Wiesbaden Erbenheim Spotting Guide

Wiesbaden Erbenheim Spotting Guide

August 30, 2020 - last modified on November 29, 2023

Wiesbaden-Erbenheim Airfield (WIE/ETOU) is a small military field and used by the US Army (Lucius D. Clay Kaserne). The air base is only 20 minutes by car from Frankfurt Airport as it is located between Wiesbaden and Frankfurt – only 8 km southeast of the city center of Wiesbaden. It is a homebase for several UH-60 Blackhawks, some Cessna UC-35s and some more aircrafts of the US Army. Rarely you may also see a DHC-7 or C130/C17 using the airfield, but it is mostly a small airframe hub.

The airfield was openend back in 1929 and used by German troops till the US captured it when they took over the power in greater Wiesbaden back on the 28th of March 1945. Since then, the US forces established a hub at WIE, which gained popularity during the Berlin Airlift as it was one of the major origin airfield for the Western states for their missions over Berlin in 1954. Mostly transport and smaller paseenger airplanes used Wiesbaden Erbenheim airfield as it was never a “real” fighter air base. The airfield developed over the time and has no very important rule anymore today it is rather a training and short haul base in Germany close to Ramstein.
However, Wiesbaden Airfield also hosts events and open days from time to time. It is mostly a major station during the venue for the Berlin Airlift anniversary, which takes place every 10 years.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Henry Reichert and Sinan Üstün. Last Update: June 2020

Rating
Movements
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
07/25	2153m (7064ft) asphalt
Terminals	This airport has no terminal facilities as it is a military airfield, so no public passenger terminals at all
Spotting Information
Ladder	It is possible to take photos without a ladder but for a better angle and nice background a ladder is needed
Car/Public Transport	No public transport because it is an US Army Airfield. You need a car to get to the spots.
Restrooms	Only in nearby cities.
Drinks/Food	There are several restaurants and gas stations in nearby cities.
Hotels	Several hotels in nearby cities, but none good for spotting directly.
Season	You can spot there in any season as there is traffic all year. However, southern side is harder to spot from, so summer is better, when the sun comes around more.
Security	Since it is a US Army Airfield you should be very careful and and follow the instructions of the security staff.
Runway Usage
General Info	The direction of approach will mostly be the same as in Frankfurt because if not they would cross each others approaches and depatures.

	Spot #1 – Hall – 07 Arrivals
WHERE	Turn off the “Zum Friedhof” street just south of the freeway A66 to the east into “Mittelpfad” road. Then pass the cementery on your left, continue till you end up at a field and turn left again heading north for a few meters till you see some parking bays on your left. Leave your car there and search your favourite spot on the fields or dirt road just around here regarding your favourite angle. Spot can be reached well by car as the freeway exit “Wiesbaden-Erbenheim” No. 6 is very close to the spot, however there is no chance to reach this spot by public transport well.

WHAT	Runway 07 Arrivals and low Runway 25 Depatures.

TIME	In the evening and early morning – this spot can only be used in summer.

MISC.	You can find restaurants and restrooms in the cities of Erbenheim and Nordenstadt on the other site of the freeway, but close to the spot is nothing except a parking bay.

FOCAL LENGTH	150-400mm DC3 = 240mm

	Spot #2 – Fence North – 07 Arrivals + Line-Ups
WHERE	Turn off the “Zum Friedhof” street just south of the freeway A66 to the east into “Mittelpfad” road. Then pass the cementery on your left, continue till you end up at a field and turn left again heading north for a few meters till you see some parking bays on your left. Leave your car there and now turn to the south again, follow the path/farme road till you reach the fence and search your favourite spot along the fenceside regarding your favourite angle. Spot can be reached well by car as the freeway exit “Wiesbaden-Erbenheim” No. 6 is very close to the spot, however there is no chance to reach this spot by public transport well.

WHAT	Arrivals and Line-Ups on runway 07 – low departures on 25 may also be shoot from here, too.

TIME	In the evening and early morning – this spot can only be used in summer.

MISC.	You can find restaurants and restrooms in the cities of Erbenheim and Nordenstadt on the other site of the freeway, but close to the spot is nothing except a parking bay. Ladder is needed.

FOCAL LENGTH	30-135mm DC3 = 70mm

	Spot #3 – Base entrance road – 07 Arrivals
WHERE	When coming from the west, pretend like approaching the base’s offical entrance gate on the unnamed offical road and drive towards the western gate. However, before reaching, turn off this driveway to the left/north like 600m before the gate onto the dirty road leading into the fields. You can leave your car there and by the roadside or on the edge of the farmer roads and search your favourite spot around here. Spot can be reached well by car as the freeway exit “Wiesbaden-Erbenheim” No. 6 is very close to the spot, however there is no chance to reach this spot by public transport well.

