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August 11, 2014Amsterdam Schiphol Spotting Guide
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- last modified on May 30, 2022
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (IATA: AMS, ICAO: EHAM) is the largest airport in the Netherlands and welcomed 71.7 million passengers in 2019. So if you are going to Amsterdam, don’t forget to make a stop at this interesting airport. The airport is the gateway to the Netherlands and Amsterdam has only international flights, with some small exceptions by businessjets and governmental flights.
The most popular destinations are in Europe. The following Airlines have a Hub in AMS: Corendon Dutch Airlines, Delta Airlines, Easyjet, KLM, KLM Cityhopper, Martinair Cargo, Transavia, TUI Netherlands and Vueling. There are flights to all continents except for Australia . The largest regular visitor into Amsterdam is the 2x daily Emirates A380 flight to Dubai.
There are also a lot of cargo destinations especially to Afrika, Asia and the Americas.
Amsterdam is one of the spotterfriendliest airports in Europe and apart from the huge viewing terrace on the terminal building, two special spotterplaces were created outside the airports perimeter. The one at the Polderbaan is the most frequented one with toilets and some small food places during the summer. Additionally there is the McDonald’s close to the RWY 27 threshold which has a large area outside to accomodate spotters and enthusiasts. As spotting is a well known hobby here everyone is tolerating you at the airport. Another good thing is that the use of a radio scanner for listening to ATC communications is allowed in this country.
A great 24h real time schedule, arrival and departure times, aircraft type, registration and destinations can be found HERE – DutchPlaneSpotters.nl
Furthermore the omgevingsinfoschiphol app for Android and iOS is pretty useful. It is a radar which display the exact runway an aircraft will use at AMS, once it has entered the dutch airspace.
Runway use can be monitored via: https://www.lvnl.nl/nl/airtraffic
Written by Severin Hackenberger, Patrick Weis, Jan Seba, Julian Mittnacht, Bas Velders (local spotter), Björn Van Brussel and Martin Rogosz (Last visit and update: March 2022)
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 18R/36L | 3.800 m (12.467 ft) asphalt |
| 18C/36C | 3.300 m (10.827 ft) asphalt |
| 18L/36R | 3.400 m (11.155 ft) asphalt |
| 06/24 | 3.500 m (11.483 ft) asphalt |
| 09/27 | 3.453 m (11.329 ft) asphalt |
| 04/22 | 2.014 m (6.608 ft) asphalt |
| Terminals | |
| Depature Hall 1 | Non Skyteam and KLM |
| Depature Hall 2 | Skyteam Airlines, like KLM, Delta, China Airlines, Chinas Southern and Other Middle Eastern and Asian except Emirates |
| Depature Hall 3 | Skyteam, Low Cost Carriers and Emirates because of the A380 |
| Airport Chart |  |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | On some spots necessary (where it is always mentioned), but as the airport is surrounded by waterways instead of fences, there a lots of spotting places where you won’t need a ladder. |
| Car/Public Transport | Recommended as the distances are enourmous. It can mean up to 20km from one end of the airport to another. |
| Restrooms | Terminal, Spotterplaats or McDonald’s |
| Drinks/Food | There are two McDonald’s, some restaurants in the terminal, several gas stations and supermarkets for example in Hoofddorp or Aalsmeer. |
| Hotels | Lots of hotels all around the airport but nothing special to watch or photograph the planes. |
| Season | We suggest May-Oktober as this is the summertime. It can get very cold during the winter and a lot of fog can come up. |
| Runway Usage | |
| Norther Winds | Primary runways are 06 for arrivals and 36L for departures. During peak hours arrivals additionally on 36R and departures on 36C. |
| Southern Winds | Primary runways are 18R for arrivals and 24 for departures. During peak hours arrivals additionally on 18C and departures on 18L. |
| 18R/36L | Polderbaan – Always in use for landing or depatures as it is the longest runway and disturbs Amsterdam itself not that much. Only used for landings in 18 direction and for takeoffs in 36 direction. |
| 18C/36C | Zwanenburgbaan – During peak hours active in the same direction as the Polderbaan. |
