Malta International Airport: Difference between revisions

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[[Image: Charlespolidano_yak-42.jpg |left|thumb|200 px|Yak-42 on taxiway C. Photo taken at 70mm.]][[Image: Charlespolidano_B738.jpg |thumb|200 px|Boeing 737-800 arrival on runway 31. Photo taken at 200mm.]]This spot is an excellent morning vantage-point for departing aircraft on their way to runway 31 or arrivals exiting runway 13 via taxiways C or D. Aircraft in the nearer parking bays in park 9 are also reachable. Runway 31 takeoffs can be photographed with a moderately long lens. There are cutouts for photographers at intervals in the fence so a stepladder is not necessary, though shooting takeoffs through the cutouts is difficult.

'''Directions:''' Leave the terminal building and cross the carpark to get to the main road. Turn right and follow the road as it curves to the right. As soon as you are past the VIP entry gate and crash gate 3 you can pick your spot.  

[[Image: Charlespolidano_B733.jpg |thumb|200 px|Boeing 737-300 taking off at dawn (210mm).]]An elevated vantage-point for runway 31 landings and for take-offs in either direction. However, for runway 31 movements it is only just high enough to clear the airport perimeter fence and the street lights present an additional obstacle. If you have a step-ladder you would be better off shooting runway 31 take-offs and landings from next to the perimeter fence.  

[[Image: Charlespolidano_B752.jpg |left|thumb|150 px|Boeing 757 over the perimeter road (40mm).]][[Image: Charlespolidano_L-1011.jpg |thumb|200 px|Lockheed TriStar on approach at sunset (250mm).]]This is an excellent location for photos of aircraft approaching runway 31 if you're content with in-the-sky shots (no terrain visible). There is a wide roadside walkway, though you have to cross to the other side of the road to get photos to avoid the streetlights. The road is beneath the level of the runway at this point so through-the-fence touchdown photos are not possible.

Good for runway 31 approaches with terrain visible in the photo. Large building blocks have been deposited at this site, apparently as a prelude to future works, but so far it remains accessible. It is also possible to get touchdown shots from here.  

[[Image: CharlesPolidano_A300.jpg |thumb|200 px|Runway 13 departure (130mm).]][[Image: CharlesPolidano_B738_2.jpg |thumb|200 px|Runway 31 rotation (135mm).]]The Spotters' Wall, as it is known, is really an elevated viewing platform. Built by the Malta Aviation Society some years ago, it offers unobstructed views of runway 13/31 and it is the place from which to shoot takeoffs in either direction. With any luck the aircraft will rotate right in front of you. It is easily the best spot for photography at MLA. Its only drawback is its very popularity: it can get crowded if there is a particularly unusual movement.

Across the road from here lies the Medavia/NCA aircraft maintenance complex. Aircraft cross the road to the complex and back via a gate in the airport perimeter just beyond the viewing platform, with road traffic being temporarily halted by barriers. Aircraft crossings are infrequent, however, and you would need to be very lucky to witness one.  

'''Directions:''' Starting from the airport terminal, go left as you leave the building and head for the airport McDonald’s restaurant. Pass it by and you will reach the road to Zurrieq. Turn left and follow the road through a tunnel (there is a roadside pavement for walkers). As you emerge from the other side of the tunnel you will reach a roundabout: go left again and carry on till you reach the viewing platform. The walk should take perhaps 20 minutes.

If driving, head for the airport but take the road to Zurrieq at the Gudja/airport/Luqa roundabout. Parking is available next to the viewing platform and across the road.

{{jplink|118458}} (the Spotters' Wall)

[[Image: Charlespolidano_ATR-42.jpg |left|thumb|200 px|ATR-42 approaching runway 13 (150mm).]][[Image: Charlespolidano_Gulfstream.jpg |thumb|200 px|Gulfstream V in park 3 (150mm).]]This is a good spot for aircraft on approach to runway 13. Unlike runway 31 the road here is at the same level as the runway, but the runway threshold is impossibly far from the perimeter fence. From here you can also see park 3 where the occasional executive jet, light plane or small turboprop may be parked. Beware of heat distortion on hot days however.  

'''Time of day:''' The runway 13 approach is viable for morning photography if you are prepared to take head-on shots from directly beneath the flight path, but this location really comes into its own in the afternoon. For aircraft in park 3 you need to wait for the late afternoon and evening.

[[Image: CharlesPolidano_C-130.jpg |left|thumb|200 px|Canadian C-130 in park 4 (60mm).]]The occasional executive jet, civil or military transport or light plane may be parked here, though light aircraft tend to be parked far from the fence at a point where the ground dips, making them hard to photograph. There are cutouts for photography at intervals in the fence. Unless your subject is close to the fence you'll have to watch out for heat distortion and you may have to wait for the sun to start descending. Nightshots are also possible in this location.

[[Image: Charlespolidano_P92.jpg |thumb|200 px|Tecnam P92 approaching runway 05 (175mm).]]Good for approaches to runway 05. As regards traffic the same applies to this spot as to the runway 23 threshold.

The most important operator at MLA is obviously [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Air+Malta Air Malta,] which operates a  fleet of Airbus A319s and A320s. Two other local airlines, BritishJet and European 2000 Airlines, have ceased operations. There are two flying schools which contribute to a fairly lively general aviation scene. Also based at MLA is the [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Malta+-+Air+Force Air Wing] of the Armed Forces of Malta, which operates a mix of helicopters and light aircraft.  

MLA hosts two maintenance and repair facilities. The Lufthansa Technik Malta plant, located in the airport grounds, carries out C-checks on Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies and will also undertake D-checks on Airbus widebodies as from December 2008 in a large new facility which is being built for the purpose. Next to the airport on the Safi side (across the road from the Spotters' Wall), the Medavia/NCA complex carries out maintenance work on smaller aircraft. [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Medavia Medavia] operates its own small fleet of turboprops, mostly on ferry flights to and from North Africa.

Other airlines which fly to Malta throughout the year include British Airways, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair, Germanwings, Sevenair, Libyan Airlines, Thomas Cook, Thomsonfly and Easyjet (ex-GB Airways).  

In summer traffic increases considerably. Airlines which operate seasonal Malta routes constitute an ever-varying collection but normally include Austrian Airlines/Lauda Air, SAS, Sterling, Finnair, Spanair, Atlant-Soyuz and First Choice. As already mentioned, the best bet for the overseas visitor is to consult the flight schedules on the MLA website. Aircraft types used include Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies, CRJs, ERJ-145s, ATR turboprops, and Boeing 777s (Emirates). Occasional visitors, particularly in summer, can include anything from military aircraft in transit to chartered 747s.