If any of you lucky people are off to South Africa this summer for the World Cup, perhaps you could benefit from a bit of information on spotting at one of the main airports in the country.

Johannesburg will handle the vast majority of international flights, given it is already set up and well-served by carriers from around the world. Cape Town will also handle a lot of flights.

Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport has two parallel runways. The airport also has two terminals – A (International) and B (Domestic).

Each terminal has its own viewing gallery, and each has views of both runways. The International terminal’s gallery is the best, as it also has views of the cargo terminal, and you can still see the domestic terminal and all movements from there. Sadly both viewing areas are behind glass, so it can limit photography potential.

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!