| 18L/36R | Aalsmeerbaan – Normally active together with the Kaagbaan for the opposite movement type (landing/depatures) as the Polderbaan/Zwanenburgbaan. Only used for landings in 36 direction and for takeoffs in 18 direction. +++ CLOSED until June 2022 due to maintenance works. +++ |
| 06/24 | Kaagbaan – Normaly active together with the Aalsmeerbaan for the opposite movement type (landing/depatures) as the Polderbaan/Zwanenburgbaan. Mailnly used for landings in 06 direction and for takeoffs in 18 direction. Somtimes flights use 24 for arrivals for a shorter taxiway time. They on the path for 27 and make a hard left turn to get on 24. This scenario is mainly used by KLM Cityhopper flights. |
| 09/27 | Buitenveldertbaan – Not that often in use. Mainly if there are strong northwest winds. Mostly used for landings in 27 direction and for takeoffs in 09 direction. |
| 04/22 | Oostbaan – Normally only in use for the General Aviation planes. During periods with very strong winds or RWY closures it is also used by commercial traffic. Heavies like the Boeing 777 have been seen to land here! |
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Kromme Spieringweg - 18R arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is at located by the roadside of “Kromme Spieringweg”. The easiest way to get here is by exiting “N232” at the roundabound into north-eastern direction into “Spaarnwouderweg”. Follow the road for about 200 meters, then turn right. To be honest, this spot is no exact location, rather the area around the runway head – depending on your favourite angle. By public transport: take bus 161 from Hoofddorp Station/Zwanenburg and exit at Boesingheliede. |
| WHAT | You can get all traffic on arrival into Runway 18R. |
| TIME | From late midday till sunset. |
| MISC. | There are no facilities. The closest are at spot 3. No ladder needed! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300 mm |
Schipholweg - 18R arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is at the parallel road to the Schipholweg in a village called Boesingheliede. You can park your car at the side of the road (dark markings!). Walk up to the cyclepath along the road, pass a small bridge and then stay to the right on a grassy area. By public transport: take bus 161 from Hoofddorp Station/Zwanenburg and exit at Boesingheliede. |
| WHAT | You can get all traffic on arrival into Runway 18R. |
| TIME | From sunrise till midday. |
| MISC. | There are no facilities. The closest are at spot 3. No ladder needed! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300 mm |
Spotterplaats Polderbaan - 18R arrivals, 36L departures
| WHERE | This spot is Amsterdam’s most famous location along the Polderbaan (18R/36L). It’s an official spotting location with a big car park and sometimes foodtrucks. Depending on your favourite angle and moment (when taking the picture) you might walk up the bycyclepath into northern direction till touchdown or even into short final – see options a, b and c below. By public transport: take bus 300 from Haarlem Station/Schipol Airport and exit at Vijfhuizen, Expo Haarlemmermeer. But you still have to walk for 50 minutes! |
| WHAT | This spot is good for arrivals on runway 18R and departures on runway 36L. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from ~15:00 till sunset. |
| MISC. | There benches, rubish bins and in the summer foodstores. No ladder needed as there is no fence! Heat haze can become a problem on hot days for small aircraft. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-250 mm |
a – The official spotter plattform itsself:
b – The bycyclepath up north to touchdown:
c – The bycyclepath up north to short-final:
Ijweg - 18R arrivals, 36L departures
| WHERE | This spot is at the roundabout at the end of the Ijweg but it’s no longer allowed to park anywhere along the road. The police will visit this spot regularly and will get a fine for parking illegally. Park like Spot 2 in the parallel road of the Schipholweg and walk down here (15-20 minutes). By public transport: take bus 161 from Hoofddorp Station/Zwanenburg and exit at Boesingheliede. |
| WHAT | This spot is good for depatures on runway 36L and 18R aircraft that reverse here. If you wanna make touch down pictures keep more to the north. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are perfect from sunrise till ~13:00. |
| MISC. | There is nothing. No ladder needed!
