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Manchester Airport: Difference between revisions
→Other Spotting Locations
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==Other Spotting Locations== | ==Other Spotting Locations== | ||
'''South Side (Runway2)''' | |||
A disadvantage of the official Aviation Viewing Park (AVP) is that it faces into the sun until late in the day, making photography more difficult. Better photography is often offered by heading around to Runway 2 on the South side of the airport. Going there is easy by car. By public transport is possible too, but a bit of a handful. | A disadvantage of the official Aviation Viewing Park (AVP) is that it faces into the sun until late in the day, making photography more difficult. Better photography is often offered by heading around to Runway 2 on the South side of the airport. Going there is easy by car. By public transport is possible too, but a bit of a handful. | ||
The closest bus stop to Runway 2 is at the Moat House Hotel (Holiday inn) on the A538 Wilmslow road . Bus service no 288 runs along the A538 and there is a stop near to the AVP at the junction with Sunbank lane – from the AVP this means walking back towards the main road (approx ½ mile). From this bus stop it is then 2 stops along to the Moat House Hotel (Holiday inn). The bus runs every 30 mins. | |||
By car, from the Junction 6 Roundabout off the M56, follow signs for Wilmslow along the A538. Approximately 1 mile along this road you will drive under the 2 runway tunnels. As you exit the 2nd tunnel you will come to a roundabout. Turn left at this roundabout and then turn immediatley right before the gate - Then park up on the left before the bridge, as this road becomes the Moat House hotel car park beyond the bridge. Do try to tuck your car into the hedge, as the hotel mini-bus screams up and down here every half-hour or so and its a narrow road!! | By car, from the Junction 6 Roundabout off the M56, follow signs for Wilmslow along the A538. Approximately 1 mile along this road you will drive under the 2 runway tunnels. As you exit the 2nd tunnel you will come to a roundabout. Turn left at this roundabout and then turn immediatley right before the gate - Then park up on the left before the bridge, as this road becomes the Moat House hotel car park beyond the bridge. Do try to tuck your car into the hedge, as the hotel mini-bus screams up and down here every half-hour or so and its a narrow road!! | ||
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DO NOT park anywhere between the roundabout and the gate - you WILL get a ticket or a tow - even on the grass verge. | DO NOT park anywhere between the roundabout and the gate - you WILL get a ticket or a tow - even on the grass verge. | ||
Once you have got to the Hotel,you have two options. There are raised viewing mounds running the length of runway 24L. These are segregated by the road tunnels which allow the A538 to go under the runways. So your choice is to cross the road and go left and past the new fire station to get to the mid point and beyond of runway 24L for views of aircraft rotating and taking-off OR go right to the start of runway 24L for close-up taxiing and line-up views of aircraft. | |||
=== | ===To the right - taxi and line-up=== | ||
From the Hotel entrance, turn left and walk through the car park, over the small stone bridge and up to the top of this road. On the right is a black cattle gate. Walk through the gate and follow this footpath for approx half-a-mile. The path finishes at the runway security fence and you will see long earth mounds either side of you which offer superb elevated views of runway 2. | From the Hotel entrance, turn left and walk through the car park, over the small stone bridge and up to the top of this road. On the right is a black cattle gate. Walk through the gate and follow this footpath for approx half-a-mile. The path finishes at the runway security fence and you will see long earth mounds either side of you which offer superb elevated views of the first 1/3 of runway 2.Further around to the right is an elevated mound which is directly infront of the link taxi-way between runway 1 and 2 - you can practically count the rivets on the aircraft as they line-up !!! | ||
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=== | ===Across the road and left - past the new fire station=== | ||
The second option is to walk from the hotel back to the roundabout. On the other side of the road you just came in on, you will see a footpath of steep steps rising to the top of the hill. Follow this path for roughly 15 minutes past the side of the new fire station and up to the runway security fence. | The second option is to walk from the hotel back to the roundabout. On the other side of the road you just came in on, you will see a footpath of steep steps rising to the top of the hill. Follow this path for roughly 15 minutes past the side of the new fire station and up to the runway security fence. | ||