Airport hotels blog

Airports are dramatic places.  All those hellos and goodbyes, greetings and partings, some setting out on adventures and some arriving home at last.  In the past, airports conveyed a sense of glamour; today they can conjure up a sense of tension or fear.  With their great potential as a setting for emotion and action, it’s not surprising that airports are featured so often in the movies.  Let’s relive some of the most iconic airport scenes of all time.

Casablanca, 1942

This film is set in Africa, in the early days of World War II.  Humphrey Bogart plays Rick, an American expat, and Ingrid Bergman, Ilsa, his former lover.  The pair had an affair whilst living in France, but she is now fleeing the war with her husband.  The dramatic airport scene comes at the end, when Rick convinces her to get on a plane to safety.  He sends her off with the famous line, “We’ll always have Paris”.

The film became a classic, and in the late 1980’s, an attraction called the Great Movie Ride was built at Walt Disney World in Florida.  It contained a tableau of the famous airport scene, with what was said to be the actual Lockheed Electra 12A plane that was used in “Casablanca”.  However, the movie was filmed just a few months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, when military security was at its height.  Filming at an airport was absolutely out of the question.  The crew had to shoot the scene on a soundstage, and it wasn’t big enough to hold a real plane.  They built smaller model aircraft and hired dwarfs to move around them in the background, to give the illusion that they were full size.  (You can see them in the clip above.)  So the plane at Disney World cannot possibly have been used in the film, despite what the staff might tell you.

 Airport, 1970

This film follows the action at an American airport which is struggling to remain open in the middle of a blizzard.  At the same time, a passenger on board a Boeing 707 is planning to blow himself up mid-flight, so that his wife can benefit from an insurance policy.  The movie was filmed on location at Minneapolis St-Paul Airport.  It has many scenes showing the day to day running of the airport and reminds us of a more innocent time, before the current era of suicide bombers.  “Airport” was a massive box office hit and paved the way for later disaster movies.  Airodyssey has an article with much more information and trivia about the film.

Die Hard 2, 1990

This action film stars Bruce Willis as John McClane.  The character is waiting for his wife at Washington Dulles International Airport when terrorists take over the air traffic control system.  The scenes weren’t actually shot at Dulles, but at many other locations including LAX and Stapleton International.  The airport setting in the film is brought alive with fantastic stunts and special effects.  The last scene, where McClane lights a leaking fuel stream and blows up the baddies’ plane, was groundbreaking.  It was the first to combine live-action footage with a traditionally painted background scene on a computer.

Catch Me If You Can, 2002

This film dramatises the true-life story of Frank Abagnale Junior, a master forger and con artist.  By the age of 19, he had successfully posed as a pilot, doctor and prosecutor, and made millions of dollars.  The story begins in 1969 and the airport scene is a reminder of the bygone glamour of air travel.  Frank parades through Miami Airport, surrounded by a team of beautiful air hostesses, to the sound of Frank Sinatra singing “Come Fly with Me”.  This is a turning point in the plot, as a bystander remarks, “I should’ve been a pilot,” showing that Frank has now reached a position where he is envied and respected.  These scenes were actually filmed at Ontario Airport in California, in a terminal which is no longer in use.   Many other directors have shot scenes here, for a range of movies including “Blow” (2001) and “Zodiac” (2007).

Love Actually, 2003

This film follows the lives of 8 couples in London in the run up to Christmas.  They all have their problems and we watch their comic and touching struggles to resolve them.  The movie opens with a montage of real scenes from the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport.  It shows family and friends being reunited, embracing each other with great love and joy.  The scene sets out the film’s heart-warming, if slightly cheesy premise – that love actually is all around.  The story returns to an airport near the end, when the youngest character chases after his sweetheart, who is leaving for America. The movie closes with another montage from Heathrow Airport.

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What’s your favourite airport scene from the movies?  Please leave your comments below.

Airports are often the setting for strange stories and fascinating facts – but are they just urban legends or is there evidence to back them up?  We’ve investigated some of the most famous tales to find out if they’re true or false.