To remind you: Parking is prohibited here! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 40-200 mm |
Vijhuizerweg - 36L departures
| WHERE | Follow the Vijfhuizerweg to the end and park your car at the side of the road before the roundabout. By public transport: take bus 300 from Haarlem Station/Schipol Airport and exit at Vijfhuizen, Expo Haarlemmermeer. But you still have to walk for 50 minutes! |
| WHAT | This spot is good for aircraft lining up for a 36L departure. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from 15:00 till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is some shadow on the other side of the road. Bring the stuff with you! No ladder needed! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200 mm |
Taxiway V Afternoon
| WHERE | The spot is along the perimeter fence parallel to taxiway. By public transport: take bus 145 from Hoofddorp/Lelylaan or 161 Hoofddorp/Zwanenburg and exit at Vijfhuizerweg. Cross the bridge and you are at the fence. Park your car at the parking lot at the nearby cemetery and walk back to the spot – however, you can choose between two options here:
|
| WHAT | You can take pictures of all planes coming or going to the Polderbaan. There is a fence at this location, so you need a ladder here! 3-steps are sufficient for most people. The further you stand to the east, the closer you will be to the airplanes. The closest you can get is a crashgate (also marked on the map), where you can even shoot without a ladder. But you are extremely close here and particularly widebody aircraft will be heavily distorted. You can also stand further east, where you see the planes coming from the terminal turning onto the taxiway V as well as the runway 18C/36C. |
| TIME | Good spot in the summer from ~13:00 until evening. From option b, you can also shoot from 11 on as the aircraft turn there. |
| MISC. | There are a few trees for some shade. Ladder needed here. 4-5 steps are great! Heat haze at option b is a problem due to the highway below. |
| FOCAL LENGTH |
Totally depending where you stand along the fence, but… For the taxiway V it is: 18-200 mm For the runway it is 70-250mm (B78X = 130mm / A318 = 240mm) |
Option a – the bridge:
Option b – along the fence:
Option c – fence corner:
View from a 5 step ladder:
Taxiway V Morning
| WHERE | Park your car at the Hoodweg at the marked spot and walk up the farmtrack. You can also walk up the farmtrack a bit closer to the taxiway, but always mind other spotters behind you, who might prefer the marked track. By public transport: take bus 145 from Hoofddorp/Lelylaan or 161 Hoofddorp/Zwanenburg and exit at Vijfhuizerweg. Cross the bridge and the taxiway tunnel to reach the spot. |
| WHAT | This place is good for all planes taxiing to and from the Polderbaan. You can also shoot heavies departing out of RWY 36C in the evening from this location. Though they are a bit further away, heavies should be perfectly fine. |
| TIME | For the taxiway V, light conditions in the summer are perfect from sunrise till ~10:00. For 36C Departures, light conditions in the summer are perfect from ~15:00 till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing else than the spot. No ladder needed! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm for a B772 and 150mm for a B738. |
Hoofdweg - 18C arrivals, 18L taxiing
| WHERE | Use the parking location for the morning side and walk to the spot from there. You can use the small hill leading up to the plastic wall of the highways as an elevation point. Do not go up to the ultimate top, as police do not like you standing so close to the highway.
You can either stand in the west or the east of the channel – switching position might be easier from the Northern side as the car can be parked just at the hills edge down there. Therefore the taxiway is clearer visible from the Southern side… By public transport: take bus 145 from Hoofddorp/Lelylaan or 161 Hoofddorp/Zwanenburg and exit at Vijfhuizerweg. Cross the bridge, walk under the taxiway and autobahn tunnel to reach the spot. Its pretty far away from the bus stop! |
| WHAT | This location is ideal for arrivals on RWY 18C in the evening. Maybe you’ll get taxiing aircraft to runway 18L before departure as well. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are perfect from ~15:00 till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing else here. No ladder needed, go up the hill! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm for a B744 and 180mm for a B738 |
South of channel:
North of channel:
Tweeduizend El - 18C arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is directly at the side of the Tweeduziend El Street on the side of of a farm track as marked on the map. Update Feb 2022: The concrete platform has been removed and is a field now. Stay away from it as the farmer don’t tolerate spotters. Of course you can shot from the side of the road. Parking is possible on the meadow as marked on the map. By public transport: take bus 145 from Hoofddorp/Lelylaan or 161 Hoofddorp/Zwanenburg and exit at Vijfhuizerweg. Cross the bridge, walk under the taxiway and autobahn tunnel and take the next main road right. Its pretty far away from the bus stop! |
| WHAT | From this spot you can catch all 18C arrivals in the morning hours. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from sunrise till ~13:00 |
| MISC. | There is nothing at this spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 55-200 mm |
Rijnlanderweg pads - 18C departures
| WHERE | The Rijnlanderweg has some concrete slabs alongside the road. Find the slab where the aircraft are above the fence. Spotting here is a bit tricky due to the fence/poles in addition to the point that one never know where an aircraft will exactly rotate. Sometimes we pokered for example where heavies will rotate probably, but they were still behind the fence where we stood in the end. As of October 2021, there is a small dirt mound at the parking place (northern point) where you can climb up and shot over the fence. Of course this mound can be removed daily. |
| WHAT | Departures 18C (rare event, almost only, when 06 is closed). High 36C might be okay as well. |
| TIME | From late midday till sunset. |
| MISC. | Everything you need can be found inside the nearby cities. Ladder might be useful to be able to even shoot earlier…
Heat haze and the poles are a problem! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm B77W = 120mm / A318 = 250mm |
Angle and position of aircraft (regarding behind/over fence) may vary depending on where exactly you stand as you can choose from all the way down here:
Farmerpath - 36C arrivals, 18C rotations and 24 Departures
| WHERE | This spot is located at the end of a farmers track next to a little river and pond. The easiest (and to be honest onliest) way to reach the spot is from the main street Rijnlanderweg, which runs west of the A5. The gate at the front of the street (right after you left “Rijnlanderweg”) might be closed, so you can’t enter the path, but after 5 visits we hadn’t had this yet.
Spotting here is a bit tricky due to the poles. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 36C and late rotations on runway 18C. You can even see departures from runway 24 from here. |
| TIME | From late midday till sunset. |
| MISC. | Everything needed can be found inside the nearby shops or gas stations. No ladder needed, enough parking posibilities. Heat haze might be a problem in summer months, because the highway is running between the spot and the runway.
It sounds strange, but heavy traffic jam can be sh*tty, because the cars will probably produce a lot of heat! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-350mm 18C/36C => F100 = 240mm / B744 = 125mm 24 Dep => B744 = 290mm |
Advertisement Board - 36C arrivals, 18C late rotations, Taxiway Q
| WHERE | This spot is no exact location, rather the are along the “Rijkerstreek”, because everybody has another favourite angle. Example shots were taken from the marked spot on the map, between the triangular advertising board and the bus stop. The easiest way to reach thjis spot is by parking your car inside the “Pelikanweg” and walk here by foot or by using the bus stop, which is located 20 meters away from the used position.
Spotting here is a bit tricky due to the poles. To avoid this, you can go a bit to the south, so the planes are higher and above the poles. Of course, the angle won’t be that good anymore then. +++ UPDATE March 2022: Constructions are finished! +++ |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 36C and late rotations on runway 18C. From here you can also see aircraft using Taxiway Q, but gears are cut off from here, that’s why mostly “partshoots” or “moodshots” are better than total-aircraft pictures. |
| TIME | From sunrise till late midday. |
| MISC. | Everything needed can be found inside the nearby shops or the terminal facilities. No ladder needed, parking posibilities limited. The easiest spots to park your car at are the parking bays near spot #9 (west of this spot). Heat haze is a problem in summer months, because the highway is running between the spot and the runway.
It sounds strange, but heavy traffic jam can be sh*tty, because your view might be disturbed and the cars will probably produce a lot of heat! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300mm |
Taxiway Q
| WHERE | |
| WHAT | |
| TIME | |
| MISC. | |
| FOCAL LENGTH | |
Observation Deck - ramp C, D and E gates
| WHERE | You can reach the Panorama Terrace from the ground floor by taking the stairs, escalator or elevator at Café Rembrandt. On the next floor (in Departure Hall 1) you then take the stairs or escalator at desk row 1 to the second floor, where a footbridge leads you to the Panorama Terrace. There are no disturbing security checks, glass walls, fences etc. and the entrance is free of charge too! Monitors next to the entrance are displaying all arrivals and departures.
Update February 2022: no longer closed and open for public again. Due to ongoing construction work, the entrance was moved to the right side of the terminal. Its easy to find, just follow the new signs in the terminal. An additional “barrier” was set-up about 1 meter in front of the original fence of the desk; it looks to be permanent. |
| WHAT | Photography is only possible between C and D gates and between D and E gates. In the summer months there is a lot of heat haze and the APU’s of the aircraft can cause distortions too. |
| TIME | You can visit the terrace for the whole day. |
| MISC. | Restrooms, supermarket and restaurants are inside the Terminal. Enough benches are on the terrace as well as a KLM Fokker 100 PH-OFE on display. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-400 mm (depends on what you are photographing) |
Toekanweg - Cargo aprons + 06 touchdown + 24 departures
| WHERE | This spot is at the end of the Toekanweg. Parking is not allowed here. At the weekend it shouldn’t be a problem if you only do a really short stop here to take your pictures. By public transport: take a bus to/from the airport and exit at Schiphol, Valkweg. |
| WHAT | Here you can photograph cargo aircraft that park on the cargo apron next to you, but you can also see the apron on the other site of the runway partly – taking good pictures i shrd though! In addition, you have a limited view on runway 06 for about 2-3 shots at the touchdown zone as well as on departing aircraft from runway 24. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from 14:00 for the apron and 18:00 on the runway till sunset. |
| MISC. | You have nothing here. For departures and cargo apron shots a ladder is needed so you can get to the fence directly and shoot over it to avoid obstacles in the bottom. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 55-300 mm |
Rijkerstreek - 06 arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is located along the Rijkerstreek, near the airports P30 staff car park. Parking is not allowed at the McDonald’s Hoofddorp, so you have to park somewhere along the road ‘Hoeksteen’ (15 min walk). By public transport: take a bus to/from the airport and exit at P30 Parking. |
| WHAT | Here you can take pictures of aircraft arriving runway 06 in the evening. |
| TIME | Light conditions are perfect from 18:00 till sunset. Summertime spot only |
| MISC. | Toilets and food at the McDonald’s in Hoofddorp (5min walk). The Rijkerstreek can be a bit busy during peak-hours. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-200 mm (TAP = 116mm, ABC = 62mm) |
Warehouse- 06 arrivals
| WHERE | The location is a bit tricky to reach and is at the Mactanweg opposite of a warehouse on a lawn. But from here you have a great sight of the 06 approach. The former nearby “Greenhouse” position is no longer available!
By car: From the N196 drive south into the Pudongweg. At the last roundabout take the first exit into the Incheonweg. Take the next right into the Aalsmeerderweg and from there you can turn left into the Mactanweg. There is no direct connection from the N196, even it is very close! Parking is a bit tricky here and limited so use the side of the road. By public transport: Exit the bus line 187 or 198 at the marked bus stop and walk down the “Aalsmeerderweg” till the barrier of “N196”. Then turn left and after ~75 meter use the bridge on your left to cross the highway. Walk down on the Aalsmeerderweg and take the next left into the Mactanweg. |
| WHAT | Here you can take pictures of aircraft arriving runway 06. There is some obstruction of lampposts of the ‘Kruisweg’, but thats only a problem in the afternoon. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are perfect from sunrise till ~15:00. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here. No ladder needed. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-100mm for A340/777. 120-150mm for 757/A320/737. |
Meadow - 06 arrivals and touchdown
| WHERE | This spot is located at the corner of the Beechavenue on the meadow. Parking is changing due to construction works all around the spot and is only possible at the “Schiphol-Rijk” area (Boeing Avenue). By public transport: take a bus to/from the airport and exit at Rozenburg, “Kruisweg 365”. From there you have to walk ~5 minutes to spot.UPDATE APRIL 2022: There are ongoing constructions and this spot is currently unavailable. The situation can change daily. |
| WHAT | This place is good for aircraft arriving on runway 06 in the morning in the air on inbound. Touchdown shots are also possible here as seen in the examples below. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from 07:00 till ~15:30. |
| MISC. | There are some stones next to the road to sit on. No ladder needed. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm for a B772 and 150mm for a B738. |
Aalsmeerderweg - 06 arrivals, 24 departures
| WHERE | This spot is located at the end of the Aalsmeerderweg. Here are stairs required to shoot over the fence if the concrete blocks mentioned below are taken. You can park your car next to the entrance of a former nursery or next to the concrete blocks – parking is always tricky here. Furthermore its possible at the “Schiphol-Rijk” area (Boeing Avenue), but then you have to walk a lot. By public transport: take a bus to/from the airport and exit at Rozenburg, Aalsmeerderweg. |
| WHAT | This spot is good for 06 arrivals in the morning with some background. You can also shoot 24 Departures here during the day and heat haze does not become a problem with them as they are already high in the air. Even some smaller aircraft are still not too high here, but they might be a bit too far away. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from sunrise till ~15:00. Arrivals became hazy here. |
| MISC. | There are some rubbish bins along the fence. Ladder might be useful depending on the workfence. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 150-400mm B788 = 170mm / B738 = 280mm |
In June 2020 the parking on the right was now prohibited and the entrance blocked by these concrete blocks. Now at most 2 cars can park there in front…
However, the blocks are an alternativ to shoot from without ladder – view is limited though:
Reykjavikweg - 18L heavy departures, 36R arrivals
| WHERE | By public transport: take bus 181 to/from the airport and exit at Schiphol-ZO, Anchoragelaan. |
| WHAT | There you can take pictures of heavy loaded planes taking of 18L or arrivals on runway 36R. You can vary your location here based on your preferences. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are perfect from ~15:00 till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Around 90mm for a B744 and ~160mm for a B738. |
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Aalsmeerderdijk - 36R arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is located on “Aalsmeerderdijk”. Cpoming from “N201”, follow the signs for “Schiphol-Oost” and exit the highway befor entering the tunnel. Take the first exit at the roundabout and immediately go left. Once up the “Aalsmeerderdijk”, go right and drive till the end, but your exact position depends on yourfavourite angle. By public transport: Take bus 187 to/from the airport and exit at Schiphol-Rijk, Capronilaan. |
| WHAT | Here you can take pictures of aircraft arriving runway 36R. Another benefit of this spot are the many ships and pleasure yacht passing though the canal (great if you are a ship spotter as well). Walk along the canal to vary the photoangles. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from late midday till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-100mm for A340/777. 120-150mm for 757/A320/737. |
Breguetlaan - 36R arrivals
| WHERE | Take the Fokkerweg to get here and exit at the Breguetlaan. Go straight around the right corner and you are there. You can park here and stay next to your car. By public transport: take bus 187 to/from the airport and exit at Oude Meer, Fokker Logistics Park. |
| WHAT | You can shoot the arrivals on RWY 36R here. You can vary your location here along the waterway. But beware that you will only see the planes early when standing in the northwestern corner. In the northeastern corner you have to listen, so that you don’t miss any arrivals. But a better angle and more shots with a little bit background might make up for that. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are perfect from sunrise till ~13:00 |
| MISC. | There are some rubbish bins along the fence |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70mm for a B772 and 120mm for an A320. |
Schiphol Oost - GA and Martinair ramp (night shots) + 09 departures + 22 arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is located in the parking area next to the GAT. The position can be reached by car easily by using highway A9 and exit at exit Nr. 6 “Aalsmeer”. Then follow the N232/231 (depends on the direction you’re coming from) and turn onto “Schipholdijk”. After around 250m turn right into Poortstraat and park your car nearby. Then choose your favourite positoin, depends on the plane/angle you want to have. By public transport: take bus 186,193,199 to/from the airport and exit at Schiphol Oost, Stationsplein. |
| WHAT | You can take pictures of planes parking on the General Aviation apron or the Martinair Cargo Maintenance. You can also take nightshots here on limited angles.Apart from that all aircraft that depart from runway 09, but some planes are really high! Therefore you can nicely shoot 22 arrivals. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good all day round, though more planes have good light in the morning hours. For departures between around 9am and 6pm. |
| MISC. | There are some rubbish bins. Ladder needed for 22 Arrivals and recommended for apron shots, too so that you can freely choose your angle/position. Keep a low profile with the ladder on weekdays especially (police comes fast to send you away) and avoid shooting while the GAT handles/boards people – they don’t like to be pictured. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 15 – 500 mm |
Loevesteinse Randweg - 22 + 27 Arrivals
| WHERE | For this spot park your car at the McDonald’s north of the Buidenveldertbaan (marked on the map) or the parking bays near Schiphool Oost. Another option is to park in the “Thermiekstraat”, but there you are limited to 90 minutes of parking and fines are high if you exceed that limit. Walk up the “Loevesteinse Randweg” until you’re near the General Aviation buildings and have a free view to the approachpath. By public transport: Take bus 186,193,199 to/from the airport and exit at “Schiphol Oost, Canadaweg”. |
| WHAT | Here you can take pictures of planes on arrival to 27. You can vary your location based on your preference regarding distance and angle. Apart from this you can see the rare 22 arrivals used by planes like Dakota DC-3 or similar. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are perfect from late morning till early evening. You can also walk up to exactly below the path and shoot from the front. |
| MISC. | Food and restrooms can be found in the nearby Mc Donald’s. No ladder needed. You can park your car in the old Bus Stop lot, which is not used anymore. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm 100mm = B773 / 200mm = A320 |
Nieuwemeerdijk - 22 + 24 + 27 Arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is located on ‘Nieuwemeerdijk’. It is close to the motorway A9 exit 6. You can park on both sides of the road, but the view is a bit limited, you cannot see the runway and the aircraft appear from behind the forest. |
| WHAT | Here you can take pictures of aircraft arriving on runway 27 as well as on runway 22 When the wind is strong enough and even heavies arriving on 24 – but last ones with a bad angle. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good almost all day. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here and heat haze can be a problem here on hot days – especially for runway 22 arrivals (27 arrivals aren’t affected normally) |
| FOCAL LENGTH | RWY 27 arrivals: 90-110mm for 777/747. 170-190mm for 757/A320/737. RWY 22 arrivals: 260mm for B738 |
Arrivals on runway 22:
Arrivals on runway 27:
Spotterplaats Buitenveldertbaan - 27 arrivals, 09 heavy departures
| WHERE | This is an official viewing area and it is directly at the carpark of the McDonald’s at the side of the Loevesteinse Randweg. You can park here for free. By public transport: there ist a huge bus station called Knooppunt Schiphol Noord with many different lines. |
| WHAT | Here you can take pictures of aircraft arriving runway 27 in the early morning and late evening. Heavy departures using runway 09 are also possible. |
| TIME | Light conditions are perfect from sunrise till 08:00 and 19:00 till sunset. |
