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Planespotting Guides for Portugal's Airports and AirfieldsHome >> Europe Planespotting Guides >> PortugalSpotting locations, viewing areas, the best spotting hotel rooms and advice on access for plane spotters travelling to airports and airfields in Portugal. Use the hotlinks above or scroll down for spotting information on spotting locations, airfield hangar access, aviation museums, preserved aircraft. Plus all the information has been plotted as Points of Interest and can be downloaded to your SatNavs, Google Earth and Google Maps to make planning your spotting trips abroad so much easier and helping you log many more
ALVERCA AIRBASE (LPAR) - TWR 119.225 & 257.8, GND 138.8 & 234.125Spotting InfoHome of the Museo do Ar Alverca aircraft museum. Open Tuesday-Sunday from 1000-1700 and is 3 Euros entry for adults. The museum also has a storage area and a storage compound nearby with aircraft in various states from complete to fuselages, wings and cockpits - their locations are plotted in the Spotting in Portugal Download and you should be able to drive round them. If there are gates preventing this, there is a car park you can park in to read some off and some have had luck requesting the guards escort them round the compound to log serials. There is also the flying club based here for you to visit, conveniently located near the storage areas. 02412 T-37C is preserved just up from the museum. Aero Clube de Alverca do Ribatejo are also based here. AZAMBUJA AIRFIELDSpotting InfoHome of the Portugese Tecnam importer. Friendly, ask for access and you should be allowed round the hangars. CASCAIS-TIRES AIRPORT (LPCS) - TWR 120.3, GND 121.825Spotting InfoHome of NetJets Europe but there are rarely any present. Not far from Estoril racing circuit so can get busy during race meetings. There are ramps and hangars on both sides of the runway. Aerocondor have a large flying club with some stored Shorts SD360s parked up. Near the Shorts is the biz ramp with the helicopter area south of here. You can comfortably drive the perimeter logging as you go though I don't yet know about access airside or to any of the hangars. Helitech Portugal is held here every two years. Cascais Airport EVORA AIRFIELD (LPEV) - A/G 122.7Spotting InfoFriendly, ask for access and you should be allowed round the hangars. 3C-JJO CV440 is stored here. Academia Aeronautical Evora are the flying club based here and they are based in one of the hangars. The others are primarily used by AgroAr. The airfield also hosts a biennial Portuguese Air Show. FARO AIRPORT (LPFR/FAO) - TWR 120.35 or 118.2, APP 119.4, GND 118.575Airport Info Mornings and evenings are busiest but it's very quiet for a few hours over the lunchtime period. The schedule may change this summer, but usually you can expect Saturdays to be mostly German, British and Scandinavian flights, Sundays and Thursdays are British, Mondays and Fridays are Dutch, Tuesdays are Scandinavian and Wednesdays are German. From 1700 onwards, you can collect the next day's timetable from the information desk next to the baggage area. Spotting Info The viewing terrace has closed, but the terminal extension had blocked all views of the apron anyway. The best views can be had from right next to the runway. As you leave the airport, you will see a roundabout with concrete figures on it. Turn left signed Praia de Faro. This road leads you past the end of the runway, after which you will see salt flats on your right. As the road bends to your right, you will see a turning on your left, which looks like a dirt track. Take this track and you will be right next to the runway. You can drive along this track up to the fire station area close to the threshold of 28, but any further and it will have to be walked or cycled. No facilities here so make sure you stock up on water, food etc if planning a few hours here. Views are great of all aprons and although most aircraft will park tail-on, you should be able to get an angle to read them off. Also fantastic for photographs though to get the fence out of your photos, continue down this track and you'll see a hill just before the fire station. Please note, the airport is located in Ria Formosa Estuary, a natural park, and preserved by legislation. Please don't pollute the park, take your rubbish away with you to keep the area clean. Away from the airport there are some lovely cafes and restaurants on Praia de Faro, from where you can have a drink and some food and log the arrivals on 10. 