A man lived at a Paris airport for 18 years

It may sound like the plot of a movie, but it is absolutely true.  A man lived at Charles de Gaulle Airport from 1988 until 2006.  Merhan Karimi Nasseri was expelled from Iran in 1977 for his political views.  This left him without a passport and he travelled across Europe, attempting to claim asylum.  Finally he was granted refugee status and was allowed to travel to England.  This was in 1988 and he got as far as Paris, but his documents were stolen with his briefcase in the train station.  He boarded the plane to London anyway, but was sent back to Charles de Gaulle Airport.  He was initially arrested, but because he had no documents, there was no country to return him to. 

 He ended up in a legal limbo, unable to leave Terminal 1.  Court battles ensued over many years, whilst the staff of the airport all got to know him and his regular sitting place.  They even received letters for him.  He lived on the generosity of staff and visitors who would give him clothes, meal vouchers and money for food.  In 1999, he was finally given an international travel card and a French residency permit which would allow him to leave the airport, settle in France, or fly to any other country that would accept him.  But after 11 years of living in the airport he seemed to be too scared to leave.  In the end, he only exited the building when he was hospitalised in 2006.  Afterwards, he was placed in a homeless shelter.  His story has inspired many books and movies including “The Terminal” starring Tom Hanks.

STATUS: True

An 83 year old grandmother beat up 6 airport security guards

Security in our airports has been tightened in recent years, and this has led to delays and frustration for many passengers.  With tensions heightened all round, we’ve heard many tales about rude, unreasonable and overzealous security staff.  However, a rumour began to surface in 2002 of an elderly woman who had fought back against unfair treatment.  A rough and overweight guard refused to let the woman on board unless she submitted to a search. 

The 83 year old responded by running him down with her motorized wheelchair, before dealing out a series of blows to other guards who tried to apprehend her.  One was hit with an oxygen bottle, one was stabbed with a knitting needle, one was set on fire with a cigarette lighter and another was punched in the face.  It’s easy to see why this story about a ninja nana appealed, but it is not true.  It was a fictional piece written by a man called Bob Wallace and posted on his website, before it was picked up and passed around by email, posing as a real anecdote.

STATUS: False

Denver Airport is a secret UFO landing strip, underground military base or civilian detainment camp

There are a lot of rumours around about strange goings-on at Denver Airport.  Suspicions were raised right from the beginning.  It was built in 1995, despite the fact that Denver already had an airport.  The new complex had fewer gates and runways, but much more space.  It was alleged to be an unsuitable location for an airport because of wind and terrain troubles, but apparently the new facility HAD to be built and HAD to be built in that position.  Why, and why did they need so much space?  It’s said that contractors were repeatedly fired during the construction, apparently so that none of them could get the “Big Picture”. 

Supposedly, the airport has 8 sub-basements, and includes several buildings and a runway which were buried because they were “built wrong”. It also has several barren, fenced off areas with barbed wire along the top – facing inwards.  Once the airport was complete, disturbing murals were painted on the walls, including African and Native American women lying dead in coffins, along with a blonde girl holding a Bible and a Star of David.  Some say that they are Masonic symbols, Nazi propaganda or that they that hold secret messages about world domination.  All very odd.  But the conspiracy theorists argue about what it all means, so for now you’ll just have to make up your own minds.

STATUS: Not proven

Elvis landed at Prestwick Airport

Many Elvis fans will tell you he never visited the UK, but others claim he made a fleeting stop off at Prestwick Airport.  The truth is that it did happen and this was the King’s only visit to our shores.  He changed planes at the airport on his way home from doing military service in Germany, in March 1960.  Sergeant Elvis was met by hoards of screaming teenagers.  He posed for pictures and signed autographs before asking, “Where am I?” 

 He spent some time at the local NCO club and Teenage Club where they played his hit “Heartbreak Hotel”.  The embarrassed superstar called for them to, “Turn it off!”  On returning to the plane he said that he liked the idea of Scotland and he would visit the country again on a forthcoming European tour.  But the tour never took place and Elvis would never return to the UK.  

STATUS: True

Secret flights took Bin Laden’s family out of the US after 9/11

It is claimed by some that members of Osama bin Laden’s family and other Saudi Nationals were flown out of the US immediately after 9/11.  This was said to have happened while a ban on air travel was in force, and before the FBI could question them.  After the terror attacks, all flights were grounded and the ban stayed in place until 13 September. 

During that time, only the military and specially authorised flights carrying medical supplies were allowed in the air.  The 9/11 Commission established that there was no truth to the allegation of secret flights.  All planes carrying Saudi nationals were accounted for, and they only took to the air after the ban was lifted.  The passengers were all screened by the FBI and interviewed before departure.

