Heathrow spotting from the inside

[Crazy Voyager]

Well I thought I might aswell give this thread a try since the spotters corner might be able to provide me with some info google can't.

I'm going to have a few hours at heathrow soon that I thought I'd spend as I usually do at airports. Close to a big window looking out :p

So for the question, I've been through T3 once and I'm going to be there once again. How ever the last time I tried without sucess to find a good place to sit down where I could acctually see anything. The best I found the last time was at a gate where you could see, some aircraft vacating, and that was it:(

So does anyone know a good place inside T3 (departures area) where you can sit down and get a nice view of what's going on outside? I'd be willing to pay to get in to a lounge if there's a nice view, how ever I'm on a standard ticket so I haven't got any access to the airline lounge (flying SAS).

I've been looking at the servisair lounge but reviews are very mixed so I'm not sure it's worth the money? I don't care that much about service though, I just want a good seat by a window and I'll be fine. I will be there around 3-6pm, but being LHR I have a feeling it's going to be crowded 24 hours a day :rolleyes:

Any spotters out there with some advice or experience to share? :)

[Skipness One Echo]

Gates 01-07 (stands 301-307), if not in use for boarding, are right next to the Southern taxiways with good views of 09R / 27L. However if they are in use, you can't get to the window as T3 has ****ing gaterooms. Good view of the A380 though if there's one in.

http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-8C92537F80BD1503ECBC8B76072CC053/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/Charts/AD/AIRAC/EG_AD_2_EGLL_2-6_en_2011-02-10.pdf

Aside from that, I have never found anywhere decent in T3, as all the windows are in the gates which are usually blocked off. T1 domestic and T4 are way better, with the T5 satelittes being good too. If you DO find a better spot in the main terminal, do report back. SAS usually use gates 09 and 11 btw, so nearby the spot I mean.

[Crazy Voyager]

Yeah I'm expecting to use gate 311 (it seems to be used 90% of the time for my flight, and if not in use it's 309 just as you say).

I think I'll book a place in the lounge and I'll report back to you if it's any good. If anyone has more ideas please keep them coming though :)

[Geezers of Nazareth]

If you go down beyond gate 331 the pier takes a sharp-ish left turn before heading down to the gate-rooms for 335/340/342. Just after you turn left there is a seating area where you can see into the 'Golf' cul-de-sac. From here, you're looking directly at the new Control Tower, and directly beneath you is some kind of parking area for broken-down equipment!

If you continue walking down towards 335/340/342 there is a corridor with windows on either side. On one side you have pretty much the same view as the previously mentioned seating-area; on the other side you have views across to runway 27R/09L and the parallel taxi-ways. If stand 334 is unoccupied you can get some good photos of stuff lifting-off/ rolling-out, or taxy-ing past (delete as appropriate).
There's no seating along this corridor, but the windows have large ledges, so you can always perch yourself on there.

From the central 'shooping area' of T3 it's about a 5-10 minute walk, maybe less if the moving-walkways are working. However, it is a brisk 10 minute walk back to the central area because the walkways travel in one direction only.