The 5 Best Plane Spotting Locations at Heathrow Airport

Plane spotting at Heathrow is a rite of passage for many enthusiasts – particularly those in the UK and Europe.

This major hub may no longer be the world’s busiest, but it represents one of the best places to see a mouthwatering range of different airlines and aircraft types from all around the world.

Heathrow is the main base for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, and a hub for airlines like American Airlines and United Airlines. But it’s the more unusual airlines that fly in every day which can make a visit worthwhile.

But how easy is it to spot at Heathrow Airport, and where should you go?

We’ve put together this guide to the 5 best spots which should enable you to have an enjoyable and productive visit.

What To Know About Heathrow Operations

The newest addition to Finnair’s fleet is the Airbus A350-900. Pictured here is A350-900 OH-LWG departing Heathrow for Helsinki in July 2018. (Mark Harkin, distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY-2.0 Licence)

Heathrow operates from 6am to 11pm, however the earliest flights often arrive before 6am.

Most movements land from the east (approaching over London itself), but they can be in either direction. In order to reduce the pressure on neighbouring residents, the runways used for landing and departing switch at 3pm every day. But note, if arrivals are from the west the northerly runway (09L) is almost always used for landings, and the southern (09R) for departures.

British Airways operate the largest proportion of flights, but Heathrow is busy throughout the day with other airlines.

Heathrow Layout

London Heathrow airport, at present, has two runways which run in an east-west direction.

In between, you’ll find most of the terminal infrastructure, including terminals 2, 3 and 5.

On the southern side of the airport you’ll find Terminal 4, as well as the various cargo and VIP terminals.

On the eastern perimeter you’ll find the maintenance base for British Airways.

Heathrow is ringed by roads, and fairly hemmed in by built-up areas of neighbouring London.

The 5 Best Spotting Locations at Heathrow

Sadly the days of dedicated viewing terraces for plane spotting at Heathrow are long gone. The famous Queens Building closed its terrace in 2002, and little in the way of official locations now exist.

But don’t despair. There are places to go and watch aircraft movements at Heathrow.

(Here’s a handy map with the locations marked https://maps.app.goo.gl/WbrqMznqMqfUmX4JA )

Myrtle Avenue

Plane spotting at Myrtle Avenue

This is perhaps the most famous location at Heathrow. The spot gets its name from a small residential street close to Hatton Cross, with a grass area at the end. Spotters congregate on this area to log and photograph aircraft as they pass low overhead. The postcode is TW14 9QU. There is very limited parking, so it’s best to walk from Hatton Cross Tube Station.

The spot is only really useful when aircraft are landing from the east on runway 27L. At other times you won’t see many aircraft.

Runway 09L Approach

When aircraft are arriving from the west on runway 09L, a good spot is outside Terminal 5. At ground level, walk north out of the bus bays along Wallis Road (there’s a footpath). It will pass a small security point, and on the opposite side of the road is a grass embankment, with narrow paths where pipes run through. Climb one of these to the area of grass under the trees at the top.

Here you’ll have good opportunities for logging and photographing arrivals on this runway.

Renaissance Hotel

Located on the northern perimeter of Heathrow, this is one of the best spotting hotels in the world. Request a room overlooking the airport (you sometimes have to pay more) and you’ll have close views of all movements on the northern runway. These can easily be read off and photographed, but lower floors have lamp posts and the fence in the way. Movements around the terminals are also easy to spot. Those using flight tracking websites can continue to spot throughout the night. Although this hotel is not the cheapest at Heathrow, the quality of spotting makes up for it and it offers special spotter packages through its website.

Eastern Perimeter Road

Airbus A350-1000 G-XWBD on final approach to London Heathrow. (Steve Lunes, distributed under CC BY 2.0)

If aircraft are arriving on runway 27R and Myrtle Avenue is not of use, a walk along the Eastern Perimeter Road can help you find a good spot to watch arrivals. You can start at either Hatton Cross Underground Station, or the Northern Perimeter Road. Often you’ll see other spotters, so will know where to stop.

Security patrols regularly monitor this area and ask spotters to stay a few metres from the fence. But aide from that they will leave you along and you can take good photographs here of arrivals. You can’t see any other parts of the airport, but do have glimpses into the maintenance areas.

Horton Road

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-ZBKK approaching London Heathrow. (Mitchul Hope, distributed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

An area of parkland alongside the village of Stanwell Moor, to the west of Heathrow, is a popular spot for watching aircraft. It is particularly good for watching aircraft depart runway 27L, or land on 09R.

To reach the spot, head to Horton Road, TW19 6AG, and find somewhere to park responsibly in the residential streets. Then walk into the park alongside the village hall. There’s a playground for the kids.

Which are your favourite places to go plane spotting at Heathrow Airport? Leave a comment below!

Airport Spotting Guides UK & Ireland

The latest edition of our spotting guide book covering the airports and airfields of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is out now. It includes maps and directions to all the best plane spotting locations at Heathrow and many 150 other airports.

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