STATUS: False

Picture Credits

1 - Saint Martin under GNU Free Documentation License

2 – Tofu Photography

3 – Izakovic

4 – Rockmine

5 – Michael D Brown under Creative Commons

We’d like to hear from you!

Have you heard any strange airport stories that you’d like us to check out?  Got any other evidence to add to the cases we’ve looked at?  Please leave your comments below.

King Fahd International Airport

This vast airport is spread over 301 square miles of land in Damman, Saudi Arabia.  That is an area bigger than many cities – in fact, 3 times the size of Edinburgh – and even bigger than some countries, including the neighbouring Bahrain.  In comparison, Heathrow Airport covers less than 5 square miles.  Despite its vast size, King Fahd Airport only has the capacity to handle 7 million passengers a year, and actually receives many less.  Heathrow, on the other hand, has nearly 68 million travellers passing through each year.

King Khaled International Airport

At 87 square miles, this is another huge airport in Saudi Arabia.  It is just outside Riyadh and is actually the main gateway to the country, seeing up to 14 million passengers a year.  It has one of the world’s tallest air traffic control towers at 265 ft and the terminal buildings contain a mosque that can hold 5000 worshippers.  The airport is also an emergency landing site for NASA’s space shuttle.

Al Maktoum International Airport

When Dubai’s new airport is finished, it will be the third biggest in the world in terms of land mass.  It will cover 54 square miles and receive over 120 million passengers a year.  It is due to open in 2010 and will be capable of handling all the new-generation aircraft like the A380 superjumbo.  This model shows what the finished site will look like.

Denver International Airport

At 53 square miles, Denver Airport just misses out on third place in the size stakes.  It’s still huge – twice the size of Manhattan Island and the largest in the USA.  It has 6 runways and is the 10th busiest in the world in terms of passenger numbers.  Its distinctive fibreglass roof mirrors the peaks and valleys of the surrounding Rocky Mountains.

Beijing International Airport

 
Another way of measuring the largest airport is to look at the size of its terminals.  The world’s largest terminal complex is now at Beijing International Airport, after its development for the 2008 Olympics.  With a floor space of 10 million square feet, the third terminal is also the largest freestanding structure in Asia.  It was designed by Norman Foster, who also built the Gherkin in London and the Millennium Bridge.  The new terminal is nearly 2 miles long and from the air, it is supposed to look like a giant red dragon – the traditional symbol of China.

We’d like to hear from you!

What’s the biggest airport you’ve ever been to?  Is bigger always better?  Please leave your comments below.

Credits

Photo 1 – Leslie E. Robertson Associates, R.L.L.P.

Photo 2 – airport-technology.com

Photo 3 – Imre Solt under GNU Free Documentation License

Photo 4 – Call 2 Web

Photo 5 - Gabriel Lai

Airport security checks are pretty thorough these days, but there are still some people who try to sneak illegal items onto aeroplanes. From drugs to dead bodies, here are 5 of the strangest stories of smuggling I’ve ever heard.

Need a fix

Drugs are a common type of contraband to turn up in airport security checks, but the smugglers sometimes find unusual ways of transporting them. You might think a 66 year old man with a broken leg would be unlikely to arouse suspicion, but officials at Barcelona Airport were onto him. On being examined, they found that his plaster cast was made entirely from cocaine. He had flown in from Chile, and the police pay close attention to travellers arriving from South America, because this is one of the main routes for cocaine coming into Europe. X-rays showed that the man really did have an open fracture of the tibia and the fibula, which might have been inflicted upon him deliberately to assist with the plan.

Something fishy

Exotic animals are another favourite for the smugglers, because they can be sold at high prices to Western pet owners. A woman was arrested at Melbourne Airport in 2005, carrying 51 live tropical fish. Officials became suspicious when they heard a “flipping” sound coming from underneath the woman’s skirt. When they lifted it, they found a special apron containing bags of water and her strange cargo.

Bag of bones

In 2008, horrified security staff at Munich Airport stopped a woman at the baggage scan who was found to be carrying a skull and other bones in her luggage. The 62 year old and her friend were taken into police custody. She explained that the skeleton belonged to her brother, who had died 11 years ago in Sao Paulo. She was trying to fulfil his final wish, which was to be buried in Italy. After she produced the correct papers, she was allowed to continue to Naples, bones and all.

