....which is only a fairly short drive (45 mins) down the Highway 101 from San Francisco Int'l.

A bit far, but Christchurch in NZ has a nice viewing terrace on top of the terminal overlooking the runways with the Southern Alps as a backdrop. Was still open when I was there a year ago.

I was parked up on the verge, completely off the road. LGW

Lowfield Heath Road, 100m south of the extended centre line of RWY 08R.

BAA 4x4 drives past, stops, rolls down window and tells me I'm not allowed to be there. Does he have the right to tell me I'm not allowed to be there? The spotters standing there were fine but I wasn't? Made my blood boil!

I wouldn't mind but I'm cabin crew for Gatwick's biggest airline and if I really wanted to take down an aircraft I would have done it by now!

La Candela Bar/Restaurant, San Jose, Costa Rica, America Central. MROC/SJO. Not referring to the one in California, good ol' USA!

Student

The BAA member was right, Lowfield Heath Road is a clearway with no parking allowed, it is quite vigorously enforced. I remember years ago when it wasnt and to be honest it was chaos on a summer weekend. The road is the only route around the southern perimeter, connecting all the crash gates, its vital its kept clear for emergency vehicles. So you need to walk there to view.

If you want to watch movements from the comfort of your car its possible from the next road out on the centreline, not sure of its name but its slightly higher than the airport so you get a good if distant view of the runway.

Would that be Ifield Road?

Burger King at LAX
 

I've sat in the car park at the Burger King (just around the corner from The Marriott Hotel at LAX) and enjoyed eating a burger and taking in the excellent views of all kinds of aircraft coming in from the East to land at LAX. They're close enough to get a great view and to hear the engines etc as they are just above touch down level as they pass the restaurant. If you like to watch landing aircraft, especially a fair share of 747's then that's a good spot to stop off for a burger and shake!:ok:

studentpilotmcuk,

Corfu runway is short but not the shortest. Also the local terrain makes it interesting with hills on both sides and starting in the sea (Rwy35) and the traffic lights to stop cars at the 17 departure end. But it is 2300m whereas Chios (Greek island) is only 1400m (That the shortest we go to with a 737-700) and there is Skiatos (with slope making it somewhat like a ski jump) (shortest we use for a -800) which is - if I remember correctly 1550m.

Those last two are Captain only landings for us whereas at Corfu there is no problem with copilots landing - I actually had my final linecheck there back in 1989 on a 737-300!

Details please. This is bollocks and needs challenging urgently.

The In N Out Burger at the end of the 24 runways at LAX is even better. You can have your meal and the planes are about a 100 ft or less over your head as they make their final approach. Lots of variety there.

Also in Las Vegas, there is a viewing area along Sunset Rd
where they also pipe in the tower frequency over the radio for all to hear.

st. maarten's.

it's my dream to go there plane spotting.

Spent a very pleasant few hours in Vegas just looking out from the hotel room over to McCarran airport. A cold beer, something to eat, binoculars to hand. Civilised spotting.

Jeez, is that place busy.

Another one from days gone by was being able to walk out on the Gatwick Piers with the cafe reached by a footbridge off the South Pier.

Finally got to Maho Beach, St Maarten a few weeks back. Stopped there for a day on a cruise ship and it was awesome!:ok:

The airport was amazingly busy with a real varity of traffic! We saw 737,757,A330,A340,A319,A320,A310,MD80,ATR,DHD8 and plenty of private jets including a lovely Citation X. All of that was in the space of around 4hrs.

Standing behind them for take-off is great fun but rather painful, sand hurts when its blasted that hard!:eek:

I agree 100% with the original post though, its so frustrating that there are no longer roof teraces etc at our airports.

Matt.

Go to Hong Kong. Spot aircraft for a bit (if you like) - lots to see. Then go down town, see the sights, have a party and experience life!

Could not agree more. Hong Kong is just fantastic for the aeroplanes and for experiencing life. It is a great place. Everyone should be blessed with the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, the airport and the city & territories. You will not regret it.

Hong Kong
 

Tom,
I have to agree, if you don't go anywhere else you have to go to Hong Kong.
Although spotting was a lot better at the old Kai Tak. On top of the car park or the Hong Kong Aviation Club.:eek:
I still have my visitors permit from 1995:ok:

E.F.

MATTY J.
Did the same thing as you 2 years ago. My wife, who doesn't particularly like aeroplanes, wants to go back for a proper holiday. I have no objection!!!!!
All contributions gratefully received ta!!.:):):)

There is a road on the landward (NW) side of Funchal's runway, with a parking pull-in, from which you can look down on aircraft landing and departing. If 06 (or is that 05?) is in use you get to see them turning in and only getting finally lined-up on the centreline at what seems to be about 1 mile. Absolutely well worth the trip: and it's usually warm and with lots to do if you get bored with the spotting.

I have been moved on from there before with the car, but the police were very polite. He told me to drive 500 yards up the road and park in the big layby opposite the pub and walk back, which I did.

As long as you don't answer back and get funny, they are always polite back. I get really annoyed when you see some people giving it attitude "it's my right to be here" - just move on and get on with it. You don't have a right to be there and you get everybody a bad name.

I've never had any problem outside of London. I've spent ages chatting to the police as they come round at Manchester - so polite. They appreciate us being there a lot of the time and security always wave as they drive past.

Birmingham is the same really - it went a little bad when a new security firm took over, but they are very accepting now. Doncaster is the same as Manchester really.

East Midlands - well it depends on what day you catch them. They don't always like you standing on the mound - but if there's only one of you they don't object. When they see a huge group with stepladders and things - they move you on (and in a co-incidence a police car usually follows 10 minutes later, just to make sure you've gone). But there is rarely anything at EMA worth hanging around for anyway, especially during the daytime.

Only been moved on once at LHR, and that was by a big armoured Landrover. I wasn't hanging about, they didn't even speak to me - just drove past several times before pulling up very close behind me and putting his flashing lights on. I took the hint and shifted on :-p To be fair I was in my car in a bus stop :ugh:

Adelaide has a purpose built viewing area on Tapleys Hill Road, excellent spot. Don't need a building to keep warm either!

East Midlands has a good spot at the end of 27 just off the A453 and you can walk along the airport trail following the runway all the way to the Nags Head in Castle Donnington, never had any problems with security.