Planespotting Guides for Singapore's Airfields and Airports
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Spotting locations, viewing areas, the best spotting hotel rooms and advice on access for plane spotters travelling to airports and airfields in Singapore. 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
CHANGI AIRPORT (WSSS/SIN)
Terminal Spotting Info
Landside - The Terminal 1 deck is closed at the Swensons end, however the windows overlooking the C and D piers are still accessible. By positioning at the far right side (furthest away from the old Swensons) you can read off most traffic inbound on both runways, quite a lot of which will taxi back round anyway and if you're lucky, some parked in the cargo area. Landside there is an official Observation hall located in T1 and it's easily found as it's well signposted. No problems spotting here but not all of this observation hall is now accessible and only a proportion of what's on the gates can be read off. The ones parked on the central apron are easily readable and those taxiing. Everything landing on 20R is quite hard to read off as they are obscured by the terminal building. Arrivals on 20L are a little easier, but you can't see departures from here. For the T2 deck, get on the monorail and follow the signs in T2. This deck's visibility through both sets of windows makes life very difficult. Worth a visit though to pick up some of the Silkair/SIA and temporarily if you need to target an outbound which has escaped you on landing. It looks out over 20L. Terminal 3 viewing mall is reached by taking the escalators from the back of the check in area on Level 2. There are four sets of escalators with one set at either end of the check in area, which then means walking through the Level 3 shopping area. The other two sets are either side of the Immigration entry point for airside. Taking either of these avoids the shops. A further two sets of escalators from Level 3 takes you to Level 4 and the viewing mall. The viewing mall itself is set a little back from the front of the terminal. There are two rows of seating with one set at the front facing the runway and a second set at the back. The front of the terminal has the same type of metal shutters that are installed in terminal 2. However if these are fully down it is still possible to read off the aircraft on the runway. There are views over the opposite runway to terminal 2. Aircraft on both the inner and outer taxiways are easily read off. The only area of the mall without the shutters is to the far right but then this means a reduced time to read off and having to stand.
Airside - You can freely wander between the two terminals and up and down the piers to log everything, just make sure you keep an eye out for fast taxiing aircraft. There is also an open-air smoking area airside over in T2 offering views out on to the apron.
Other Spotting Info
Worth considering is renting a car. The perimeter road is easily accessed and it seems no problem to stop on the grass temporarily, watch out for the fire ants though. You will be able to read off almost everything on the terminal on one side of the airport, which will include the Tiger A320s on the budget terminal and lots of the Singapore Airlines B777s. When you reach the far end, close to the maintenance area, you will find Changi beach. There are several free car parks, seats and grass park areas, all inbounds on both runways can easily be read from the beach area. With a car you can shoot off to Seletar, which takes about 15 minutes up the Tampines express way (TPE). Now that Seletar is primarily civil, access is easy and most residents can be logged.
Planespotting Hotels
The Village Hotel Changi has free hourly airport shuttle that takes 10 minutes and the planes land over the roof. You can't see the runway from any hotel as far as I'm aware, unless in the transit hotel at terminal 1, NOT the one at terminal 2. The hotel is next to the beach, with a few bars and restaurants a short walk up the road. Make sure you get a breakfast deal as it's a big price in the hotel if not booked. On arrival in Singapore go to the tourist office and they call the hotel for the shuttle bus for you.
The Village Hotel Changi features on    for reviews, prices and room availability
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SELETAR AIRPORT (WSSL/XSP)
Spotting Info
This ex military base is a 15 minute car journey from Changi airport. Everything is quite easily read from several vantage point along the perimeter with no problems from the authorities.
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