Heavy car-go

Baggage handlers at Manchester Airport were put on alert after struggling with a suitcase that weighed in at 68 kg. That’s more than 3 times the personal baggage allowance and over double the maximum weight for a single piece of luggage. When they demanded to see what was inside, they found that the passenger was trying to transport half a car engine in his suitcase. Surely there must be a better way to bring a motor vehicle back to your home country!

Monkey business

Sometimes the security checks miss something. Officials in Lima, Peru, obviously failed to look under one traveller’s hat. During the flight, the other passengers were surprised to see a monkey climb out and perch on his ponytail. The animal spent the rest of the flight under the man’s seat and behaved well. The man was taken away for questioning when he landed in Florida, and the monkey was prepared for a new life in a zoo.

 
Picture credits

These pictures are for illustration purposes only and the websites named below have nothing to do with the smuggling!

1 – Rugby Rescue

2 – Dogs Pets Cats New Zealand

3 – Toptenz

4 – Car Spare Finder

5 - Look At This

We’d like to hear from you!

Have you heard any strange smuggling stories?  Please leave your comments below.

Have you ever wished you could bring your bed on board the aeroplane? Stretch out and get a sound night’s sleep on a long flight? The dream of a floating hotel is not as far-fetched as you might think. There’s a new generation of aircraft in development that could change the way we travel forever. But, for the moment, the closest thing you’ll get to that experience is an aeroplane hotel; the only problem is, you won’t have moved anywhere when you wake up!

Jumbo Hostel, Arlanda Airport, Sweden

This plane had a long life in service, ferrying tourists around the world and flying Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. But by 2006 it had been reduced to a mouldy wreck, abandoned at Arlanda Airport in Sweden. An entrepreneur saw an opportunity and snapped it up, transforming the Boeing 747 into a 25 room hostel. The interior was completely cleaned out and refurbished, with new wiring and plumbing, and the space divided into bedrooms and bathrooms. It has kept some original features, like overhead cabins for storage and repositioned airline chairs in the lounge. The hostel has a view of the landing strip at the airport and those not staying overnight are welcome to come in for a coffee or a walk out on the wing.

This is budget accommodation – you can expect to sleep on a bunk bed in a room about 6 metres square. You can opt to share with others, dormitory style, but private rooms for up to 3 guests are available. The most luxurious space is the cockpit suite, which sleeps 2 and is the only bedroom with a private bathroom. It’s being billed as the honeymoon suite, with marriage ceremonies to take place on the wing outside. You might not quite qualify for the mile high club, but it’s the next best thing.

Have a look around and see what you think!

727 Fuselage, Costa Rica

         
This plane looks like it has crash landed in a tropical paradise, but it was really brought here bit by bit from its prior resting place at San Jose Airport. It’s another plane that came to the end of its working life and was given a makeover by a hotelier with an eye for unusual accommodation.

This one is at the more luxurious end of the market. The whole Boeing 727 has been turned into one exclusive suite. Set on a 50-foot high pedestal, it has views over the ocean and the jungle. A hardwood deck has been added to the outside and there is a dining area, kitchenette and 2 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The interior has been covered in teak panelling, giving it the feel of a top-class treehouse.

Airplane Suite, Teuge Airport, Holland

This plane was being used as a village restaurant when it was bought and brought to the edge of the runway at Teuge Airport in Holland. It has been transformed into a 5 star hotel suite and meeting room, complete with Jacuzzi, sauna, bar and kitchen, as well as all mod cons like flat screen televisions and wireless internet.

The four engine plane was built in 1960 and was used by the East German government, to carry officials like Erich Honecker around the world. It’s an Ilyushin 18, which was a popular Soviet Union aircraft. Its Cold War-era owners could hardly have imagined that the plane would one day be kitted out as a playroom for wealthy capitalist businessmen.

Manned Cloud

If you really want your hotel to get off the ground, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. The Manned Cloud won’t be launched until 2020. It’s still in development, but a flying hotel is an exciting prospect and could be part of a revolution in the way we travel. The technology hasn’t been fully worked out yet, but it’s an airship that will be fuelled by some kind of gas. It will be huge – the length of 2 football pitches – with 20 bedrooms for up to 40 guests. It will have all the features you would expect in a quality hotel such as a restaurant, bar, spa and gym. But it will be able to take you places you have never been before.

