Airport Spotting Blog

On honeymoon in Iceland recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Reykjavik’s downtown airport, which is used extensively for domestic flights, biz jets, deliveries and fuel stops, flying schools, and Coast Guard flights.

The airport is quite small and compact, with small runways. It is literally over the road from the city centre. When a plane lands or departs, the rest of the town generally knows about it!

I had been expecting it to be a little busier, but nevertheless I still got a good mix of t

ypes, with biz from across Europe and North America. I saw the whole fleet of Flugfelag Islands (Air Iceland) over two days. I also saw the preserved DC-3 TF-NPK in Icelandair colours.

To make sure you cover everything possible, take a walk around the perimeter on the eastern side, towards the beach. This will uncover a few hidden ramps of light aircraft. Also take a walk north of the passenger terminal to see what’s parked outside the other light aircraft hangars. Walking around will also ensure you can see everything parked on the passenger ramp, and the eastern ramp where biz and other aircraft park.

I was fortunate enough to stay in the Icelandair Loftleidir Hotel which is next to the control tower on the eastern perimeter. I had a room which overlooks both main ramps, and all of the runways. I didn’t miss any movements, even at night. Photographs are also possible from your room.

Chateuroux is a small airport in France, an hour or so south of Paris. It has very little flight activity, with just a regional link to the capital of note.

However, the airport has become synonymous with airliner storage and nearly always has a few widebodies put out to pasture, ready for scrapping or eventual return to service.

The reason I mention Chateauroux now is that I just saw a log of what is currently stored there and was quite surprised! The log includes:

I’m back from honeymoon now. Before I move on to details of spotting in Iceland and Copenhagen (stay tuned!), I’ll simply write this note I received about spotting at Rand airfield in South Africa - a very popular side-trip for spotters in the Johannesburg area.

Spotters are usually permitted to take an airside tour of the hangars and parked aircraft, escorted by the fire department at the airfield. You simply have to turn up at the Airport Manager’s office (ask at the Information Desk), sign a form, and they’ll organise it if possible that day.

I also got told that the Academy B&B nearby gives guests a key for the gate onto the apron and a token to get you through security. This seems a little unbelievable, so please let us know if you’ve found it to be true!

Just a little note to let you know there will be no posts for another week as I am away on honeymoon.

Expect an Iceland trip report once I’m back!

Flywrite

Here is a note from Paul Moiser about the spotting situation at the Sheraton Deira Hotel near Dubai Airport. I’ve posted it with his kind approval:

I’ve noticed whilst I have been away many of you have emailed me
directly asking about the spotting situation here at the Sheraton
Deira in Dubai, As I have had that many I found it impossible given
the time and cost to reply to each and everyone whilst posting my logs
each evening, so here is the update which should help those that’s
thinking of going to Dubai soon.

On speaking to the hotel manager on my arrival last week I asked if I
would need to obtain a permit to use my scope and photograph the
aircraft arriving over the hotel etc, His advise was for me to contact
the Civil Aviation office at Dubai airport to obtain a permit, I
followed his advise and after being put through to several different
people I finally managed to speak to someone in charge, I asked the
question and was told no permit is required, I asked if this could be
put in writing and they said there was no need, I spoke back to the
hotel manager and advised him of the conversation and he said leave it
with me, and I will get back to you, Within ten minutes he came back
to me along with the hotels head of security and said the local
police / CID has relaxed the situation and permits are no longer
required,

The hotel though does have one rule which must be adhered too, You
must stand at least 1 meter away from the outer wall, and no standing
looking over the wall pointing your scope or camera at the airport,
Now for those that’s never been here before, by standing 1 meter away
doesn’t cause any problems at all by reading those taxiing over on the
airport, aircraft can still be easily read ( heat haze permitting ) by
standing that just a little further back from the wall.

So…… camera’s and bins / scopes are permitted now, all security
staff and managment are aware of this , Please adhere to the one small
rule they ask if you are going, and you will have a pleasent and
hassle free stay at the hotel.

One further rule which has been enforced by the Dubai Civil Aviation,
Airband scanners are not allowed to be used, If you bring it and they
find it, they will take it of you and give it back to you when you
leave Dubai,

I had no problem once again bringing my SBS box in my laptop case
which was carried with me as hand luggage, I used it at the hotel by
the pool every evening and this wasn’t questioned once, By the pool
they have a plug next to one of the tables which is an English fitting
plug socket, so no adaptor needed, also in the room their is again an
english plug socket.

After a while of speculating the future of the viewing decks at Zurich Airport, which are invaluable spotting locations at this airport, I can now confirm that the original Deck B will close from October.

Deck E will remain open, with a shuttle bus ferrying passengers across to it every 30 minutes.

Keep an eye on the airport’s official website for more details closer to the time.

Thanks to Thomas Jaeger at CH-Aviation for this information.

I had the brief chance to experience Dublin’s new Pier D last weekend as I passed through on my stag do. Not much spotting was done, naturally, but I can at least report on the opportunities from here.

The pier is very bright and airy, and has big windows along its length on both sides. You can see most of the airfield and movements from it, although aircraft parked at parts of piers A, B and C are obscured.

The glass is clean enough for photographs.

Antalya in Turkey is a major international gateway to the country. It handles a lot of international flights, as well as a healthy mix of domestic and military movements. The busiest times are in July and August, when a lot of European charter airlines pass through the airport, especially from Germany.

The airport has two parallel runways.

Views are possible over the ramp from the International Terminal, although many aircraft park in awkward positions so you have to wait for them to move.

The Domestic Terminal isn’t much use, although there are a few spots around the perimeter where you can see aircraft. Be warned, however, that security is tight with this being a military base.

The IC Airport Hotel has views over the action from odd-numbered rooms on upper floors.

Just a note to let you know that the BAe ATP aircraft stored at Woodford airfield, near Manchester, UK, are now in the process of being broken up.

These aircraft were formerly flying with Mandala and other airlines and have been stored here for a number of years. If you still need them, go get them quick.

A golf course to the south east of the airfield offers the best views. Head for the car park.

Stefan Krause writes another report from his spotting experiences in Taiwan - this time from Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport.

There is a mock-up control tower next to the museum at the airport. This offers probably the best views of movements, and both runways can be seen. It is closed on Mondays, however, and a good scope is needed for some aircraft.

If you have a car, a drive around the perimeter of the airport should allow you to log most aircraft on the ground.