Aeroplane viewing at Las Palmas

Yes the old DC-7 is still there. I had the best light to get it late in the afternoon.

Btw : the restaurant I can only recommend if you like some real canary food is just 2 minutes away by car. Drive the road that brings you to the DC-7 further along with the direction of San Augustin. Leave at the exit “Playa de Aquillia”. Use the tunnel to go under the large road. You read a round about (surprise 😉 ). Leave it to the left so that you come to the driveway leading back to the road you just left, but going into the other direction (back to the areodrome). At the end of the driveway there is a restaurant called “Los Pescadores” (small sign only). You can park your car right in front of it, on the right side of the large road. It is surely worth a visit.

Back to spotting at LPA :

I had no problems with the security last year. They have military police patrols, normal police patrols and a civilian security company patrol. Neither seemed interesting in what we were doing.

I would recommend to stay a few metters away from the fence. And I would surely not recommend bringing a ladder.

Only the spots on the northern end of the runways ca ngie you trouble, as they are closer to the barracks of the military base.

Yes the old DC-7 is still there. I had the best light to get it late in the afternoon.

Btw : the restaurant I can only recommend if you like some real canary food is just 2 minutes away by car. Drive the road that brings you to the DC-7 further along with the direction of San Augustin. Leave at the exit “Playa de Aquillia”. Use the tunnel to go under the large road. You read a round about (surprise 😉 ). Leave it to the left so that you come to the driveway leading back to the road you just left, but going into the other direction (back to the areodrome). At the end of the driveway there is a restaurant called “Los Pescadores” (small sign only). You can park your car right in front of it, on the right side of the large road. It is surely worth a visit.

Back to spotting at LPA :

I had no problems with the security last year. They have military police patrols, normal police patrols and a civilian security company patrol. Neither seemed interesting in what we were doing.

I would recommend to stay a few metters away from the fence. And I would surely not recommend bringing a ladder.

Only the spots on the northern end of the runways ca ngie you trouble, as they are closer to the barracks of the military base.

Thanks very much Seahawk!

Are there no problems with security etc considering there is a military airbase on the Eastern side of the airfield? I guess one should not aim the lens towards the military side in any case?

Is the DC-7 still at the San Agustin Aero Club? I went up to it when I was there in 1989, is it still accesible?

Thanks again for all the hints, I’ll post results when I get back! 🙂

Thanks very much Seahawk!

Are there no problems with security etc considering there is a military airbase on the Eastern side of the airfield? I guess one should not aim the lens towards the military side in any case?

Is the DC-7 still at the San Agustin Aero Club? I went up to it when I was there in 1989, is it still accesible?

Thanks again for all the hints, I’ll post results when I get back! 🙂

It is no problem to spot at LPA.

Let me put you down the way I found the best spots.

There are several major spots.

When the planes are using the approach from the south I can recommend some spots. A rent a car is highly recommened for all spots.

Spot 1 :

Leave the highway GC1 on the exit called Carrizal/ Ingenio / Agüimes. The should be a round about right at then end of the exit. Drive directly straigth through it and park your car in the small street with the few houses. You have a decent view from the roundabout.

Spot 2 :

Will take you directly to the fence. Take the same exit from the GC1. In the roundabout you do a 3/4 turn and go through the tunnel under the highway. The general direction is Carrizal. There is another roundabout after teh tunnel. You leave that one to the left. (again Carrizal) You should no be on a larger road and pass a petrol station (Cepsa if I remember correctly). Go to the next round about. Again leave to the left. Should read Playa del Burrero or something. You should now be on a smaller road with houses on the right and a open field on the left. Follow this road until you come to the next larger road where you can go left. (Playa del Burrero) This road should again lead you directly to a tunnel that brings you to the other side of the highway. Follow this road. You now come into s small town. Go straight through it until you come to the beach and you can either go left or right. You want to go left. This brings you into another small road which is a one way road. Again follow it until you can only go left or right. Go left again. You should now be heading away from the beach. On the right you should see a new bungalow housing estate and some houses on a hill to your right. Go right on the next possibility. You should have to drive through some sand that is on the road and come to the bungalows. Again go straigt antil you can only go left. Ahead you should see some ruins of a house and the airport approach lights. Park near the abondaned house and walk up the dirt road to the fence. There are spots for nearly every time of the day there that can be used. You can go up the dirt roand until you croos the left runway and have a field to the right. Follow it until you can see that planes lining up for take-off.

The spot in the approach is really good. I did get some jp.net quality photos with a compact digital with a 105mm equivalent lense there.

Spot 3 :

A simple place is the petrol station described in the directions to Spot 2.

Spot 4 :

This is for an appoach from the north. Again go on GC1 When coming from Playa de lIngles you want to leave the next exit after the aeropurto. It should read base area / Folow the signs to the base area. The road should bring you the entrance of the military part of LPA. Don´t go there. The right should bring you to I don´t know where.

The left however is what you want. It should take you to the Playa Ojos de Garza. Find a good spot on that road.

Btw. I now a very fine restaurant in San Augustin. If you are interested.

It is no problem to spot at LPA.

Let me put you down the way I found the best spots.

There are several major spots.

When the planes are using the approach from the south I can recommend some spots. A rent a car is highly recommened for all spots.

Spot 1 :

Leave the highway GC1 on the exit called Carrizal/ Ingenio / Agüimes. The should be a round about right at then end of the exit. Drive directly straigth through it and park your car in the small street with the few houses. You have a decent view from the roundabout.

Spot 2 :

Will take you directly to the fence. Take the same exit from the GC1. In the roundabout you do a 3/4 turn and go through the tunnel under the highway. The general direction is Carrizal. There is another roundabout after teh tunnel. You leave that one to the left. (again Carrizal) You should no be on a larger road and pass a petrol station (Cepsa if I remember correctly). Go to the next round about. Again leave to the left. Should read Playa del Burrero or something. You should now be on a smaller road with houses on the right and a open field on the left. Follow this road until you come to the next larger road where you can go left. (Playa del Burrero) This road should again lead you directly to a tunnel that brings you to the other side of the highway. Follow this road. You now come into s small town. Go straight through it until you come to the beach and you can either go left or right. You want to go left. This brings you into another small road which is a one way road. Again follow it until you can only go left or right. Go left again. You should now be heading away from the beach. On the right you should see a new bungalow housing estate and some houses on a hill to your right. Go right on the next possibility. You should have to drive through some sand that is on the road and come to the bungalows. Again go straigt antil you can only go left. Ahead you should see some ruins of a house and the airport approach lights. Park near the abondaned house and walk up the dirt road to the fence. There are spots for nearly every time of the day there that can be used. You can go up the dirt roand until you croos the left runway and have a field to the right. Follow it until you can see that planes lining up for take-off.

The spot in the approach is really good. I did get some jp.net quality photos with a compact digital with a 105mm equivalent lense there.

Spot 3 :

A simple place is the petrol station described in the directions to Spot 2.

Spot 4 :

This is for an appoach from the north. Again go on GC1 When coming from Playa de lIngles you want to leave the next exit after the aeropurto. It should read base area / Folow the signs to the base area. The road should bring you the entrance of the military part of LPA. Don´t go there. The right should bring you to I don´t know where.

The left however is what you want. It should take you to the Playa Ojos de Garza. Find a good spot on that road.

Btw. I now a very fine restaurant in San Augustin. If you are interested.