The idea is that it could land in beauty spots such as Thailand and the Caribbean, stay there for a week or so and then take off again. This would allow tourists to visit these destinations, whilst leaving the natural landscape unspoilt by permanent building.

Aeroscraft

 
And there’s another airborne hotel on the horizon, with a prototype expected as early as 2010. It will be the cruise ship of the sky. Travellers who choose to sail around the sea are more interested in the journey than the destination, and it will be the same for those aboard the Aeroscraft. They will travel at a leisurely speed, with time to relax and enjoy the unrivalled and ever-changing views of the earth below. If they tire of that, they can entertain themselves in the casino or restaurant.

The Aeroscraft is a cross between an airship and an aeroplane. It has electric engines, which are both quiet and environmentally friendly. It takes off vertically, so it doesn’t need a runway, and it will be able to land on earth, snow or water, making it a very flexible means of transport.

Credits

Picture 1 – Travel Anecdotes

Picture 2 and 3 – Mr Vincent Costello

Picture 4 and 5 – Hotel Suites

Picture 6 – Groovy Green

Picture 7 – Air Voila

Picture 8 – How Stuff Works

Picture 9 -  Elite Choice

We’d like to hear from you!

What do you think of these aeroplane hotels?  Would you like to stay in one?  Please leave your comments below.

If you’re off to the airport, you’re probably looking forward to having some fun on your holidays, but the process of getting there can sometimes be a bit of a laugh in itself.  For some light relief, here are 5 of the funniest airport videos we could find.

Air Rage

Anyone who’s ever missed a plane can sympathise with the way this woman feels…anger, frustration, disbelief…but I think this reaction is more likely to get you escorted from the building than onto the plane!

The scene takes place in Hong Kong International Airport, but there are English subtitles so you can appreciate the full force of this temper tantrum. I feel sorry for the family members, who are clearly very embarrassed!

Yorkshire Airlines

Comedy duo Hale & Pace give us a vivid picture of what it would be like to fly with Yorkshire Airlines.

Passengers could expect mushy peas with everything and an outdoor loo…hopefully they wouldn’t want to travel too far!

Your Attention Please

Aussie tricksters the Chasers have an open mike session at the departure gate for Qantas Airways.

They start making announcements over the tannoy at an unattended desk, expecting to be thrown out immediately. But the joke goes on longer than they had planned!

No Frills Airline

It seems like everything on board costs extra these days. Check out this sketch from the American show Mad TV.

It’s a nightmarish parody of a flight on a low cost airline, where the priority is to rinse the passengers of every last penny rather than to keep them safe!

Rap on the knuckles

This man found a unique way of delivering his complaint about Heathrow’s new Terminal 5…thankfully, things seem to be functioning much better out there these days.

He was one of the unfortunate passengers to travel through the terminal when there were teething problems with the luggage system. On the way to his wedding in Italy, the bags containing his suit and his wife’s dress were lost in transit. This was a real disaster on one of the most important days of their lives – but he’s managed to keep a sense of humour about it!

We’d like to hear from you!

Have you ever felt like throwing a fully-fledged tantrum in the middle of the airport like the lady in the video?  Do you know of any other funny airport videos?  Please leave your comments in the box below.

Gibraltar Airport

This airport has a very unusual runway.  It’s been built across a busy road, an impractical yet necessary setup because of the lack of space on the narrow peninsula of Gibraltar.  When a plane goes for a take off or landing, the main road to Spain has to be blocked off to allow it to pass.

Bilbao Airport

This airport in Spain has an unique and striking terminal building.  It’s made of white concrete and steel and is nicknamed “The Dove” because of its shape.  It was designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Caltrava and built during the 1990’s. He is both an architect and an engineer and has been praised for bridging the gap between these 2 art forms.

Siemens Airport Centre

This is the most high tech airport in the world…but its passengers never leave the ground.  It’s located near Nuremburg in Germany and has the systems and facilities to serve an airport the size of Heathrow, but it’s actually a sophisticated training and testing facility.  Passengers are identified with 3-D facial scanners and observed by automatic monitoring systems which flag up emergencies or risky situations, such as an abandoned piece of luggage or a person who has just collapsed.  Here, a boarding pass is a barcode in a text message, which the passenger holds over a reader to gain access at the gate.  Luggage is transported on conveyer belts travelling at a world record-breaking speed of 10 metres per second.  The technology they’re developing here could soon be seen in real airports around the world.

