Where to watch planes?

[janni]

Hi,

We used to take our boys to the spectators gallery at Gatwick to watch the planes, but now they have done away with it there is nowhere from within the airport to get a view of the runway. Where do you plane spotters go now?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

janni.. I expect you'll get plenty of answers but what my wife and I do when we are going spotting to somewhere unfamiliar is check on an OS map to see where one can see the approaches to the runways(s). This is particularly useful for Heathrow where it is very difficult to do spotting from within the airport.

It's yonks since we visited Gatwick, but a quick look at the OS map shows a road running right round the SW side of the airfield from Lowfield Heath to Charlwood. Maybe that would afford views? Check these links:

http://www.gatwick-airport-uk.info/gatwickairportplanespotting.htm
http://www.gatwickaviationsociety.org.uk/introduction.asp

[janni]

Thanks for that, I'll check those out. It's a real shame they did away with the spectators gallery, I guess they don't want people hanging around airports any more what with all the security alerts.

[smuff2000]

Heathrow does now have a spotters spot within the airport now, it is on the north side adjacent to the runway and there is acovered grandstand, but it is standing room only , no seats, parking is £5 all day at weekends.

[PaperTiger]

It's a real shame they did away with the spectators gallery, I guess they don't want people hanging around airports any more what with all the security alerts.The viewing deck at LGW wasn't primarily a security concern, although the occasional jobsworth did ponce about up there looking all important and such. The main reason it closed was to allow extension of the S. terminal and now there is simply nowhere else to put it.

Did BAA try to find an alternative ? Bwaahahahaha :oh: