DUB-Spot1
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July 29, 2016Dublin Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
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- last modified on March 26, 2020
Dublin Airport, (Irish: Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath) (IATA: DUB, ICAO: EIDW), is an international airport serving Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. The airport is located 5.4 nmi (10.0 km; 6.2 mi) north of Dublin in Collinstown, County Fingal. In 2018, over 31,5 million passengers passed through the airport making it the airport’s busiest year on record. It is also the busiest of the state’s airports by total passenger traffic. It also has the greatest traffic levels on the island of Ireland followed by Belfast International Airport, County Antrim.
The airport has an extensive short and medium haul network, served by an array of carriers as well as some intercontinental routes focused in the Middle East and North America. It serves as the headquarters of Ireland’s flag carrier – Aer Lingus, regional airline Stobart Air, Europe’s largest lowcost carrier – Ryanair, ASL Airlines Ireland, together with a fifth airline, CityJet, which does not maintain major operations here. United States border preclearance services are available at the airport for US bound passengers. Shannon Airport is the only other airport in Europe to offer this facility.
Written by Peter Adams, Alberto J. Sierra D., Thomas Okaty and Jan Seba (last update September 2019)
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| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather |  |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 10/28 | 2.637 m (8.652 ft) |
| 16/34 | 2.073 m (6.801 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 | WestJet, Vueling, Cobalt Air, Ethiopian, ASL Airlines, Arkia, Air Transat, Air Canada Rouge, etc. |
| Terminal 2 | United, Etihad, Emirates, Delta, American, & Aer Lingus |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Necessary at the part of spot 2 (line-up at the fence) and highly recommended at the mounds (Spot 2 & 4) to avoid the fence in your pictures for heavies. |
| Car/Public Transport | A car is recommend to get around the airport, but you can also use the airport buses and walk to get to most of the spots, so it is not absolutely required. |
| Restrooms | Only at the terminal. Nothing at the spots. |
| Drinks/Food | In the airport and around the airport there is petrol station and fast food places. |
| Hotels | Around the airport there are hotels but very expensive. |
| Season | Best in autumn or spring as the weather will be a bit better. The weather is best in summer, but the high sun altitude might be disturbing. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 10/28 | Runway 28 is the predominant runway in usage. Only if the tailwind reach a designated speed they switch to 10 ops. |
| 16/34 | Rarely used |
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Spot #1 – Runway 28 ILS Lights |
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| WHERE | Follow the road from the terminal past T2, pass the traffic lights then there’s a side walk you can follow. This spot is 15 mins walk from the main terminal till you will see the fence and ILS lights on your right hand side. |
| WHAT | Runway 28 arrivals sky shots only. |
| TIME | Morning and afternoon but mostly AM arrivals until about 0930 am stick on the terminal side for AM arrivals then go over other side runway for after 0930 the light moves round so its good. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so take what you need with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200 mm |
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Spot #2 – The Mound |
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| WHERE | This is Dublin’s most famous spot. From spot 1 follow the road that runs with the perimeter fence. Then across the road there’s a car park with a raised up mound. From here you can positions yourself on different points. |
| WHAT | Runway 28 landings and line up. In the morning and when the sun is not completely moved behind the runway you can position yourself more to the east for the line-ups when the planes make the right turn onto the runway. You should have a 3-step ladder to shoot between the fence and the barbed wire. For the line-ups on the mound we also recommend 2-3 steps to avoid parts of the fence in your picture for the long heavies like the A333 or 77W. Narrowbodies are fine without one. |
| TIME | From 0930 am until late afternoon. In winter all day long. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so take what you need with you. Also the road you follow its dangerous to walk a lot of bad drivers use the road so walk with care. Also at this spot there is no shelter when it rains so you end up being soaked. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-300 mm |
Pictures taken from the major eastern position with a ladder
Pictures taken from the western smaller mound with a ladder
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- Overview of the mound
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- View from the western positions at the parking with the higher fence
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- Postion for the line ups more to the east with the lower fence
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Spot #3 – The Mound 2 |
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| WHERE | Spot #3 is next to the Blue Car park along the road next to the R108. Follow the Old AIrport road from the mound until you reach some traffic lights. Then take 1st right and follow the road along and the spots next to the Blue Car Park entrance where you can park your car. From the terminal there’s a free Blue Car park bus you can take then a few minutes walk by foot. Sometimes we receive experiences, that this bus isn’t for “everybody” and the driver won’t let you go with the bus, but we already heard (too), that they will let you drive with the bus although you are not entitled, too. So keep this in mind when going to spot #3 or #4. |