9Q-CMC B727 has been stored here since summer 2007 - its location is plotted in the Spotting in Portugal Download. For same day arrivals and departures visit Faro Airport Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report LISBON AIRPORT (LPPT/LIS) - TWR 118.1, APP 119.1, GND 121.75Airport Info Afternoons are extremely slow, with 1400-1800 good for a long siesta or a trip elsewhere. The TAP wide-bodies, mainly A330s, arrive and leave throughout the morning with the A340s usually on evening flights. Spotting Info Terminal 2, from which domestic flights depart, has no view over the airfield and views from the main terminal are limited. After passing passport control there are some clear windows near gates 18 and 19, with gate 13 also a good place. The best place, and indeed most popular is right next to the 03 threshold in a housing estate. Easy to get to by car and shouldn't take any more than 30 minutes to walk from the terminal - the route is plotted in the Spotting in Portugal Download. Either of these roads are very good. The hill on this estate looks across to the A330/A340 remote stands with the terminal area beyond. Right in front is 03/21 so you won't miss any movements regardless of which runway is in use and it's the best place for photographs of 03 movements. You can also follow the road northwards as it runs parallel with the runway and airport for different angles of the parked aircraft, and into the hangars if they are open. No problems from local police or airport security - this is the main spot for local photographers and they seem at ease with our hobby. North of the main terminal area, 2603 T-38 is the pole mounted gate guard at the military gate with the military ramp nearby. There is a great little area on a raised footpath up the side of a slight hill in front of a football pitch and within walking distance. Directions to this point are, from the airport, go down the left hand side of the airport approach road and you will come to a large roundabout. Almost going back on yourself, take the exit over your left shoulder and you will see a footpath that goes up the side of a hill. At the top you will see a small football pitch behind a wire fence, which you can stand in front of. You get a great view from here of the isolated stands where most of the A330s and A340s park, and you can monitor all aircraft taxiing out and landing so absolutely nothing gets missed. There has been a lot of building work going on at Lisbon Airport for some years now, and this is set to continue. Because of this, any satellite images are going to be out of date, but the information provided above is accurate. Planespotting Hotels - its location is plotted in the Spotting in Portugal Download Best hotel if you can get a good price is the Radisson Blu Hotel, which is within walking distance of the end of the runway, and if you get a room on the eastern side you have the approach for 35 right in front of you. Room 1012 has views of all movements and most of the parked aircraft. Everything can be read from room 914 no matter which runway they use with views of the approach when they are landing from the south. No problems spotting from the hotel. I'm not sure if there's an airport shuttle bus but a taxi ride should be less than 8 Euros and only takes a few minutes. The hotel is halfway between the terminals and the popular 03 threshold spotting & photography spot and so either is walkable. The Radisson Blu Hotel features on     for reviews, prices and room availability
Lisbon Airport Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report
PORTO-OPORTO AIRPORT (LPPR/OPO) - TWR 118.0, APP 121.1Spotting InfoThere are some views inside the terminal from the mezzanine floor above departures. You are looking through two sets of glass so whilst it's no good for photos, most movements can be seen from here. Leave the terminal at departure level and turn left. There is a service road with good views of the runway movements and cargo. Photos from here are ok but there will be vehicles in the way. Porto Airport Website SANTAREM AIRFIELD (LPSR) - A/G 123.55Spotting InfoIf no one's around, the main hangar has windows along both sides and whilst they only run part of the length, you should be able to read most off. SINTRA AIRBASE (LPST) - TWR 119.85 & 234.6, APP 118.6 & 234.1, GND 122.1 & 257.8Spotting InfoAn active military training field and home of the Museo do Ar Sintra aircraft museum. The website suggests it's only closed on Mondays but I have also heard it's only open at weekends. Just let the guards at the gate to the base know you're visiting the museum and they'll let you in. 2604 T-38 and 5457 G-91 are pole mounted gate guardians - their locations are plotted in the Spotting in Portugal Download for Google Earth, Google Maps and SatNavs. As you have to enter the base to visit the museum, you can log the active residents by driving around the base. Southwest of the airbase is a track that runs south and then east along the bounday - I don't yet know if views from here are possible, but you may be able to log a few more here if you can't get them from driving round the base. TORRES VEDRAS-SANTA CRUZ AIRFIELD (LPSC) - A/G 122.35Spotting InfoFriendly, ask for access and you should be allowed round the hangars. Aeroclube de Torres Vedras |