Spaceport Singapore

But if you really want to look into the future, check out this Spaceport.  Yet to be built, it will be located near Changi Airport and aims to be the first tourist facility of its kind.  It will offer astronaut training and flight simulation experiences as well as actual suborbital space trips on the Explorer Space Vehicle, which can hold 5 passengers.  They will be blasted 64 miles above the surface of the Earth and experience about 5 minutes of continuous weightlessness.

Iqaluit Airport

And from the sublime to the yellow submarine…this bright little airport in Nunavut, Canada is certainly eye-catching.  But it’s unusual in another way as well.  Its geographical location halfway between Hollywood and Europe makes it a busy stopping place for the private jets of the rich and famous, and consequently it’s one of the best airports in the world for celebrity spotting.

Credits

Photo 1 – Mark Ashley

Photo 2 – Wayfaring Travel Guide

Photo 3 – Siemens

Photo 4 – Space Fellowship

Photo 5 – Travel Blog

We’d like to hear from you!

What’s the most unusual airport you’ve ever visited?  Please leave your comments below.

Kansai International Airport

This airport is considered to be one of the greatest engineering achievements in the world, second only to the Panama Canal.  It is the answer to a series of natural challenges.  Firstly, Japan is short on flat space, so the solution was to build a man-made island for the airport in the Bay of Osaka – 2 and a half miles long and a mile and a half wide. Secondly, the sea bed is made up of clay, so the island had to be supported by columns under the ground, to stop it sinking and disappearing under its own weight. As if that weren’t enough, the area is prone to typhoons and earthquakes, so a sea wall had to be constructed to protect the airport from water surges and the building had to be designed to withstand the disruption of an earthquake.  All in all, quite a challenge.  Construction began in 1987 and the project was completed in 1994.  The very next year, Japan was hit by the devastating Kobe earthquake.  The airport was at the epicentre and survived without damage, to sighs of relief from its designers.  But there were soon concerns that the island was sinking faster than expected – at a rate 50 years ahead of schedule.  With water now creeping onto the runway on bad days, its future is uncertain.   

Dutch Airport, North Sea

The engineers who are planning to build an airport in the North Sea will be looking closely at Kansai’s fate, as there are some similarities in the design.  At present, the North Sea Airport is no more than an idea, but it would also be created on new land built above water.  In some ways it is more ambitious than Kansai; the airport would be located 12 and a half miles off the Dutch coast and is part of a plan to create 95 square miles of new land.  Passengers would make the journey from the mainland in underground tunnels and the planes would take off from floating and rotating runways that could turn to face the wind.  The project would take 25 years to complete.  Some have suggested that a similar scheme in the Thames estuary could be the answer to London’s airport needs.

Terminal 5, John F Kennedy International Airport

The abstract curves of the TWA terminal at JFK Airport in New York belong to a different era of air travel.  Finished in 1962, its designer Eero Saarinen intended it to be an uplifting place, expressing the drama and excitement of travel.  Its concrete structure was a masterpiece of engineering, supported by an invisible steel web, and designed without the aid of the computer programmes that architects use today. But as the world moved into the new millennium, the airline that used the building went bust and it was left empty for many years.  Happily, parts of this landmark structure are now in use again as they have been incorporated into the new Terminal 5.  The new parts of the building are very much a product of the modern era of air travel.  There are extra security lanes and soft rubber flooring in the checkpoint, which is kind to shoeless feet, and a long bench where you can put your clothes, belongings and self back together after the thorough security process.  The building’s architecture allows people to flow through it in a new and efficient way, navigating by intuition rather than signage.  For example, a blue glowing wall suggests that something fun and exciting can be found on the other side, and passengers who are drawn towards it will come into the Marketplace – the airport’s hub for shopping and dining.  The 2 parts of Terminal 5 contrast and complement each other, embodying 2 different ideas of air travel.

Hong Kong Airport

This is another airport out at sea – 16 miles off the coast of Hong Kong.  It was a massive construction project.  Two mountainous islands were pulverised and the rubble was recycled to create a flat platform for the airport, filling 1 and a half miles of sea.  Connecting it to the mainland meant building 22 miles of motorways and tunnels, a high speed railway and the world’s longest suspension bridge, which spans a gap of 1.3 miles. The project was completed in a decade and the airport opened in 1998.  It was designed by Norman Foster and, at the time, it also had the largest passenger terminal on the planet.

