EGYPT
CAIRO (HECA/CAI)
The airport is a large upturned horseshoe shape, with parallel runways on either side - terminal 1 at the crown of the shape and terminal 2 halfway down on the right side. Aircraft park on remote stands to the left, in front and to the right of Terminal 1. Most domestic was to the right hand side. There is also a special bizjet terminal situated halfway down the left runway. Opposite Terminal 1 on the other side of the cross runway is the military side. The airport offers no real views landside, and security is very high. Terminal 1 airside there are good views through large glass windows - you will be bussed to and from your plane, allowing you to log aircraft on stands. The stored aircraft (4x 707, IL62 and B732) are located near the end of the right hand runway on the left side and will only be viewable on taxi in/out .
The Le Meridien hotel has limited views of the approach traffic from rooms on the 6th floor from 620, 622 624 etc.
Added 21 June 2007
SHARM-el-SHEIKH (HESH/SSH)
Info
2 parallel runways – 04L/22R, 04R/22L. Arrivals start around 6, usually Russians, it’s quite slow but really kicks off after dark. Sunday is the busiest day.
Spotting
Airside there’s lots of glass, no problems but be discrete. Landside there are security guards everywhere so it’s not advisable, and they regularly patrol the perimeter.
Hotels
If you stay at the Sonnesta Beach Hotel in Naarma Bay arrivals fly overhead and can be read by the naked eye if the reg is under the wing. Beware if you travel outside your hotel, don't get in any of the blue and white taxis. Use hotel taxi or the blue mini buses - 1 LE fare anywhere. The Concorde el Salam is about 150yds away from the runway and you can spot from the pool. Take your scanner because they call up regs on arrival but be discrete. The Tropicana Grand Oasis has limited views of the aircraft landing, but again, a scanner used discretely will get you the regs. The Hotel Conrad is 2 miles east of the parallel runways 04/22 and is in a dip, along with the Baron/Baron Palm, and thus not ideal for spotting. Departures can be seen and some arrivals at a distance, but the hotels in Naama Bay are far better.
Added 29 May 2008