Airport hotels blog

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 – http://49th-parallel.blogspot.com/2007_05_06_archive.html

Photo 2 – FotoIntern – http://www.fotointern.ch/archiv/2009/01/28/lokaltermin-bei-plane-spotter-vor-dem-wef/

Photo 3 – How Stuff Works – http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/nazi-germany-conquers-france1.htm

Photo 4 – Aloxe – http://www.flickr.com/photos/13274211@N00/561290914/

We’d like to hear from you!

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

Ivalo Airport, Finland

The smallest airports are often on the outskirts of the inhabited world. Ivalo Airport is on the edge of the Hammastunturi wilderness, which is the furthest north you can fly in Finland. The airport was built in the 1940’s during the gold rush, when prospectors flocked in to pan for precious metals in the pristine rivers of the Arctic Circle. Today, visitors come to the area, also known as Lapland, to enjoy hiking, fishing or hunting in the unspoilt scenery. In winter, they come to experience the magic of Christmas – snow, reindeer and Santa Claus. Passengers arriving at the log and brick terminal are greeted with snow sculptures and candles. And if you’re too old to be looking for a sleigh in the sky, you still might see something special up there – the Northern Lights.

Samui Airport, Thailand

Samui Airport was built in the 1980’s using local palm leaves, wood and rattan, to blend in with its surroundings. It has no walls – only a roof – so it is open to the air and doesn’t need any cooling systems. This is a picture of the departure gate. Its design is certainly unusual and has seen it winning several awards. It’s frequently described by visitors as “the most beautiful airport in the world”.

Bhadrapur Airport, Nepal

Bhadrapur Aiport is in eastern Nepal, near the border with India. Travellers flying in are treated to a spectacular panorama of the Himalayas, including Mount Everest. This tiny airport is used by many backpackers, setting out on treks into the mountains or visiting the famous tea plantations of Darjeeling.

Nanisivik Airport, Canada

This airport is on Baffin Island, in the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut. Nanisivik means “the place where people find things” in the native language of Inuktitut. The terminal building is little more than a tin shed and has only about 10 seats for waiting passengers. It was built to serve a local zinc-lead mine, which closed down in 2002. The airport continued to operate, connecting the inhabitants of this remote place to the outside world. Unfortunately, when the mine shut down, it cut off the power to the airport and for a week planes had to land without runway lights, radio signals or weather reports. Thankfully, the airport now has its own electricity generator.

Barra Airport, Scotland

This airport is found on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides. It is the only airport in the world where scheduled planes use the beach as a runway. At high tide, the area where the planes are supposed to land is under water. Understandably, this limits the amount of time the airport can be in operation and the on-site fire crews are more often called upon to deal with stranded seals and dolphins than anything to do with aircraft. Incredibly, the beach remains open to the public, and a wind sock is used to warn visitors when they are in danger of being knocked over by an incoming plane.

We’d like to hear from you!

Are these the world’s smallest airports?  Do you know an even smaller one?  Have you been to any of these airports?  What was it like?  Please leave your comments below.

Credits

Photo 1 – http://www.hflight.net/forum/m-1120932474/

Photo 2 – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samui_Airport_Departure_Gate.jpg

Photo 3 – http://www.gobackpacking.com/

Photo 4 – http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=161570

Photo 5 – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barra-Airport-Canthusus.JPG

If you’ve got a few hours to kill in an airport, one way to pass the time is to check out whether or not they have an onsite aviation museum you could take a look at.  There are a number of airports around the UK and Europe which have collections of historic planes.  Some of them are set up in Visitors’ Parks; others require a bit more research and investigation to track them down.  There’s a guide to some of these below.  However, none of them can compare to the collection at Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia.  Their exhibition forms a truly staggering record of aviation history, from its very earliest days.  For the enthusiast, it would be worth making a special trip to this museum.

Manchester Airport

Manchester is the resting place of one of the Concorde fleet, once the world’s favourite and fastest aeroplanes (did you know it was supersonic and could reach New York in 3.5 hours!!).  You can book a tour to get the inside story on this aviation legend.  With a Classic Tour, you can spend time in the cabin and cockpit, which is the only fully accessible Concorde flight deck in the world.  You also learn about the technology of the aircraft and about its famous passengers (it was expensive and so most passengers were wealthy).  A Technical Tour allows more time to appreciate this supersonic feat of engineering.

The Manchester Aviation Viewing Park also has a couple of other planes.  There is a fully restored BEA Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B, a British airliner built in the 1960’s.  You can also see an AVRO RJX, the last civil airliner to be built in the UK.

Cologne/Bonn Airport

It doesn’t have an official museum, but for those prepared to look for them, Cologne/Bonn airport has several interesting relics.  There is a number of decaying aircraft in the storage areas, including a good collection of Fokker F-27s.  At the gate to the military compound there is a FIAT G91R/3, and a walk around the perimeter could yield a glance of some other classic fighters through the trees.

Toulouse

There is an aviation museum on the western perimeter of the airport, with a collection of historic aircraft, helicopters, gliders and engines.  There are more than 25 planes on display, including the Super Guppy above, with a further 10 undergoing restoration.

Another big draw for aviation enthusiasts is the Airbus France factory on site.  There are regular test flights of the latest models, and tours of the flight line and assembly hall can be booked in advance.

Munich Airport

Munich Airport has a display of 3 historic aircraft at its Visitors’ Park.  There is a Douglas DC-3, which rose to fame as a cargo jet, being used to carry supplies to the city during the Berlin Airlift.  This model was a passenger jet of 1946, when air travel was at its most glamorous.  The second craft is a reconstruction of a Junkers Ju 52.  This legendary plane was used in the 1930’s for exploratory trips to the Far East and across the Pamir mountain range.  Completing the collection is a Lockheed Super Constellation, built in 1955 and considered by some to be the most beautiful passenger aircraft ever designed.  It was also the first to have a pressurised cabin.

Visitors are welcome to explore the park every day and learn about these fascinating aircraft.  You can even climb aboard the last two planes, and films and sound recordings help to bring their stories to life.

Washington Dulles International Airport

The largest collection of aviation artefacts in the world is held by the National Air and Space Museum in the USA.  Some of its treasures are on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center, at Dulles Airport in Virginia.

There are 3 levels of aircraft on show, including the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world (it cruises above Mach 3, that’s 3 times the speed of sound), and the deHavilland Chipmunk aerobatic plane.  You can also see engiines, helicopters and experimental flying machines from the early days of aviation.  You can even explore flight that is out of this world, in the Space Hangar, full of famous spacecraft, rockets and satellites.

Credits

Photo 1 – http://www.highcamera.co.uk

Photo 2 – http://www.aviation-friends-cologne.de/

Photo 3 – Ailes Anciennes Toulouse – http://www.aatlse.org/

Photo 4 – Munich Airport – http://www.munich-airport.de/en/consumer/erlebnis/hist_flugz/index.jsp

Photo 5 – Udvar-Hazy Center – http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/