ITALY

The current attitude in Italy is one of suspicion so be prepared to be questioned when you visit. This is obviously the case wherever you visit, but there is more chance of it in Italy so the best advice I can give is to be discrete. Leave your log books and cameras in your bag and write on a blank sheet of paper or pad. Keep binoculars under your coat until you need to use them and your pad in your pocket. If questioned, they may also thoroughly check and photocopy your passport and book. However, once the authorities are satisfied with their checks, they are usually happy for you to carry on so please help them in any way that you can.

BERGAMO-ORIO AL SERIO (LIME/BGY)

There are various locations around the perimeter where you can read some aircraft off. The road leading to the terminal has a bus stop where some stored Fokkers can be read. If you drive past the terminal, turn right under a bridge towards cargo, take a left and then another left back over a bridge, you will get to the cargo area where 2 Miniliners were read off, as well as some DHLs. Head back past the terminal, take a right along the western perimeter road and you will come across a car park and a small fence. Some airliners can be read off from here.

Added 25 September 2007

BOLOGNA (LIPE/BLQ)

Plenty of info here http://www.volabologna.it/en/.

Added 31 December 2007

MILAN-LINATE (LIML/LIN)

One area available is the café La Corte Del Te. Follow the signs in departures for ‘Ristoranti’. It has good views of the ramp. 2 Euros for a coffee, 4 Euros for a beer. To read some more of the biz, turn left out of the terminal and walk along the road (toward the city centre) towards the biz, it’s on the opposite side of the airport to the terminal and after about three quarters of a mile you’ll be able to read them off from a foot-bridge. It is still difficult to read everything off, there are a lot of hangars and you cannot see into most as they face each other on the ramp. There are a lot of aircraft parked on the ramp and clutter can be a problem. There is a road past the biz ramp where you can see the main terminal ramp from and manage ok pics through the fence. What looks like a housing estate next to the biz hangars, is a military/government compound. You can either go back to the café, or keep going, around the end of the runway. This will eventually lead to a public car park on the same side as the terminal, but out of sight from the building. Frequented by locals and patrolled from the other side of the fence but no problems at all and is the best place for viewing. If you have transport, the best place to spot at Linate is on the eastern perimeter fence. It is next to a graveyard and there is a large car park where you can sit and watch all movements at close range, with no hassle from the police. Follow signs off the motorway to the airport, but turn left at the roundabout just before the entrance road to the terminal. Follow this road northeast for approx 3km until just past the lake on your right. Then turn right at roundabout signed to Peschiera. Once clearing the lake on your right, it is a further 1-2 km until a right turn towards the perimeter fence. After a few speed bumps you will reach the car park. Biz can be read off on from the western perimeter fence, get to this by driving around the southern end of the runway, head north and turn right at the roundabout. There are biz stored behind the new power station/plant and there is another stored in a compound - drive past biz ramp towards runway , round the sharp right bend, turn next left, it is down there on your right hand side.

Updated 3 November 2007

MILAN-MALPENSA (LIMC/MXP)