WHAT	Arrivals on runway 07 and low depatures from Runway 25 if you go a bit away from the runway axis or you can also take nice head on shots.

TIME	All day long in winter – in summer there will be backlit in the early morning and in the evening, rest of the day is fine.

MISC.	You can find restaurants and restrooms in the cities of Erbenheim and Nordenstadt on the other site of the freeway, but close to the spot is nothing except the fields and the base. Keep a low profile and stow your cam rather as long as possible to avoid problems and attention.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm Apache = 330mm / C130 = 160mm

	Spot #4 – Field – 25 Arrivals
WHERE	This spot is a bit hard to reach as it is located on the fields close to the base northwest of the city of Delkenheim. There are two options how to get here: 1) – completely by car till the spot from the south: Make your way to the “L3028” highway and south of the base, turn off this mentioned highway to the west in a curve close to “Samstag Maschinentechnik” store. Then follow this road for a bit more than 1km and just before passing a farm on your right, turn into a farmer road so that you pass the farm on your left then. After another 550m you’ll reach the base’s fence, turn right here again and now follow this road for a few hundred of meters. Then you’ll pass “Mulke Topfkräuter” on your left and turn left into “An der Hochheimer Strasse” afterwards at the next junction. Now simply follow this road for ~1,5km till you end up at the fence then. Turn a bit right and keep on going for another 550m before turning right at the T-junction. After a few meters, leave your car by the roadside here somewhere and search your favourite position on the nearby fields/roads away from the fence. 2) – completely by car till the spot from the north: Just south of the freeway A66’s exit No. 7 “Wiesbaden-Norderstedt”, turn off highway “L3028” to the south into an unnamed road just west of a pedestrians bridge – exit may be tricky to find, be careful! Follow this curvy road for a few hundred meters. You will quickly pass the railways and end up at “An der Hochheimer Strasse” again. Turn left here and at the T-junction right a few meters later keep right. After a few meters, leave your car by the roadside here somewhere and search your favourite position on the nearby fields/roads away from the fence.

WHAT	Mainly Runway 25 Arrivals but also low Runway 07 Depatures.

TIME	All day long in winter – in summer there will be backlit in the early morning and in the evening, rest of the day is fine.

MISC.	You can find restaurants and restrooms in the cities of Delkenheim and Nordenstadt, but directly here is nothing.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm Cessna UC35 = 390mm / DC3 = 170mm

	Spot #5 – Fenceside – 25 Movements + partly Apron/Taxiway + heavies on 07
WHERE	This spot is a bit hard to reach as it is located on the fields close to the base northwest of the city of Delkenheim. There are two options how to get here: 1) – completely by car till the spot from the south: Make your way to the “L3028” highway and south of the base, turn off this mentioned highway to the west in a curve close to “Samstag Maschinentechnik” store. Then follow this road for a bit more than 1km and just before passing a farm on your right, turn into a farmer road so that you pass the farm on your left then. After another 550m you’ll reach the base’s fence, turn right here again and now follow this road for a few hundred of meters. Then you’ll pass “Mulke Topfkräuter” on your left and turn left into “An der Hochheimer Strasse” afterwards at the next junction. Now simply follow this road for ~1,5km till you end up at the fence then. Leave your car directly here by the roadside here and search your favourite position directly at the fence somewhere. 2) – completely by car till the spot from the north: Just south of the freeway A66’s exit No. 7 “Wiesbaden-Norderstedt”, turn off highway “L3028” to the south into an unnamed road just west of a pedestrians bridge – exit may be tricky to find, be careful! Follow this curvy road for a few hundred meters. You will quickly pass the railways and end up at “An der Hochheimer Strasse” again. Turn right here and you will end up at the fence quickly. Leave your car directly here by the roadside here and search your favourite position directly at the fence somewhere.

WHAT	All runway 25 movements and also low runway 07 depatures and heavy arrival. In addition apron and taxiway actions in front.

TIME	All day long in winter. In summer there will be backlit in the early morning and in the afternoon

MISC.	You can find restaurants and restrooms in the cities of Delkenheim and Nordenstadt, but directly here is nothing. Ladder recommended although one can also shoot thru the mesh. Keep a low profile when standing at the fence and stow your cam rather as long as possible to avoid problems and attention.

FOCAL LENGTH	25-300mm DC3 on runway = 180mm / T6 on runway = 345mm / DC3 on taxiway = 50mm