| MISC. | Toilets and food at the McDonald’s and also rubbish bins outside at the spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-200 mm |
Parking P5/P41, 18L departures/line up
| WHERE | Follow sings towards P5 (staff only). Park your car on the left side of the road and walk along the bicyclepath towards the runway. By public transport: take bus to/from the airport and exit at Schiphol, Elzenhof/P5 |
| WHAT | Almost all aircraft that depart from runway 18L will lineup here. There are some exceptions: some narrow-body aircraft tend to line-up “early”. |
| TIME | Light conditions in the summer are good from 07:00 till ~12:30. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 90-110mm for 777/747. 170-190mm for 757/A320/737. |
Parking P3 - 09/27 movements
| WHERE | This spot is located on top of the parking garage P3 (Long stay parking). It is an official spotters area. The best way to reach this spot is to use public transport: From Schiphol plaza, take the bus to parking P3/P40. |
| WHAT | All runway 09/27 activities as well as some apron movements. |
| TIME | Light conditions are perfect from sunrise till 08:00 and 19:00 till sunset. Apron movements can be shot well at night. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-400mm. |
Thanks to Daan de Bruin (@ddb.aviation) for providing following shots:
Dijk - 18L heavy departures
| WHERE | This spot is located on the Aalsmeerdijk as well, but north of spot #22. The Dijk is very easy to reach from the main street Fokkerweg a few meters in the west and you can park your car almost everywhere along the roadside. Then just search your favourite location, which depends whether you wanna shoot heavies or small aircraft and their destination => rotation point is various… |
| WHAT | Runway 18L departures and rather heavies or at leats long distance departures. |
| TIME | From sunrise till midday. |
| MISC. | Parking is easy around here, but therefore the view is sometimes heavily disturbed by buildings/poles. Gas station very close. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 150-350mm |
Northern end – clear view from the gap behind the pendant:
Southern end:
Hi. I was spotting at spot 24 and i was standing on the right side of the road and then i was sent away by authorities, so then i moved back to the bus stop to continue spotting. Is it still possible to continue spotting at spot 24? Am i supposed to stand on the right side kf the road or left side by the fence? This was on the 19th of may
Hi Storm, I used this spot on 24/25th May without any problems. I stayed on the old bus stop. Possibly because of the current construction work on the road, the authorities were more “nervous” (?). I was told by a visitor that it would be even not allowed to go by bike on this road from spot 24 to the McDonald´s.
Hi all,
I briefly vistied the observation desk yesterday (23rd May) and have following update:
Best Regards
Andreas
For some reason I can not upload the photo. If of interest, I can send it to another mail conatct?
Hi Andreas, I have received your photo and updated the text on the guide regarding to your feedback.
Thanks, Julian
Hi Julian!
I did some spotting at AMS last week, and I have noticed a new spot, just near Parking spot #6. There is a new hill there (I am not sure if it’s to stay there forever or just temporary, maybe someone else knows more details).
I can send you some photos taken from this hill and photos of the hill. I tried to attach them here but it didn’t go through. Can you please tell me how can I send them?
Hi. Do you know if any of this spots is accessible by foot? I will be located at an airport hotel. Thank.
Hi Emmi, you can send the photos ot support@spotterguide.net.
For me it sound a bit like a temporary hill but lets see…
-Julian
Hi Julian, from 4 Apr to 5 May the Polderbaan Spotterplaats is not accessible via car because of some road works. Schiphol recommends getting there by bike but I can ONLY get there by car. Therefore, do you know any other place around (except the official Spotterplaats parking) to park my car and walk to Polderbaan? Thank you so much!
Hi, for departures use #5, for arrivals park at #2 and walk down the footpath to #3 north.
-Julian
Had to leave spot 24 from a very eager police man.
Asked what I was doing there.
I first thought the problem was that my car was on the abandoned bus stop, so I asked if I could park my car further and come back.
But that was also not allowed, it was forbidden to stay so close to the fence…
No discussion possible with that guy, probably someone with a frustrated life
Pretty weird as the police is absolutely tolerate and usually don`t harass us. As you said, maybe the cop was just frustrated…
-Julian
The panorama terrace, spot 14, is open again as of today 05feb.
Thanks for the info! Lets hope it will stay open…
-Julian
Due to new covid measures in the Netherlands the panorama terrace is closed again effectieve sat 13nov ufn.
Too bad… but thanks for the info.
-Julian