AAWA

 

Aircraft Photography/Spotting Locations - Sydney Airport (SYD / YSSY)

SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL DECK (27-28/10/2010)

© Neville Murphy

Aerodrome Chart Sydney (Kings ford Smith), NSW (YSSY)

The observation deck can be accessed from the northern end of the international terminal hall by using the stairs or the lift.

The photographs were taken on two consecutive days in October and show aircraft on short final, taking off or landing on runway 16R, on taxiways Alpha and Foxtrot on the international side, and Bravo and Foxtrot on the domestic side. Equipment. CANON EOS 20D with a CANON ZOOM LENSE EF 100-400 1:4.5-5.6  L  IS

Advantages of this location:

  • Good directions.
  • Permanent signs.
  • Wheelchair access via observation deck lift.
  • Stairs also available.
  • Under cover with Perspex screen.
  • Circular photography holes cut in Perspex with plenty of available vertical and horizontal movement for large lenses.
  • Limited seating, however it is out of the way and doesn't appear to attract large numbers of the general public.
  • Departure monitor.
  • Good coverage of traffic landing and taking off from 16R.

Disadvantages of this location.

  • Departing aircraft on 34L generally too high.
  • Remaining runways not vewable except for a small section of 07/25.
  • All international flights landing on 34L do not pass this deck to reach their bays, except for freighters, Qantas and Jetstar.

How to get there:

An alternative to using the car park is to catch the train from Circular Quay ($15 one-way), or catch a bus from the Rockdale Railway Station.

9V-SKE9V-SKE atintersection of taxiways Foxtrot and Alpha.
A second sooner would have shown the whole nose, however another lighting post to the right restricts photographic opportunities.
(Photography Hint: When processing this photo I left the cropping tool in place and magnified the image to check the tail plane was in the image)
A6-EDDA6-EDD on taxiway Alpha. A few metres to the left on Alpha and the problem of lighting poles (as in above photo of 9V-SKE) can be avoided.
B6501B-6501 landing on runway 16R

CC-CQG

 

 

CC-CQG on taxiway Alpha1

N296UP

 

 

N296UP on taxiway Alpha.

VH-OQA

 

 

 

 

VH-OQB in background on take off roll from runway 16R (The glint on VH-OQB could move).

 

 

 

 

 

VH-OQA on pushback to relocate to the left for maintenance.