spot to visit if you’re early for a flight or waiting to pick someone up, as it’s only about five minutes from the airport entrance. It is called the “CVG Airplane Viewing Area.”
Cincinnati is one of the busiest cargo hubs in the U.S., making it a great place to see cargo planes. You’ll often spot Amazon Prime Air and DHL aircraft, including plenty of 767s. CVG also has several passenger flights daily, and while you can sometimes watch planes landing, most of the activity involves takeoffs. The runway near the cargo terminal offers some excellent views, especially when planes take off to the west—it’s quite scenic.
Eventually, I’d like to visit Anchorage, Alaska, which is the main hub for cargo plane activity in the U.S., but CVG is a solid spot for plane spotting in the Northern Kentucky, Southern Ohio, and Eastern Indiana regions. It’s a must-visit for aviation enthusiasts in the area! If you are looking for a fun plane-spotting location at CVG, this one is for you.
What Lens To Use At A Plane-Spotting Location At CVG
I use a 150-600mm Sigma lens to get close. When I want to get a lot closer, I set my crop mode to 1.6, bringing the lens to 960mm. Still, this isn’t close enough for several of the runways. For the one closest to the park, it is perfect.
