little-ginge

My 2 and a half year old nephew is absolutely fascinated with planes at the moment.

We went to take him to Heathrow to look at them landing etc today, but were unsure as to where the best place is to view them. Obviously with security levels etc as they are, it's not as easy to see them as it was when my parents used to take us up there on a Sunday afternoon, about 24 years ago, to see the planes

Someone mention the Queens building? Can you still access the top of that? or can you recommend somewhere else, as high as possible, other than the waste ground on the where all the 'geeky' spotters seemed to be hanging around today?

fast bloke

Ikea car park in Belfast is good. If they built a plane spotter grandstand they would build in in Ikea carpark

little-ginge

eh??
Belfast?? I'm after Heathrow tips

fast bloke

Is there an Ikea carpark running beside the Heathrow runway?

little-ginge

I've had a long day, it's late and now you've lost/befuddled me completely

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Obviously I'm not a plane spotter () but when I went down there there were lots of spotters hanging around the fence here: to: 51.478603,-0.426836 - Google Maps

The planes that day were landing on Runway 27 (I think) from the east, (27R?) so we had jumbos coming in low and loud right over our heads My advice is to drive around the perimeter road and look to see where all the other nobbers are

FlightMan

Scoobychicks idea of a drive around the peri road is a good one.

A local favorite, although I've never been there is The Green Man pub, Green Man Lane, Hatton Cross, Middlesex, TW14 0PZ.

Now there are a couple of caveats here, so pay attention.

If Heathrow is operating on easterlies, you'll get loads of departures, but no arrivals, all through the day.

However, if were on westerlies, then you'll get arrivals and no departures, for half the day. This will depend on the alternation schedule, which you can find here:

BAA Heathrow noise website: Runway alternation schedule

You're looking for arrivals on 27L for the morning/afternoon of the day you want to visit.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I meant to add at the bottom of my post "PM FlightMan"

So which is L and which is R? It's left and right isn't it? Left being west and right being east?

FlightMan

Arriving/Departing towards London ( easterlies ) 09L is the Northern runway, 09R is the Southern.

Arriving/Departing towards Windsor ( westerlies ) 27R is the Northern runway, 27L is the Southern.

So, to answer the question " So which is L and which is R? " the answer is...

They both are!

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Ah of course, thanks for that See? I'm not a plane spotter, I know nothing about all this stuff

9 degrees and 270 degrees, points on a compass right?

FlightMan

90 degrees and 270 degrees yep!

See hastily constructed diagram below.




09L ========================================== 27R


Windsor...... T5.................... T1,2&3.............................. London


.................................................. ................T4
09R ========================================== 27L

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

That's cool but can you add a couple of planes to it for full effect?

Odds on

My 3 year old loves planes. It must be a thing for their age!

I'm gonna book 2 tickets on a cheap easyjet flight somewhere. It wont cost a lot and will make her day.

beal

iTrader: (1)

Any one know the best place to view at Manchester?(sorry for the hi-jack)

j4ckos mate

Manchester for you Airport hotel pub. right next to the runway, huge pub garden.

Manchhester for the lad, Viewing park where conorde is junc 6 m56.


ginge, What about Gatwick? there was a viewing area there, dont know if there still is,

can i also take it that the queens bldg is shut now then ?

FlightMan

LGW's viewing area was closed 2/3 years ago. Queens Building was shut after 9/11.

little-ginge

Gatwick is a bit far away for a quick trip to see the planes .

Heathrow is only about 15 mintues down the motorway.

Cheers, FlightMan -I was hoping you might see this i knew you were on here but couldnt remember you exact user name

The plane spotting will have to wait till next time the little tyke is up from Bristol... I honestly thought he was going going to wet his pants in excitement, all the wow's, oo's and 'ook, pane!! coming from his child seat

yoza

My lad is fascinated with them too, he is nearly 4 now.

I take him to Speke airport for a quick half an hours piece.

We park on a mud mound at the end of the runway, that used to be packed with plane spotters, but they dug a moat around it to keep people away.
I use a 4x4 so I can still park on it.

We mainly get EasyJets and RyanAir, with the odd FlyBe.

For more of a dayout we go to the Manchester Aviation Viewing Stand, where Concorde is parked up, they also have a Trident3B and a RJX that you can pay to sit in and watch a video etc...

We once went to Speke for half an hours piece, but we got quite the opposite....

We where parked on the mud mound about two years back now, October time, it was about 6ish pm so it was dark and wintery.

When we see the planes on their final approach, and with landing lights on, I open the sunroof and he climbs out the truck to take a closer look.

Anyway we saw one approaching, I said to my lad its only a 'baby' one are you still getting out?

Yes, he said so he climbed out the sunroof.

I was not watching it come in as I was messing with my phone, then I heard an almighty bang and a screeming engine noise.

The thing had crashed about 100 yards maybe less from my truck.

I couldnt believe it....

I couldnt see the plane clearly as it had crashed into long grass and hit a couple of trees, but I could see smoke and parts of the fuselage and could smell the fuel really strong.

I am a bit ashamed to say that I put the baby in the babyseat and strapped him in, and drove off....

There was nobody about at the time and the baby was in a state, so I just got off. I would like to say I pulled the survivors from the wreckage and I was hailed a hero, but it didnt pan out like that.

The pilot and passenger/s of the light aircraft were injured but survived, Im glad to say.

It didnt put my lad off though, he actually likes standing underneath them as they land at the end of the runway....He says they smell like ice cream vans.

Later yoza

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

This is my favourite way of spotting planes

OhMyGodwmv.flv - Video - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

DanTheMan

Go to fairoaks airport instead, cafe with outdoor seating by the hangars and you can walk onto the end of the runway - my kids love it.

Jamie

I have the eurofighters flying over my house most days but the last time i said that some raf **** head said it was not true.I got infracted for that,Then they were in london the next day.................Hiya rob rough as fvck

TheHappyAngler

Hey i remember that thread didn't you get infracted for your inability to read???? and you having no idea what flying and a combat declared squadron was???

are you still being bullied jamie? i wonder why

Jamie

And just been done again look above

TheHappyAngler

Crying shame as usually your such a well informed poster, looks like wikipedia and the sun let you down there.

Jamie

I do not see why as the facts are correct and you hide behind another name sad person

Suresh

Carrying on with the thread hijacking - -

From the ' Polderbaan' @ Amsterdam Schiphol taken with a 70mm lens i.e. you are quite close to the action there. My 3 year-old loves planes too

Jamie

I will stop posting again as the trolls are in and i will get infractions again shame it was a good thread!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Do you have to have a three year old to justify looking at planes ?

Its a shame when the terrorists bugger up a nice nosey at a few planes with your kids because they cant be trusted to not blow the f*ckers up, I took mine for a tour around Wyfla power plant and that had been stopped due to terrorism as well.

At Manchester if you go through the Bollin Valley Park there are some cracking spots around the perimiter.

Odds on

It's a shame they have for sure. I loved going up to the cockpit on a flight when I was younger. Something our kids will never experience.

Snazy

Best place I have seen planes up close and personal was dominican republic.
Bit far to go and see them I guess, but I would not complain about being there