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.

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’ve been an avid fan of Johnny Jet’s weekly newsletter for quite a few years now. It always makes a fascinating read as he travels week-by-week around the globe, taking up frequent flier deals with airlines and hotels, and often trying out new services, routes and aircraft.

Whilst his reports are geared around travel, and the places he sees around the world, I thought I’d give it a mention here because he travels almost exclusively by air. Therefore in each of his weekly newsletters, you get an account of at least two airports, and an airline.

Whilst this doesn’t help you much with spotting aircraft, it will surely be useful in giving you an overview of the various airports he visits (he covers everything from how modern the terminal is, to the price of a bottle of water). i know a lot of you travel by air to spot at different airports.

He runs a large website known as Johnnyjet.com, and has his free newsletter which you can sign up to. I really recommend it!

Earlier this week I was in Madrid on business, flying with Jet2 through Terminal 1. Since Terminal 4 is now the focus of this huge airport, I thought I’d update you on the spotting situation in the older terminal - especially since most low cost airlines seem to serve it.

Once airside, most gate areas have a window looking in either direction along the terminal, and most have views across to the cargo ramp and runways.

An eating area between the A and B gates is fronted by large windows looking over the long-haul part of the terminal.

Further to the south, the extended part of the terminal is much more modern. It handles long haul flights by airlines such as Air Europa, Air Comet, TAM, Santa Barbara Airlines and Aeromexico. This long part of the building has views at each gate across the cargo and sometime storage area, though larger aircraft often obstruct the view.

Andy ‘Smudger’ Smith has also given a bit of information about Perpignan - a small regional airport in France just inside the border with Spain.

Perpignan is known for having a small collection of stored airliners parked very close to the road. Some are destined to be sent to new operators, whilst some have languished for many years here.

Despite being parked near the main A9 motorway, you have to come off at the exit signposted for the airport a few miles away to actually get close to them for reading off and photographing. Currently the following are stored:

5N-BFA Douglas DC-9 Sosoliso Airlines
5T-CLP Boeing 727 Air Mauritanie
F-GCGQ Boeing 727 Belair
F-GGGR Boeing 727 Belair
N359PA Boeing 727
PR-MHT Airbus A320 TAM
+ an unmarked Boeing 737-200

Flybe, Ryanair and Air France are amongst the airlines flying to Perpignan. It is very quiet for scheduled traffic.

For those of you in the North East of England, or planning on visiting the area, there’s an excellent website for Durham Tees Valley (formerly Teesside) Airport, run by Dave Anderson.

It lists all planned movements and automatically updates them in real time with registrations, types, and other information. It’s a unique tool for the local spotters and perfect if you’re planning a trip.

The site also has a lot of trip reports, photographs and other information on there.

Take a look at www.dtvmovements.co.uk