Brisbane Airport

Continent: Oceania Country: Australia Region: Queensland
Brisbane
Eagle Farm Airport
Location Brisbane, Queensland
IATA code BNE
ICAO code YBBN
Airport type Commercial
Website http://www.bne.com.au
Overview map [ ]
Communications
Tower 120.5
Ground 121.7
Clearance 118.6
Approach 124.35, 124.7, 125.6
Departure124.35, 124.7, 125.6
ATIS 113.2, 125.5


Official Spotting Locations

International Terminal Deck

The deck is located on the right hand side of the top level past the coffee shops. Best time to take photo's is the afternoon. The viewing deck looks over the approach of runway 01.

Acacia Street Loop Road

This is the Official viewing area at Brisbane Airport and it is just excellent for both photos and viewing. The advantage about the Loop Road is that whether the planes are using RWY01 or RWY19, you can still use the Loop Road which ever way it is. If RWY19 is in use, you can photograph the planes in the air just as they are about to touch down and/or when they are actually touching down and have just landed. For a 19 departure, the planes taxi past you and turn off the taxi way and onto the runway and make their take off roll right past you and rotate quite a fair way in the distance. RWY 01 landings are not so good from the Loop Road as they touch down a long way from you and taxi off the runway and onto the taxiways at a reasonable distance. RWY01 Departures are just brilliant. They commence their take off rolls down the far end of the runway and take off and fly past you. Excellent for photos and viewing. The Loop Road is closed from 18:00 - 06:00 the next morning. A step ladder is highly recommended. The Loop Road is brilliant to visit any time of the day but as you are facing the east, the morning sun is right in your face and can cause backlit photos. For a digital SLR user, it's recommended to use a lens/lenses that are from 80mm to 300mm. 01 Departures, 19 arrivals/take off rolls require min 200mm. A taxi to 19 pic only requires 90 - 125mm. The Loop Road is my favorite spot at Brisbane by far and it is recommended that any spotter who wishes to visit Brisbane Airport spends a good part of a day here as you'll get just so much enjoyment and fun out of it. Here are some sample photos:

A RWY 19 Arrival

A RWY 19 Taxi

A RWY 19 Take off/landing Roll

A RWY 01 Departure

Other Spotting Locations

Boronia Road

Boronia Road is a great spot for Runway 01 Approaches. At the end of the Ring Road is a dirt driveway and a fence. Boronia is home to Brisbane's training facilities. To get there, make a right off the Airport Drive to Lomandra Drive, and make a left into Boronia (either entrance.)

Fire Station

You can get great shots of aircraft arriving rwy 01 with the Brisbane city skyline as a backdrop, also roll through for both 19 & 01. The easiest way to get there is follow Lomandra drive east turn left onto Myrtletown Rd follow it up to the Qantas hangers, as the road curves to the right take the first left Pandanus Av (This is a private road you can be told to move on at anytime please do if asked) follow it up and take the first left Baeckea St there is a carpark on the right. Around 260 mm gets the 747's, 300mm gets 737's. Best time for taking photos is in the morning

Kingsford-Smith Memorial

Departing aircraft Rwy 19 (min. 300mm lens recommended). The easiest way to get there is follow Airport Drive to the International terminal turn left at the roundabout into Correa St. The best time to take photos is in the afternoon.

Toona Lane

Departing aircraft Rwy 19, Landing 01 roll through and taxi both directions. The easiest way to get there is follow Airport Drive past the International terminal, through the roundabout do a U-turn and turn into Toona Lane (There is a field on the left). The best time to take photos is in the afternoon.

Mc Bride Road

Departing aircraft Rwy 19, Approaching Rwy 01. Easiest way to get there is from Airport Drive follow Lomandra drive to the end. Turn right onto Eagle Farm Road, Then first right onto Serpentine Road Then right again onto Mc Bride Road. Follow it to the end. The best time for photos is in the morning.

Main Beach Road - Sewage Plant

Approaching aircraft Rwy 19. Easiest way to get there is from Airport Drive follow Lomandra drive to the end. Turn left onto Main Myrtletown Rd follow all the way to Bancroft Rd right into Brownlee St then left into Main Beach Rd follow to the end. On the left you will see a grass driveway along the fence line. Best time for photos is in the morning.

Locations to Avoid

Location

Regular Traffic

International

  • Aircalin (Airbus A320-200)
  • Air New Zealand (Airbus A320-200, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200)
  • Air Niugini (Boeing 767-300)
  • Air Pacific (Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800)
  • Air Vanuatu (Boeing 737-300)
  • Cathay Pacific (Airbus A330-300)
  • China Airlines (Airbus A330-300))
  • Emirates (Boeing 777-300)
  • EVA Air (Airbus A330-200)
  • Freedom Air (Airbus A320-200)
  • Garuda Indonesia (Airbus A330-300)
  • Japan Airlines (Boeing 747-300, Boeing 747-400)
  • JALways (Boeing 747-200, Boeing 747-300)
  • Jetstar (Airbus A320-200)
  • Korean Air (Airbus A330-300)
  • Malaysia Airlines (Boeing 777-200)
  • Our Airline (Boeing 737-300)
  • Pacific Air Express (Antonov An-12)
  • Pacific Blue (Boeing 737-800)
  • Qantas (Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767-300)
  • Royal Brunei (Boeing 767-300)
  • Singapore Airlines (Boeing 777-200)
  • Solomon Airlines (Boeing 737-300)
  • Thai Airways International (Boeing 777-200)

Domestic

  • Alliance Airlines (Fokker 100)
  • Macair Airlines (BAe 748-2A, Fairchild Metro 23, Fairchild Metro 1, Fairchild Metro 111, Saab 340B, Shorts SC.7 Skyvan)
  • Jetstar (Airbus A320-200)
  • Qantas (Airbus A330-200, Boeing 737-400, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 767-300)
  • Qantaslink (Boeing 717-200, de Havilland Canada Dash 8-400)
  • Virgin Blue (Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800)

Facilities and Transportation