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Planespotting Guides for South Africa'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 South Africa. 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


GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT (FAGC/GCJ)

Spotting Info
Friendly, ask for access and you should get an escorted tour.




JOHANNESBURG AIRPORT (FAJS/JNB)

Spotting Info
2 viewing terraces, one in each terminal. The terrace at the international terminal is better. They both have reasonable views and all movements can easily be seen from both. The remote parking areas opposite by the hangars can be seen from the international terrace, with the cross runway storage/parking area seen from the domestic terrace. Some if not most of the aircraft can be read in the afternoons on these areas. The cargo/day stop parking area can be seen from the international terrace, but reading here is difficult. Hi Flyerz bar is excellent and ATC transmissions are broadcast to help with a bit of warning of something approaching.

Planespotting Hotels
  • The Southern Sun Hotel is about GBP50 a night and it has a shuttle to the airport. When you go to the highest floor you can overlook the SouthAfrican Express / Airlink platform including their hangars.
    The Southern Sun Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • At the Airport Grand Hotel you can spot from the swimming pool area without bins, as they are on finals directly over the hotel. The airport bus runs every 30 minutes.
    The Airport Grand Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability
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    LANSERIA AIRPORT (FALA/HLA)

    Spotting Info
    There shouldn't be any difficulties with getting permission to go airside. Drop an e-mail to Lize Nel, the PR manager at the airport (details on the Lanseria Airport website) and just state you want to go airside to take photographs or registrations. On arrival, go to the permit office, which is a small hut just down the hill from the passenger terminal, about 100 yards. Here the staff will issue you with a permit that will cover you to wander about on foot - the only restriction is to remain off the main taxiways. You might be able to get a vehicle permit, this costs ZAR20, about £2. The only place the pass doesn't allow access to is the customs/commercial apron and Execujet South Africa's apron and hangar on the right hand side of the airport approach road - but this can be seen and aircraft outside identified by stopping on the approach road to the airport. Allow plenty of time - it's a big airfield and you need to go both sides of the runway as there is interesting stuff on each side. If all else fails, there's a nice cafe on the top of the small passenger terminal where comings and goings can be watched and photographed, but most of the parked stuff isn't photographable from there. DO NOT miss out on going to Rand either - there's usually more propliners at Rand these days than there are at Lanseria.
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    RAND AIRPORT (FAGM/QRA)

    Spotting Info
    If you ask nicely in the old terminal they may provide you with an escort around the ramps. There's also a nice cafe in the terminal at Rand where you can sit with a beer and watch the flying.



    WONDERBOOM AIRPORT (FAWB/PRY)

    Spotting Info
    Friendly, ask for access and you should get an escorted tour. Allow a fair bit of time here as there are a lot of lock ups, hangars and aircraft are spread out a fair bit and in various stages of storage.

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    NOTE: This site in no way gives permission to enter any airfield or private property and stresses permission should always be sought before visiting any airfield.
    © Copyright 1997-2017 C.Blackmun. If any information from this site is to be used in any way, in any form of communication, be it printed or electronic, then permission must be requested and granted by me, prior to publication. You are welcome to use the information on trips but credit MUST be given to me, as I have done to all who have contributed. If you can update or add to any of the airport spotting locations please contact me. This site exists because the very social planespotting hobby is one of sharing and, I hope, your planespotting trips, whether you are a civil planespotter, a military aircraft spotter, or both, will benefit greatly from the spotting locations and spotting information contained within. My site contains airport spotting locations and airport spotting hotels and rooms at airfields and airports in the UK, Europe, USA, Asia, North America, South America, Oceana and Africa.