Airport Spotting Blog

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!

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.

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.