ConstantFlyer, I guess you must be referring specifically to the London airports because in fact a great many airports around the world continue to provide spectator facilities, and this even includes airports in the UK and the USA, post 911.

Could not agree with you more mate, and well done for bringing up the subject.

That is a very strange thing to say by someone who is an aircraft enthusiast and frequents these forums HD. Why should spotters 'facilities' be of any greater burden on authorities than any other facility in an airport ? Of greater concern should be anywhere around the perimeter of any airport. If a terrorist wanted to do a 'nasty' they could do it from anywhere around an airport, with far greater ease, and with the added concealment of their car. Many, if any existed, spotters or viewing areas in modern airports were secure behind at least a wall of glass. Whats the problem with that ?
As we are going down memory lane, I remember staging through Birmingham three years ago, waiting for my Eurocypria flight, there was a very nice viewing area above the terminal. You had to walk through a model shop, pay a small fee if you were a non-flying passenger (fair enough), but lovely view, behind glass and secure. I heard later that it had been closed, pity. Jersey had a lovely viewing open air viewing area above the terminal, anyone know happened to that ? And, of course I remember the Queens building at Heathrow.

The enclosed section of the Spectators' Terrace at Prestwick re-opened about a year ago.

Jersey spotting
 

Jersey still has its viewing area on the first floor of the terminal building, but it is enclosed and is only available when airside. The entrance is a little tucked away, and is immediately after the duty free shop on the way to the gates. Still, it's a good location and very peaceful, with plenty of seating up there.

Scott

Scott, at Jersey, I remember you could walk out onto the roof of the building, overlooking the apron, and not airside. Its been a long time, but you'll have me trying to dig up long lost photos.

Is my memory playing tricks on me, or was there a time (1960s?) when you could view aircraft from a roof terrace on Heathrow's Terminal 3?

Yup - certainly in the mid/late sixties

Not T3 Dave, just the one on top of the Queen's Buildings as far as I remember.

Jersey - cyflyer
 

cy-flyer - open-air viewing at Jersey is no longer possible (I confess that I don't recall it anyway) from the terminal.

The upstairs viewing area is pretty good - obviously it's all enclosed, behind glass. It used to be accessible landside but the terminal was redeveloped probably 7-8 years ago, security was enlarged and that meant the staircase accessing it was located airside.

I'm less familiar with around the perimeter of the airfield but the aircraft can still be seen both on the runway and at the terminal but I'm really not sure what the attitude of the Jersey police is to spotters.

Scott

Thanks. I'm reassured to know that I wasn't imagining it.

I vaguely recall that you got to it by going up some stairs in T3 South Wing (the bit where BOAC Staff Travel and the Medical Unit were), but I might be wrong about that part.

T3 viewing terrace
 

I worked in BOAC load control in 1966. This was a windowless shoebox of a room, located behind the check-in desks in T3. During my meal breaks, to get some fresh air, I sometimes wandered up to the viewing terrace, which overlooked the stands on the west side of the building. How I got up there I can no longer remember!

Once you are airside and trapped in the terminal for several hours, watching the planes would be one of the best ways of killing time, but often until you get to the gate, you can't see anything at all of the airport from the terminal.

Certainly at Luton or Heathrow, until you get to the gate, you could confuse it for a railway station.

A bar / restaurant with an outside viewing area would do good business I bet.

Also alert spotters/passengers could help keep an eye on things, making sure engine cowlings were done up, that sort of thing...

That explains it scott. I'm thinking maybe 20 years ago, and more. So they went and messed up Jersey terminal as well.

If anyone is visiting Corfu this Summer there are two bars set into the sides of steep hills either side of the runway and approach offering great views of landing aircraft. There is a very narrow causeway/bridge linking the two across shallow water which passes very close to the end of the runway. no one sesems to be bothered about enthusiasts there!

Dave Reid/LCY.(Post 40)
 

Would not most spotters be videoing or taking photo's,but there no doubt someone with a long neck could differentiate between a guy recording reg's,to a guy recording flight times,(which are amazingly avalible from the net.):ugh:

I think it's such a shame Gatwick removed theirs. It was always buzzing when we used to go.

I think having a designated spotting area is only a good thing, it gets income for the airport and spotters would be very vigilant I think when it comes to knowing who is there for genuine reasons and who is trouble making if security is an issue for the airport.

They have no plans to make a spotting area.

They don't cater for spotters like they used to.................!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...LWjQ560_58.jpg

From a video I have, called 'Heathrow in the 50's and 60's', here's a little clip I uploaded. Look at where the spectators are. Can you imagine this today ?

There aren't many for sure, but Amsterdam's spectator area on 36L/18R springs to mind. Can't get much closer to the action than that.

Stansted spotters
 

The local police actively encourage spotters.




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