Stansted Airport

Stansted Airport was a landmark in airport architecture and all the newest terminals have been influenced by its model.  It was also designed by Norman Foster and completed in 1991.  His innovations were to take mechanical systems out of the roof, put them underground and to utilise as much glass as possible in the walls of the building.  This left a light and lofty space above the heads of the passengers and allowed them to see where they needed to go.  Some earlier terminals could make you feel that you were enclosed in a dark and airless box, but Stansted let you see the sky and the planes outside; it made a refreshing change.

Credits

Photo 1 – Wikipedia under Creative Commons

Photo 2 – Building Sustainable Design

Photo 3 – TWA DCS Alumni Association

Photo 4 – The Independent Traveller

Photo 5 – Wikipedia under Creative Commons

We’d like to hear from you!

Do you think London needs its own amazing airport in the Thames estuary?  Please leave your comments below.

Any hobby which involves “spotting” has got a bad reputation.  Whether it’s trains, birds or planes, the image of the bespectacled anorak is a hard one to shake.  Most people see it as a rather dull pastime, tame, boring and geeky, but essentially harmless.

So the news in 2001 that a group of British plane spotters had been charged with “espionage” was greeted with much amusement.  With a bright rain jacket and a bobble hat, your average plane spotter hardly looks like a character from a James Bond film.  But for the people involved it was no joke.  They were facing 20 years in prison for their alleged crimes at a Greek military air base.  Eventually they were released, having  – with great difficulty – convinced the authorities that they were only at the base because they enjoyed taking notes of planes for hours on end.

Britain has traditionally been more tolerant of this kind of eccentric hobby.  In fact, the skills of spotters were once much valued.  During the war years, a Royal Observers Corps was set up to keep its eyes on the skies.  It was important for them to be able to identify planes by their silhouette, so that they could report sightings of any enemy aircraft.  And, later, as passenger air travel increased, most airports were happy to provide a viewing terrace for anyone who wanted to watch the action.

But more recently, spotters have found the friendly welcome lacking a little.  Security fears have meant that viewing facilities have been reduced and many airports now try to discourage spotters.  However, others have taken a different view.  Some police forces are enlisting the help of the spotters by asking them to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour at the airports.  And journalists investigating the controversial and mysterious US policy of “extraordinary rendition” have made use of their flight logs, notes and pictures.  The spotters’ evidence helped to reveal the truth about what was going on.

So it seems we can’t underestimate the plane spotter.  He’s on the front line in the fight against terror and he’s uncovering government secrets…maybe he’s got more in common with James Bond than we gave him credit for.  So, plane spotters of Britain, we salute you.  Just for you, here’s a quick guide to 5 of the best airports in Europe for followers of this noble and daring hobby.  Just let us know if you see anything interesting.

Manchester Airport

This is the real deal, knee-trembling stuff for the plane-o-phile.  Excellent viewing facilities and a busy mix of different aircraft coming in from across the Atlantic, Asia and the Middle East.  There are cargo carriers providing daily widebody aircraft for added excitement.

To be right amongst all the action, you could book a room for the night at the on-site Radission SAS Hotel Manchester Airport.  Although it can be expensive, it’s the best hotel for spotting in Manchester.  It’s located behind Terminal 2, and you can get a good view of the runways and aprons from the restaurant and the bedrooms on high floors.

Frankfurt Airport

Germany’s busiest airport has an exotic mix of aircraft on show from all over the world.   It’s one of the few places in Europe where you can see Russian models in abundance.  Good viewing facilities.

While you’re there, you could stay at the InterCity Hotel Frankfurt Airport.  It’s on the south side of the airport and some rooms have a limited view of the runways.  There are TV screens in the lobby which often have information on aircraft registrations and movements.

Paris – Charles de Gaulle Airport

Plenty of action on the runway here, with both native and overseas airlines.  There are good spotting locations but if you want to take photographs, you’ll need a permit.  Apply to xavier.huby@seine-saint-denis.pref.gouv.fr

For overnight accommodation, you could try the Ibis Hotel.  Less expensive than some of the other airport hotels, it still offers great opportunities for spotting.  If you want views over the runways at Terminal 2, choose a north facing room.  South facing rooms look out over Terminal 1 and the charter terminal.

