Airport Spotting Blog

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!

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.

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.

Stefan Krause recently reported on his spotting trips to Kaohsiung airport in Taiwan. He has the following tips:

You can spot best from the walkway (covered) connecting the domestic and international terminal where you can see the domestic ramp, 1/4 of the international gates and the runway - though at a distance, and the International terminal blocks the view.

To check the parked JAL and another 1/4 of the Intl gates you have to exit ground floor (1st floor in Taiwan) and walk onto an elevated parking garage. As the JAL B747 parks in front of you it blocks the aircraft behind, one which was an Air Macau A321 which I missed on departure. Here you could also see aircraft lining up, but it is HOT (usually 30 C in KHH)

And be surprised, there is evena viewing area in the domestic terminal but don’t expect too much: you can see not even half of the domestic ramp and none of the Intl and runway is at distant and glass is very tinted making for some distortions. There are no chairs and no facilities in that “room”. The only reason to go here is to peek into the Uni Air hangar.

Finally, the inside gates of teh Intl temrinal are hard to see, you can see them from the departure level but as secutrity and passport control are right there did not flash out my binos there. (Usually Malaysian, Vietnam park here)

If you’re visiting Menorca, one of the popular Spanish Balearic islands and wanting a low down on where you can spot aircraft using the airport, read on.

The terminal itself is pretty useless for spotting, although once you’re airside you can see most aircraft and the runway.

Outside the terminal, head to the roundabout with a pyramid on and turn left towards San Climente . Then turn right after 300m down a track signposted restaurant. This spot faces the threshold of runway 19L and is ideal when approaches are from the north.

When approaches are from the south, a road runs past the threshold on its way to Binisfuller. This road joins the main San Climente to Es Canutels road. Various places to watch and photograph aircraft can be found along here.

Movements at Mahon are generally busier in summer, and consist mainly of charter airlines from the UK, German, Scandinavia and Italy, along with regional Spanish airlines. Sunday are usually the busiest day.

An alternative way to see the action at Vienna airport is to take an airside tour. This covers most parts of the airfield and gives you an opportunity to log (quickly!) what’s in and take some photos.

The tours are offered Monday-Saturday (including holidays) from 09:00-17:00.
There are no tours on Sundays.
The tour is about an hour long. Price for adults: EUR 7.

The tours start at the new Visitair center which is located northwest of the terminal, adjacent to the parking lot 4.

I dug out this report I’d written about a visit to Rome’s Ciampino (low cost) airport last year. You may find it useful for spotting:

Ciampino is closer to the centre of Rome. It acts as the main low-cost and
business jet airport, and is also a military base and home of the
government’s fleet of A319s and business jets. It is also home of the yellow
CL-215 aircraft.

The terminal building is quite compact, split into Arrivals and Departures
sections. Passengers only use the ground floor throughout, and buses take
you to and from the aircraft.

Once through to departures, there is a separate section for Non-Schengen
flights. Hold off from going through there until you are due to leave if you
are a spotter, as the departures lounge for Schengen flights has better
windows looking out to the apron, taxiway and runway. Most aircraft park
near the arrivals section, however.

Outside the terminal, beware of the large presence of police and military
personnel. Cameras and poles will not be looked kindly upon. You can,
however, log most aircraft on the cargo/biz jet apron if you are discrete
with your binoculars. Walk to the car park next to the General Aviation
Terminal, and you can see all of the aircraft through the fence. Police do
patrols, so don’t loiter.

If you have a car, you can drive to both ends of the runway - again, don’t
loiter. At the southern end (turn left out of the airport entrance, and then
left at the roundabout), you will see the cargo aircraft close up, and a
small compound of derelict biz jets.

The hotel Palacavicci is situated at the northern end of the runway (right
out of the airport entrance, then right again towards Ciampino). I stayed in
room 606 and had uninterrupted views of aircraft just before touchdown.
Rooms in the 7xx and 8xx range should also have similar views. If not, you
can wander the car park to spot anyway.

Liverpool Airport is quite busy these days, with based easyJet and Ryanair aircraft, plus a number of charter and cargo airlines passing through each day.

A recent visit allowed me time to check the place out for spotting locations. I found the following:

Inside the Terminal. Upstairs in the arrivals section, there is a food court. This has windows overlooking most of the main apron where airliners park.

Outside the Terminal. Turn right into the car park. From here you can see a couple of gates not visible from inside.

GA Car Park. Walk or drive along perimeter road to the right after leaving the terminal. You will come to the General Aviation car park, from where you can log aircraft parked there.

Speke Business Park. At the old airport site to the north west of the current terminal, there is now a business park. The old terminal is now a Marriott hotel. Outside it there are two aircraft:

G-JMAC Jetstream 41
G-ANCF Bristol Britannia