Visiting South Africa this year? The country is fascinating for the aviation enthusiast, with busy international airports, historic heritage aircraft, and lots of stored airliners. Here are some tips on finding the best aviation experiences whilst there.

Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport
Most people arrive into the country via Johannesburg Airport (although Cape Town is also popular). Both Terminals (A and B) have viewing decks to use, with B being the most useful for photography and catching all movements. The deck is indoors, with somewhat dirty windows, but you can always clean a patch.

The airport has a good mix of international and domestic flights coming throughout the day, so it’s rarely boring.

On the north and south sides of the airport are storage and maintenance areas. The north (Safair) can be mostly read from the viewing decks, but the south (Denel) can’t. Best bet is to hire a car and explore to make sure you catch as many aircraft as possible.

Rand
Another airport in Johannesburg, Rand is much smaller. It has a lot of stored airliners on site, plus the South African Airways Society Museum with types up to Boeing 747 in size. You have some views from inside the terminal, however it’s much more rewarding to organise a tour from the fire crews, which cost 20 Rand. These take in all ramps and areas of the airfield, so you won’t miss much.

Lanseria
This is a smaller airport to the northwest of Johannesburg. It has a number of airlines flying domestic routes, and is also a popular place to see bizjets flying  into the city. One the airfield are also a number of stored and withdrawn airliners.

You can spot from the viewing deck area which doubles as a food court. However, it’s also possible to arrange an airside tour from the security office if you contact them in advance.

Wonderboom
One of the airports in the Pretoria area, Wonderboom is an interesting little place. It is home to a variety of

aircraft, from safari aircraft to Boeing 737s; bizjets to historic flight DC-3′s. It’s possible to see quite a few aircraft from a circuit of the perimeter, however it’s often possible to arrange airside access from the security office.

Durban King Shaka Airport
The new international airport for Durban opened in 2010, replacing the existing facility. It is actually over 20 miles from the city, but is ultra modern and one to watch for the future. At the moment it handles close to 5million passengers per year, with a mix of domestic and international. There are viewing opportunities from within the terminal.

The Sheraton Deira hotel is well known amongst the spotting community for its roof terrace under the flight path to Dubai Airport. What better than spending time in the sun, by the pool, with exotic airliners flying overhead all day?

Well, it had to happen – eventually someone would find another hotel with decent spotting opportunities in Dubai. The Nojoum Hospitality luxury apartments may not be as cheap as the Sheraton, but if you’re in a group they could be superior. It is located on Abu Baker Al Siddique Road, only a couple of roads up from where the Sheraton Deira is situated.

Most of the apartments contain 2 twin ensuite bedrooms, however there are some with 3 rooms, however I don’t think these over look the airport. Each apartment has a massive living area with plenty of sitting space and a table to eat at and a TV, kitchen and utility area which is full stocked with plates, cutlery and glasses, a cooker and oven, microwave, washing machine, iron and board etc., along with a 3rd toilet in the living area. Most importantly, each apartment also has a balcony, and rooms over looking the airport can be requested. The hotel also has a roof top pool area with sun loungers, tables and chairs, but no bar!

When it comes to spotting, the Nojoum could be considered superior to the Sheraton as it is much better for photography when aircraft are landing over the hotel (despite the Sheraton being closer to the aircraft). However once aircraft change direction you lose the ability for photography, and for those without the help of an sbs box it can be very hard to read things off unless the reg is underneath the wings.

From the rooftop, there is an opportunity to look over the wall towards the airport. You have a clear view of the airport and by using a strong scope things parked on Terminal 2 to the left and Terminal 1 on the right can easily be read off, along with things taxiing along the edge of the airport.

A link to the Nojoum Hotel here: http://www.nojoumhospitality.com

If you have any inclination to visit Machu Picchu – one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world, and certainly the biggest tourist draw in Peru – you are almost guaranteed to pass through Cusco Airport.

Cusco was once the capital city of the Inca empire, of which Machu Picchu once belonged. The city is situated close to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and is a taxi/bus journey, plus a train journey from the ruined city.

This shot is taken from the departure lounge.

The airport at Cusco is well set up to handle the amount of tourists it receives every year, but due to the demanding terrain and the fact that it is situated in a built up area, operations are limited to mainly mornings. Night flying is not permitted.Therefore, most flights operate until early afternoon and then the airport falls silent until the next morning.

Airlines using Cusco are LAN Peru (Airbus A319s), Star Peru (BAe 146 and Boeing 737-200), Los Andes (DHC-6 Twin Otter), Aerocondor (Fokker F-27 and F50), Aerosur (Boeing 737-200).