If you need to stay airside or once you’ve checked in and gone through security, you shouldn’t have any problems on pier A or gate B9 on pier B. You also have the possibility to go to the Satellite: Southern one - used for Schengen departures – it’s the best one for spotting. Everything will pass in front of you for departures and you can check arrivals easily. Usually in the satellite the police aren’t bothered by people watching planes as you are a passenger. Going to UK, you will use the Northern satellite. You have to cross passport control, so you can’t go back. From the Northern satellite the view is great too, with a view of the northern part of the apron. However the best place is landside, so head there. There are panoramic windows the whole length of the terminal at check in level. Inside the terminal you can sit behind the Benetton shop, hidden from view. To get here, head up to check in, which I think is level 2, go past check in area 1 – it will be obvious which way that is. You’ll see a sign for restaurants and shopping area (or retail outlets). Follow this and the Benetton shop is on your left, go down the little corridor just before it on the left. Be warned there are no seats but the window ledge is deep enough for you to hop on if you need to. Great views, you can see most stands and both runways, though good bins are needed for the further one. Or a favourite place is to sit at McDonald’s all day, or to the side of it. If you can’t get some of the larger aircraft on the right and/or the commuter and cargo and charter stuff at T2, go outside on to the roadway and turn left. At the end of the terminal there is a small area that provides a reasonable view of the larger Alitalia fleet, that have the last two letters of the registration on the top of the tail. Locals congregate here to watch the planes, wave goodbye etc. Sun isn’t in a good place here so you can make your way back in to the terminal, upper level again, and wander through by the large tinted windows that overlook the main Terminal 1 stands. On reaching the other end of the terminal, head outside, turn right on to the upper roadway and make your way to the short stay car park - another place where locals watch planes, wave goodbye. There is a notable police presence in both areas and in the terminal but spotters that have previously visited weren’t troubled at all. This area gives views of the smaller Alitalia fleet with their commuter aircraft parking to the left. In the distance, there is the old terminal, now Terminal 2, and remote stands for cargo. Discretely use your binoculars or telescope but they do not like photography so leave your camera in your bag and I would suggest doing the same with your radio. Recent reports suggest that police no longer tolerate spotting from within the terminal. Spotters have been searched, passports and logbooks checked, questioned and moved on due to them having ‘no real reason to be there’. If you do get moved on then either side of the terminal is still ok I think. Though not sure which end is best for departures/arrivals and whether it depends on wind direction. Although it appears this airport is increasingly unfriendly towards spotters, for a few years now, the Italian Aviation Friends Society, known as 'Clipper' has organised a series of days whereby their members and families spend a day inside the airport. The resident expert at Malpensa airport is Guido Allieri, his website is http://www.allieri.com/ and to contact him, e-mail guido@allieri.com. Browse the site, contact him, he is more than happy to help with anything, including arranging your participation in the tour. The tour is well worth it, giving you great views of the airport and aircraft, and fantastic photo opportunities you won’t get anywhere else. Terminal 2 is fully enclosed, with only a partial view of the ramp from the western perimeter road. There is a free shuttle bus that goes between terminals – I’d like to know if there is a good vantage point you can get to by foot as there are a lot of aircraft parked at T2 and Cargo and it’s a real shame you can’t get them. There seems to be a mass exodus of Alitalia long haul between 10:00-11:00. There is a small museum by the Terminal 1 exit – visit http://www.volandia.it/ for more info. The front rooms at the Crowne Plaza http://www.crowneplazamalpensa.com/ have views of departures, specifically rooms 212-233 inclusive are top floor windows facing the airport. The view is obstructed by a line of trees but all departing aircraft can be read off as they are above the tree line. It has a courtesy bus to and from the airport. The Hotel Cervo http://hotelcervo.it/ is about a 200 yard walk from the Airport shuttle bus route (or a 15 minute walk from T2), that links T1 and T2 so you don't have to rely on the Cervo's own shuttle, which only runs part of the day. The Cervo is close to Bus stop 3 (when travelling T1 to T2) and bus stop 11 when running in the opposite direction (T2 to T1).

Updated 23 March 2008

MILAN-VIA SAN VITTORE

The Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology has around a dozen aircraft on display here. Website http://www.museoscienza.org/english/.

Added 13 March 2008

NAPOLI/NAPLES (LIRN/NAP)

Landside, the first floor café/bar area overlooks most of the ramp and the runway, so nothing is missed. A quarter of the ramp, and the light aircraft and biz park are not visible around a corner, nor is the main military ramp, although most things come and go during the day. Airside there is a viewing area just below the landside viewing area, which is almost as good.

