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July 31, 2014Stuttgart Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
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- last modified on March 18, 2022
Stuttgart Airport (STR/EDDS) is the 8th largest airport in Germany and in 2018 the airport handled more than 11.8 million passengers. Due to its single runway its pretty easy to catch all movements. It is a base for the german carriers Condor, Eurowings and TUIfly.
National Flights are Served by Eurowings, Lübeck Air, Lufthansa and AIS Airlines. The European network carriers Aegean, Air Baltic Aeroflot, Air France, Air Serbia, Austrian, British Airways, KLM, LOT, SAS, Swiss, Turkish Airlines and Twinjet(AF Codeshare). The Airport has also a few lowcost carriers: Blue Air, Ryanair and Vueling.
Charter Flights to Europe and North African are operated by Air Cairo, European Air Charter, Condor, Corendon, Freebird, Freebidrd Pegasus, SunExpress, Tailwind, TUI. The only long distance destination is Atlanta opb. Delta.
The Airport ist also Served by DHL (A300/B757) and Fedex (ATR 72) as freight carriers and sometimes smaller Charter Freight planes like Swift Air or ASL. There are also often US Army, Airforce, Marines, etc. flights because of the American Army Air Field at Stuttgart Airport.
Written by Patrick Weis / Visited regulary – Thanks to Sascha Neuffer and Lutz Lehmann to provide some of the pics.
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| Airline Variety | |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 07/25 | 3.345 m (10.974ft) |
| Terminals | One huge building, splitted into four terminal parts. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Only necessary if you’re stand directly at the fence, then a minimum of 6 steps |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is not neccesary, but makes it easier. Most of the spots can be reached by public transport |
| Restrooms | In the Terminal and at the southern spots the Kaufland market with a public toilet. |
| Drinks/Food | As shown on the Map. Huge Kaufland supermarket and fast food chains at the southern side |
| Hotels | The are a few Hotels arround the Airport but no one with airport view. Closest to the terminals are the Mövenpick and Wyndham. |
| Season | The best month to travel are during the summer as there is not that much rain. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 07/25 | Nothing special or prefered direction. Used in both ways. |
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Spot #1 – Kaufland |
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| WHERE | This spot is located in front of the Supermarket Kaufland in Filderstadt in a seperated parking bay. Parking is free of charge at the supermarket. Its pretty easy to get there as you just have to follow the cargo signs from the airport. |
| WHAT | Best spot for 07 arrivals and take offs. Even 25 movements are possible. Arrivals sometimes use the full runway length to taxi to the terminal at the end of 07. Departures usually roate in front of you except biz jets, props and some regional aircafts/flights. |
| TIME | Best light conditions are from 08:30 -15:30 in the summer. Heat haze is an issue for aircraft on the ground on hot days. |
| MISC. | Sometimes the grass is has not been cut and parts of the wheels are covert. A Chinese Restaurant, Supermarket and toilet are inside of the buildking. Also free Wifi is avialible there. Heat haze is a BIG problem, even in the winter. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm |
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Spot #2 – 07 evening arrival |
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| WHERE | This spot is located near the ILS of the airport. Park your car as shown on the map in Echterdingen and walk up the farm track to the angle you like. |
| WHAT | This spot is good for Aircrafts arriving into Runway 07 in the evening hours |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in summer from 18:00 till sunset |
| MISC. | There are no facilitys there. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-400mm (depends where you stay for you shots on the farm track |
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Spot #3 – Farm track |
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| WHERE | This spot is on a field road in front of the tower. You can park your car at the Kaufland supermarket, spot #1. You can choose there where you stand for different angles. But only a few places clear the fence. More spots are availible if you use a ladder (at least 3 steps). |
| WHAT | From this spot you can take all plane movements on both runway directions |
| TIME | Best light conditions are from 08:30 -15:30 in the summer. Heat haze is an issue for aircraft on the ground, even in the winter. |
| MISC. | Sometimes the grass is has not been cut and parts of the wheels are covert. The next facility with restrooms and snacks are the bakery shop (open on sunday too) or the Kaufland Market. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-300mm |
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Spot #4 – Spotterhill |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located at the touchdown zone of runway 25. But it’s a far walk and they often change the runway directions verry fast. You have to walk a long way to get here(about 3 km), as there is only a farm track. It’s forbidden to drive up here. A Bycle is good to get there fast to the spot. Clim up the hill there is a platform to take pictures, which is elevated enough to clear the fence. |
| WHAT | From this spot you can take pictures of all Runway 25 movements. Also heavy 07 takeoffs can be spotted from here |
| TIME | Best light conditions are from 08:00-16:00 |
| MISC. | Some benchens and a bin is availible |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm |
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Spot #5 – 25 arrivals |
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| WHERE | This spot is located near the runway on a farm track. You can park your car as shown on the map. |
| WHAT | From this spot you can shoot all plane movements on arrival to runway 25 |
| TIME | Best light conditions in summer are from 08:00-16:00 |
| MISC. | No facilities! Please not block the farm track! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A343=120mm; CS300=220mm |
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Spot #6 25 Line up and 25 evening arrival |
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| WHERE | This spot is located near the runway on a farm track. You can park your car as shown on the map. Please not block the farm track! |
| WHAT | From this spot you can shoot all plane movements on arrival to runway 25 in the early morning and late evening. Also you can take line up shots in the morning |
