Plane spotting in Europe: airports & spots

The best spotting spots in Europe: 13 destinations for your next trip

Schiphol, Zurich, Heathrow, Copenhagen or Skiathos: which European spots are really worth it, which runway direction makes them work and when the light is right.

Mach Loop in Wales: photographing military jets at low level

In the valleys between Dolgellau and Machynlleth, military aircraft practice low flying – and you stand on the slope above. How the Mach Loop works, how to plan your day and which settings get you the shots.

Plane spotting in Toulouse-Blagnac: Airbus test flights, deliveries and spots

Toulouse is the home of Airbus: A350s, A330s and A321neos fresh out of the hangar, Beluga transporters, new-build ATRs and a perfectly ordinary commercial airport next door. Here’s how to plan your spotting trip to Blagnac – runways, locations, light and timing.

Plane spotting at Schiphol: runway selection, spots at every runway and the Panorama Terrace

Six runways, but each only in certain directions: anyone spotting at Schiphol has to be able to read the runway system. This guide explains which runway is active in which wind, where to stand at each runway and when the Panorama Terrace is the better choice.

Plane spotting in Barcelona: spots, runways and traffic at El Prat Airport

Landings on 24R in front of the platform, takeoffs on 24L behind the beach and everything different at night: here’s how to plan a spotting day at Barcelona-El Prat Airport – with Vueling every few minutes, low-cost carriers from all over Europe and widebodies from the Gulf.

Barra (Scotland): scheduled flights landing on the beach

On the Hebridean island of Barra, Loganair’s Twin Otter touches down on the sand of a tidal bay. How the beach airport works, why the schedule follows the sea and where spotters are best placed.

Plane spotting in Brussels: spots, cargo and military at Melsbroek

Three runways, two official spotting platforms and a military air base on the same runways: here is how to plan a spotting day at Brussels Airport – with freighters from Brucargo, A400Ms from Melsbroek and state visitors at every summit.

Courchevel and the altiports of the Alps: landing uphill

At Courchevel, aircraft land uphill on one of the steepest runways in the world, right next to the ski slopes. How an altiport works, where spotters are officially allowed to stand and which other mountain airfields exist in the French Alps.

Plane spotting in Dublin: spots, runways and traffic at DUB airport

Two parallel runways, no observation deck, but a legendary spotters’ mound: here’s how to plan a spotting day at Dublin Airport – with Aer Lingus, Ryanair registrations by the dozen and widebodies crossing the Atlantic.

Plane spotting in Geneva: bizjets, long-haul and the best spots

One runway, a free rooftop with a view of the Jura and business jets in a density hardly any other airport of this size offers. Here’s how to plan a spotting day in Geneva by wind, light and season.

Plane spotting in Gibraltar: the runway that crosses a road

In Gibraltar, you walk across an active runway, wait at the barrier for the jet from London and photograph it in front of the Rock. How the crossing works today, where to stand and how to plan the few movements per day cleanly.

Plane spotting in Greece: Athens and the island airports beyond Skiathos

Everyone knows Skiathos. But Greece has dozens of airports with sea, mountains and turboprops in front of your lens. This guide shows where Athens and the islands are worth it, how the meltemi shapes your planning and why you need to be especially careful at shared-use airfields.

Plane spotting in Istanbul: Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen

Two major airports, two continents: at Istanbul Airport you get the Turkish Airlines hub with an official spotter zone, and at Sabiha Gökçen the low-cost world of Pegasus and AJet. Here is how to plan your spotting days on the Bosphorus – and stay on the safe side.

Plane spotting in the Canary Islands: Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura compared

Five airports, one trade wind and lots of leisure traffic: which Canary island suits which spotter, where you stand at the fence or on the beach, and why the northeast wind shapes almost every spotting day.

Plane spotting at Copenhagen Kastrup: spots beyond the Flyvergrillen

The grill at the fence is a given – but if you only stand there at Kastrup, you miss half of it. Here is how to combine the Flyvergrillen, the parking lots at 22L and spots at the southwest end into a full spotting day.

Plane spotting in Lisbon: approaches over the city and the best spots

In Lisbon, aircraft glide over roundabouts, apartment blocks and shopping centers onto the only runway. This guide shows you which spots work with runway 02 and 20 in use, when the light is right and how to get strong shots without an observation deck.

Plane spotting at Gatwick: spots and traffic at London’s single-runway airport

One main runway, around 265,000 movements a year and a mix of low-cost, leisure and long-haul: here is how to plan a spotting day at London Gatwick – with the key vantage points for easterly and westerly operations.

Plane spotting at Heathrow: all spots, runway alternation and light

Two runways, a fixed rotation schedule and widebody jets every minute: if you spot at Heathrow, you above all need to know which runway lands when. This guide explains the runway alternation, shows you the spots at all four runway ends and tells you when the light works.

Plane spotting on Madeira: stilt runway, wind and demanding approaches at Funchal

A runway between cliff and Atlantic, one end on 180 pillars and a visual approach with a very short final: what makes Madeira Airport so special for spotters, where to stand and how to deal with wind and light.

Plane spotting at Madrid-Barajas: spots, configurations and long-haul to Latin America

Four runways, two strictly regulated configurations and a wave of long-haul jets from Bogotá, Buenos Aires and Mexico City every morning: this guide explains how to read north and south configurations in Madrid, which spot works when and which Latin American airlines you get in front of your lens here.

Plane spotting in Manchester: spots around the airport beyond the Runway Visitor Park

The Runway Visitor Park is Manchester’s best-known spot, but far from the only one. This guide shows you the alternatives at both runways – from the beer garden at the runway end to the hills on the south side – and when each location pays off.

Plane spotting in Mallorca: Palma Airport spots and summer traffic

Palma is Europe’s holiday airport: in summer there is a movement almost every minute, airlines from half of Europe and approaches over the sea. There is no observation deck – this guide shows how the runways are used, where spotters stand and when the light works.

Plane spotting at Paris-Charles de Gaulle: spots, runways and photo permit

Four parallel runways, a huge airport and a photo permit you should know about: this guide explains the doublet system at Paris-CDG, shows the proven spots on the north and south sides and helps you plan your day around Roissy.

Plane spotting in Prague: spots, traffic and day plan at Václav Havel Airport

Prague is one of the most spotter-friendly capital airports in Europe: official platforms along the main runway, plenty of European traffic, the home fleet of Smartwings and a large aviation museum in Kbely. Here is how to plan your spotting day.

Plane spotting at Rome-Fiumicino: spots, runways and traffic at FCO

No observation deck, three runways with a clear division of labor and widebody jets from North America and Asia: here is how to plan a spotting day at Rome-Fiumicino Airport – with a rental car, an eye on the wind and plenty of distance from the fence.

Plane spotting at Vienna-Schwechat: all spots, runways and highlights

Two crossing runways, strict noise rules, an official spotters’ hill and no observation deck anymore: here is how to plan a spotting day at Vienna Airport around runway use and sun position – and which fence works when.

Plane spotting in Zurich: spots, runway system and operating hours

Three runways in three directions, an operating concept that changes by the clock, and an official network of spotter points: here is how to plan your spotting day at Zurich Airport from the first landing to the night curfew.