Added 7 June 2007

ROME-CIAMPINO (LIRA/CIA)

Ciampino is closer to the centre of Rome than Fiumicino and acts as the main low-cost and business jet airport. It’s also a military base and home of the government's fleet of A319s and business jets and the yellow CL-215 aircraft. The terminal building is quite compact, split into Arrivals and Departures sections. Passengers only use the ground floor throughout, and buses take you to and from the aircraft. Once through to departures, there is a separate section for Non-Schengen flights. Hold off from going through there until you are due to leave as the departures lounge for Schengen flights has better windows looking out to the apron, taxiway and runway. Most aircraft park near the arrivals section, however. Outside the terminal, beware of the large presence of police and military personnel. Cameras and poles will not be looked kindly upon. You can, however, log most aircraft on the cargo/biz jet apron if you are discrete with your binoculars. Walk to the car park next to the General Aviation Terminal, and you can see all of the aircraft through the fence. There are Police patrols, so don't loiter. If you have a car, you can drive to both ends of the runway - again, don't loiter. At the southern end (turn left out of the airport entrance, and then left at the roundabout), you will see the cargo aircraft close up, and a small compound of derelict biz jets, this is where the locals stay to watch the movements. The hotel Palacavicci is situated at the northern end of the runway (right out of the airport entrance, then right again towards Ciampino). Room 606 has uninterrupted views of aircraft just before touchdown. Rooms in the 7xx and 8xx range should also have similar views. If not, you can wander the car park to spot anyway. The Best Western hotel has good views. The Hotel Danny http://www.hoteldany.it/ overlooks the military ramps and the runway at that end, though you’ll need to request an airport view.

Updated 15 November 2007

ROME-FIUMICINO (LIRF/FCO)

Reasonable views of terminal C can be had from the restaurant area above check in. Spotting from McDonald’s and the few tables next to it is a great place with views of the domestic ramp and anything taxiing out to 07/25, but be advised the staff may contact the airport police. They may take you to their office to question you and photocopy your passport and log book. Some people have been moved on and some have been told it’s ok to stay once they are satisfied with their checks. Views of the maintenance area can be had from another set of tables adjacent to one of the other food outlets. Once you are airside you can walk up and down the gates and log everything. There is a panorama cafeteria in the satellite part of international terminal C, gates C20-C30 and you have to get the skytrain to get to it. From here you can see runway 35L. If you are planning on spending any length of time here, it is a regular occurrence that airport workers will call the police as there is a high level of suspicion. In most cases, they will question you, check your passports and log books and are usually happy for you to continue. Towards the end of the day, once the cafeteria starts to quieten down they may want to start closing areas off so you can move to some chairs by the windows next to the café. There's a cafe in Terminal D (I think!) called Galeria Panorama or something similar, and is situated upstairs above the check-in area. It overlooks the central part of the airport, including the westerly and central runways, and much of the apron. You will catch the vast majority of movements here. Staff and police hopefully won’t bother you, but keep the binoculars in the bag when they aren’t needed. It's also a good idea to buy some food and drink to justify being there. With a car, park at the API garage on the west side of the airfield, more or less at the threshold of the shorter cross runway on Viale Coccia di Morto road. The other two parallels run north to south, and I don’t know of anywhere where you can easily read off all movements when all 3 are in use. Just pick the intersection of the 2 busiest. You can also spot from the other intersection, of the easterly north-south with the cross runway. The Hilton hotel offers good views, the higher floor the better, and certainly no lower than the 4th floor if at all possible. The top floor is mainly meeting rooms but the windows at the end of one corridor overlook the domestic ramp and the taxiway exiting the runway. Weekends you probably won’t be spoken to by hotel staff but weekdays the meeting rooms will probably be used and so you would be better off confirming with hotel management that it’s ok to spend any length of time at these windows. The Mach2 hotel is not far from the end of one of the runways and is under short finals approach if the wind is right.

For more info visit http://www.fcospotters.altervista.org/places.htm

Updated 3 February 2008

VENICE-MARCO POLO (LIPZ/VCE)

Outside on the upper deck there are a few seats near the top of the ramp where the departures area is. Airside there are good views of the active ramp. If taking off away from Venice try and sit on the right hand side of the aircraft as the taxi out will take you past the parked bizjets (some larger Gulf 4/5 use the main apron). there is a cafe/restaurant on the right side of the terminal, with limited views. As long as you’re discreet and buy food and/or drink there should be no problems.

Added 5 November 2007