| TIME | Best light conditions in summer are from sunrise till 10:00 for line up and 17:30 till sunset for arrivals |
| MISC. | No facilitys |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 24-300mm |
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Spot #7 – Autobahn hill |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located on a hill next to the village “Plieningen” and parallel to the Autobahn A8. You can Park the car at the side of the farm track here and climb up the hill. |
| WHAT | From this spot you can shoot all plane movements on arrival to runway 25 in the early morning and in the evening hours. 07 depatures are also possible in the early morning hours. You can also shoot aircraft taxi to the runway |
| TIME | Best light conditions in summer are from sunrise till 7:00 and 17:30-sunset for 25. During hot summer months there can be heat haze due to the autobahn between the hill and the runway. |
| MISC. | There is a supermarket and gas station next in Plieningen. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-400mm |
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Spot #8 – General Aviation Termial |
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| WHERE | This spot is located at the fence of the General Aviation Terminal. Park your car at the (30 min free, than 2,50€/h) car park and walk up to the fence. You can shoot through the fence |
| WHAT | From this spot you can shoot all movements in the evening. The best light is for aircraft that landed on runway 07 and taxi to the terminal. |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in summer from 17:30-sunset |
| MISC. | Toilets are in the General Aviation Terminal |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-300mm |
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Spot #9 – Observation deck |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located on the roof of the terminal. There are signs showing you the way to the entrence Terminal 3, level 5. Parking at P0 is the cheapest way if you use your car. (First hour in P0 free) |
| WHAT | From this spot you can shoot the most plane movements of the airport, but until the evening hours there is backlit. Also Nightshots are possible, depends on the opening hours. April till September 8.00 bis 21;00 , October to March von 9.00 bis 19.00 Uhr. Entrance for Free |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in summer from 17:30-sunset. But that depends on what you shoot. |
| MISC. | Toilets and Rubish bins on the deck. There are many opertunities to buy food in the terminal (Edeka, McDonald’s, BK) |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 40-400mm |
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Spot #10 – Walkway |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located on a walkway next to “L1208A” and the entrance to the “Stuttgart Army Airfield”. Honestly, this spot is no exact position, rather the area along the walkway, depending on your favourite angle. In the summer months you can park your car at the parking of the aspargusdigs on the opposite site of the “L1208A”. In winter months the digs is gone and the place is a farm track again, that’s why parking in winter months is easier in the parking bays of the nearby Burger King. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 07 only. |
| TIME | Best light conditions are almost always from sunrise (in june shortly after sunrise) till 17:30 in summer months or sunset in winter months. |
| MISC. | Parking is difficult here – more information can be found in “Where”. No ladder needed. Restrooms and food can be found in the nearby (marked) Burger King store. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm |
Hi all, at spot 8 you need a ladder,min.6 steps. Shot through the fence is no option
Hi Dirk, die Fotos sind alle, bis auf den A345, durch den Zaun gemacht worden. Kommt halt auch ein bisschen drauf an wie groß die Linse ist 😉
VG
Julian
Hello Stefan,
I am a local spotter and 5-7 are all acessable and as long this is not closed we will keep this spots only. Only Spot 7 will be not availible
after the S21 constructions.
The cage is not really safe to go up there that’s why it’s not listed. Security sometimes sends you away there as well.
Best Regads,
Patrick
Thanks for the heads up and good to know. For the cage I had some trouble going down myself as the grass was wet and I fell down. Good my camera was okay and only my clothes where more then dirty.
Thanks 🙂
Looks like the spot number 5,6 and 7 will soon be not available or are already not available. According to a local Stuttgart forum there will be constructions for the new railway project “Stuttgart 21”.
I did not check it out but maybe some of the admins or locals has been there and can update the guide if needed.
Only in german available:
https://www.strforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12709
These positions looked very good, I have been 2x to Stuttgart but never been there for so long that I had light on that spots.
I also found that link helpful as there is also a few other spots like „the cage“ next to REAL and the tunnel.
Don‘t know if you want to add something. Found it helpful as additional source
https://www.strforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13898
Great article Patrick. It was very useful. I stopped over on my way to and from Hahnweide. Some great views and photo opportunities. A link to my pictures below
https://goo.gl/photos/1KW1d67Uu4JcZAsa8
[…] Stuttgart Airport (German: Flughafen Stuttgart, formerly Flughafen Stuttgart-Echterdingen) is the international airport of Stuttgart, the capital of the German state Baden-Württemberg. It is christened after Stuttgart's former mayor, Manfred Rommel and is the sixth busiest airport in Germany with 10.5 million passengers having passed through its doors in 2015. The airport is located approximately 10 km south of Stuttgart and lies on the boundary between the nearby town of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Filderstadt and Stuttgart itself. Dominating airlines are Eurowings, Air Berlin, Condor, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, SunExpress Deutchland, TUIfly. Apart from using our planespotting timetables, you can find more related information from detailed planespotter guide at SpotterGuide.net. […]
Verrey helpfull, will visit family in Ocotober so hope to see something special. Are there still military movwements? Thanks for sharing all this information.
Hi, yes there are still a few military operations at STR but not as many as in the past. Its very rare nowdays! Sometimes you can catch KC-135, C-17 or KC-10 for example. But I would prefer to go to Ramstein instead of Stuttgart.
Regards
Julian