Rome – Fiumicino/Leonardo da Vinci Airport

An opportunity to get a look at some Italian models rarely seen outside the country, as well as a large number of international airlines.  The road around the perimeter offers a chance to pull up and take pictures.  But you’ll have to be quick, because the Italian police disapprove of this kind of activity.

If you’re travelling here, you could book into the Hilton Hotel Rome Airport.  Go for a room on a high floor with a number ending in 10.  These offer views of the planes at the domestic terminal. 

Zurich Airport

A mouthwatering daily mixture of aircraft from across Europe, North America and Asia.  In January, the World Economic Forum brings in fleets of private jets from across the globe.  Viewing facilities are amongst the best in Europe.

A nearby hotel is the Park Inn Zurich Airport.  It can be costly, but if you ask for a room overlooking the airport, it’ll be worth it because you’ll be able to see most of the action from your window.  However, it’s not so great for photography, because of the distance.

Credits

Photo 1 – Pseudonym

Photo 2 – FotoIntern

Photo 3 – How Stuff Works

Photo 4 – Aloxe

We’d like to hear from you!

Which is your favourite airport for plane spotting?  Please leave your comments below.

More than 50 airports worldwide have been named after the great and the good, from politicians, to musicians, to sportsmen.  Usually they don’t get to enjoy the honour because they have to be dead first, but that’s not always the case.  George Bush senior has an airport in Houston, Texas named after him, and he is still very much alive.

The celebrities are usually local people who have achieved fame and acclaim in some area of their life.  It makes sense that an airport, as the gateway to its community, would want to celebrate its greatest local hero.  But some are more obvious choices for such an honour than others, as we will see.

LaGuardia

Naming airports after celebrities is not a new idea.  The name might not sound familiar to us now, but Fiorello LaGuardia was the New York City mayor who championed the construction of the airport in the 1930’s, and when he died in 1947, the airport was named after him.

John Wayne and Bob Hope

Having an airport named after you is a great honour – so much so that it can cause a strange kind of rivalry to develop.  In 1979 the Orange County Airport was re-named after John Wayne, who had just died.  His fellow actor Bob Hope was said to be jealous that Wayne had an airport named after him, and he didn’t.  If only he could have known that, in 2003, after his death, he would be honoured with his very own Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, where he kept his personal aeroplane.

John F Kennedy

Often the death of an admired person will result in an immediate name change for an airport.  Idlewild Airport in New York changed its name to John F Kennedy just a month after he was assassinated.

John Lennon

However it’s not always an instant occurrence.  Liverpool waited 22 years after John Lennon’s death before they renamed Liverpool airport in his honour.  He is hailed as one of the city’s greatest sons and the move was a popular choice.

George Best

But sometimes the renaming of an airport can cause controversy.  George Best was a widely respected footballer, but his troubled private life led people in Belfast to question whether a better figure could have been chosen to represent their city. For now though, Belfast has George Best airport.

Ronald Reagan

At other times the naming of an airport can cause a fuss for political reasons, such as when Washington’s National airport was renamed after Ronald Reagan in 1998.

Genghis Khan

But it could be even worse. In 2006, Mongolia’s Buyant Ukhaa Airport changed its name to Genghis Khan.  This was done without much publicity, so passengers at the time were a little surprised to hear the announcement that they would be touching down at the airport of a bloodthirsty tyrant who created terror across 2 continents.  It certainly wouldn’t encourage me to pay a visit, anyway!

Robin Hood

So we’ve established that you don’t have to be dead to have an airport named after you, and you don’t necessarily have to be very great or good either.  And it seems that you don’t even have to be real to achieve this honour.  Obviously there was a lack of local heroes around in Doncaster and Sheffield, since they chose the legendary figure of Robin Hood to represent the airport.  And wasn’t he supposed to be from Nottingham, anyway?  That’s really scraping the barrel.

We’d like to hear from you?

If you could name an airport after someone, who would it be?  Please leave your comments below.

Picture Credits

Fiorello LaGuardia – Library of Congress

John Wayne – Roger Gaw

Bob Hope – Wikipedia

John F Kennedy – Library of Congress

John Lennon – Roy Kerwood

George Best – Expo67

Ronald Reagan – Wikipedia

Genghis Khan – Abdullah

Robin Hood – Wikipedia