| WHAT | Runway 28 rotation shots vacating shots. |
| TIME | From 0930 am until late afternoon. In winter all day long. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so take what you need with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-200 mm |
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Spot #4 – The Mound 3
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| WHERE | Its a 5 minutes walk from the last spot at the end of the grass embankment. The Blue Car park bus from the terminals also can be used for this spot. Sometimes we receive experiences, that this bus isn’t for “everybody” and the driver won’t let you go with the bus, but we already heard (too), that they will let you drive with the bus although you are not entitled, too. So keep this in mind when going to spot #3 or #4. |
| WHAT | Runway 10 line-ups and landing shots. |
| TIME | From 0930 am until late afternoon. In winter all day long.. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so take what you need with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200 depending on motive |
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Spot #5 – Runway 16
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| WHERE | Its located in the northern side of the 10/28 runway in he road R108. Park your car on the grass along the road. Parking in front of a gate is no longer possible. To access the point simply go through the fence (there is a hole) and climb the small hill from behind. |
| WHAT | Taxing, Taking Off and Landings in Runway 10, morning humidity can create nice condensations. Well, I think in Dublin you can see condensations all day long on a wet day. Its possible to catch planes taxing to the 10 Runway and taking very good close ups to them, even got few pilots waving to me. |
| TIME | This is a summer spot only! In the winter you have backlit the whole day. The spot is recommended for use when runway 10 is active in the morning hours or late evening. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby. Be careful as its Ireland and rains a lot so it can be very slippery and although the climb is short its very steep. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18/200 lens. Lower length for taxiway even 70mm is too much for an ATR. |
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- View from the parking
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- Way up to the mound
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- View from the mound
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Spot #6 – Runway 16
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| WHERE | This spot can only be reached by car. From spot 4 take R108 westbound until it merges with R122, then follow the road northbound towards the town of Swords. Alternatively, coming from the airport take R132 northbound towards Swords, then turn left onto L2020/Naul Rd towards Naul in the next roundabout. As soon as you have arrived in the approach zone of runway 16 find a spot to park your car along the road (L3132/new R108), for instance in the gateway west of the roundabout, which blocks the now closed old R108. There is also a newly built parking lot in a few minutes walking distance on new R108 west of the gateway on the other side of the road. |
| WHAT | Only useful when runway 16 is in use. Arrivals and line-ups plus you can read reggys of planes parked on the short runway. |
| TIME | Technically you can stay here all day. In the morning you can catch arrivals from east of the roundabout. At around 1100 am move to a spot along the road west of the roundabout/runway approach zone. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby, so take what you need with you and also very hard to get to without transport. Currently no ladder needed for planes on the ground (line-ups) as the temporary fence, which has been put up due to the construction for the new runway, is low enough to shoot over it. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300 mm |
8 Comments
Re: Dublin Airport.
Terminal 2 has no landside viewing available.
Terminal 1 has limited viewing from the Alcock and Brown café in the food court on Level 2. There are only two or three tables which have any view and if these tables are occupied you would have to stand beside the tables to view!
Viewing is much better airside, as you would expect.
“From the terminal there’s a free Blue Car park bus you can take”
You should keep in mind that this bus is for customers only. We had several conversations with the security which told us this bus is not for “everyone”. Eventually they were calm and friendly and allowed us to use the bus, but they also told us we shouldn´t use it again next time. So just as a reminder if you want to go to position 3&4.
Thanks, Alexander!
Info added to guide…
Regards, Severin
Spot 6 is all but gone now as work has started on the new northern runway which will run almost along the line of the old 11/29 runway
Guide has been updated. Thanks for the info.
-Julian
Dear Colleagues,
I heard again and again that there is a café or an open place offering seating on the upper floor of the old terminal building? Can anybody update me?
Thanks in advance,
Daniel
Hi
What is the viewing like airside after security ? if you are only going for the day ,and could you say airside
Darryn
Airsides good 1st thing morning and last at night airside but most the day its 100 percent backlit so not dooable ok if you take reggys but hopeless for photography