Airport Spotting Blog

Airline Business Blog today reports that the final day of operation at London Heathrow’s Terminal 2 is upon us. The last passengers will pass through today, before the building is demolished to make way for the new Heathrow East site, which will cater for Star Alliance carriers.

Terminal 2 has been with us for 54 years, and last year handled 7.5 million passengers instead of its projected 1.2 million. Many will remember the viewing terraces above the terminal which closed in 2002. Read all about it here:

Farewell Heathrow T2 - Airline Business

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Various enthusiasts sites exist for some of the airports in Scotland which can help in planning a trip to any of them, or in simply finding out what’s been happening up there. We have collated this information for some of the airports:

Glasgow Airport
EGPF.co.uk
Enthusiasts site for Glasgow Airport, with timetables, SBS list, spotting locations and charts, photos, live arrivals & departures, and logs of recent movements.

Prestwick Airport
Prestwick Airport Movements Site
Similar to the Glasgow enthusiasts site, with movements, photos, spotting information, airfield charts and live flight information.

Edinburgh Airport
EGPH.co.uk
A similar site for Edinburgh Airport enthusiasts. Lists frequencies, live flight arrivals & departures, airline information, photos and SBS information.

egphforum.co.uk
A forum for discussing Edinburgh Airport and its operations.

On 18 August, the UK Home Office released a circular to clarify counter-terrorism legislation in relation to photography in a public place. This was a result of sections of the Counter Terrorism Act being used to stop innocent photographers taking photos and pursuing their hobby in public places.

Whilst this covers the whole spectrum of photography, no matter what your subject is, it is naturally of importance and relevance to aircraft enthusiasts who take photographs near airports as part of their hobby.

The circular can be read at this link. It is advisable to familiarise yourself with the rules and laws contained within, and even keep a copy handy in your camera bag. For a brief summary, here are some important points:

• Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 a police officer may stop and search a person they reasonably suspect to be a terrorist, to discover whether that person has in their possession anything which may constitute evidence that they are a terrorist. This power can be exercised at any time and in any location.
• Digital images can be viewed as part of a search under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to discover whether the person has in their possession anything which may constitute evidence that they are a terrorist.
• When conducting a search under section 43, cameras, film and memory cards can be seized if the officer reasonably suspects that these may constitute evidence that the person is a terrorist.
• Officers do not have the power to delete images or destroy film.
• Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 enable uniformed police officers to stop and search anyone within an authorised area for the purposes of searching for articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism.
• Section 44 does not prohibit the taking of photographs, film or digital images in an authorised area and members of the public and the press should not be prevented from doing so.

The full article: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/home-office-circulars/circulars-2009/012-2009/

Fancy a trip away to pursue some spotting with like minded enthusiasts in 2010? Aeroprints, one of the longest established aviation spotting tour firms in the UK, have released their 2010 brochure, listing all of the tours you’re able to book on, along with details of which aircraft/flights involved in each trip, and the day-by-day opportunities for spotting.

I’ve personally used Aeroprints for a tour a few years ago and highly recommend them.

You can download the brochure here

As the new airport at San Bernardino, CA nears its official opening, the locals are asking whether it will ever actually attract and airlines.

The San Bernardino International Airport is opening on the site of the former Norton Air Force Base, which closed in 1994. A new terminal has been built, and is already fitted with check-in kiosks, arrivals and departures screens, escalators, offices, and an automated voice which warns passengers not to leave baggage unattended. Coupled with 3000 new jobs being created in the surrounding areas recently, on paper the outlook seems rosy. But in these times of airlines cutting back routes or closing down, and recession hitting hard, does this part of California need another airport?

You can read the full story here.

If the airline does start to attract operators, you can be sure we’ll cover the opportunities for enthusiasts. If you’re a local, why not tell us what the new airport is like by leaving a comment?