Spotting from within the terminal is only possible once you go through to the departure lounge, which is situated in the pier. Even then, it is quite limited as jetbridges get in the way.

Around the airport, you can follow the road running parallel to the runway to get some good shots of aircraft on the runway and parked at the terminal. Some of the best photographs are possible along this road – which heads to Pisac – as it passes the end of the runway.

Following complaints from aircraft owners over the taking and subsequent use of photographs of their stored airliners at Mojave Airport, photography by spotters on their airside tours are now firmly banned.

The airport has run tours on request for many years, giving spotters the chance to ride out to the lines of stored airliners at the desert airfield in California. This offers the chance to catch up with many older types stored here either permanently or temporarily. It can be difficult to log registrations from the perimeter road, so this tour is a major bonus.

Being able to step out of the van and take photographs at close quarters was also welcomed by spotters, but owners are apparently sick of seeing their aircraft in YouTube videos and social networking sites. It is not clear whether this is a result of malicious use, or simply enthusiasts sharing photos and videos.

The airport now encourages spotters to leave behind video and photo cameras before getting in the van to take a tour.

If after this news you are still interested in taking a tour at Mojave, you can do so by reporting to the Control Tower and asking at reception. In most cases the driver (Javier) can accommodate you for a spontaneous tour immediately.

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/

Birmingham Airport will host a day of celebrations on Wednesday 9 September, 2009. The airport is celebrating its 70th year since opening. It is also opening its new International Pier for business on the same day.

The first official aircraft to use the new pier will be an Emirates Airbus A380 operating the regular scheduled service from and to Dubai, in place of the usual Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

To coincide with the historic day, a number of other aircraft are due to visit, including:

* Classic Flight Dragon Rapide G-AGTM from Coventry – a Rapide having operated the first service from Birmingham back in 1939!
* KLM 73H PH-BXA which is in their 90th anniversay scheme is planned to operate the mid morning Amsterdam service
* Lufthansa 321 D-AIRX which is in the retro scheme is planned to operate the evening Frankfurt service
* on the lighter side 20 “classic” light aircraft are expectedto be present during the day on the Elmdon apron.

Thanks to Gordon Stretch at www.bhxflightguide.net for the info.

Undoubtedly the highlight of most peoples’ spotting trips to Moscow or Russia are the large numbers of stored and rare Russian aircraft to be found. However, getting regular and accurate logs of what can be seen is often quite difficult.

Thanks to Darren Kellett, our sister site Out of Production List has a full recent list of the aircraft stored at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. Click here for the link.

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

The excellent ‘Krayzeekris’ website has been updated this week, with a number of airport spotting guides added for French airports and airfields.

The site is officially known as AircraftSpotting.co.uk

Go take a look.

I recently flew to Cartagena in Colombia for a short trip away from Bogota. We flew on AeroRepublica EMB-190 and had a great experience – although the flight was a little bumpy going out, with the afternoon thunderstorms brewing around the coast.

Cartagena is a lovely old walled city, full of Caribbean charm, colourful buildings, endless vistas of the sea, sunsets, and great wining and dining experiences. But you’re here for the aircraft, so I’ll carry on.

The terminal at Cartagena Airport is very modern. And sadly it does not knowingly cater for the spotter at all. When arriving or departing, passengers funnel through a walkway which leads between the aircraft and the terminal. If you’re in the departure lounge, your view out of the window is of this walkway and its slatted wall. In order to see aircraft, you have to wait until they move, and with binoculars focussed on a gap, hope the registration passes by.

Nevertheless, once you walk to/from the aircraft, you do get a chance to see what’s on the smallish ramp. This usually includes MD-80s and F100s of Avianca, EMB-190s of AeroRepublica, 737-700s and DHC-8s of AIRES, and the odd US airline such as Spirit. Movements are fairly quiet – maybe 4 per hour at peak times.

Cartagena does play host to a number of biz jets each day, however. They park either to the side of the airliner ramp, or on the ramp on the opposite side of the runway. Also, there are a number of Air Force and Navy aircraft in residence, including Casa CN235s.

Around the terminal there are no obvious views of the aircraft, apart from on the road passing the end of the runway, where you’ll see aircraft just as they depart or land. I wouldn’t venture much around looking for holes in the fence, as there ‘s a strong military presence, and the housing area is quite poor around the airport.

AeroRepublica HK-4506 at Cartagena

AIRES 737-700s fly from Bogota

These two biz jets were in Cartagena in July 2009

Cartagena Airport from above