Heathrow — 21 March 2007

Thanks for the info, do you happen to know if you can still park your car there?
I parked there 3 or 4 years ago, but the last time I went it was closed and blocked off!

I was at the Esso last week just after it opened, us local guys park our cars in the local pub and walk a few yards down the road. There are car parking places in the garage for customers. We saw the police move on cars and talk to the tog’s in the cars saying to move off the private property. We always stand just off the forecourt on public land and they have no probs. Just hope the new opening of the garage doesn’t lend itself to loads of spotters coming down and parking there and spoiling it for the regulars as once the police get going they’ll be no stopping them!

Thanks for the info, do you happen to know if you can still park your car there?
I parked there 3 or 4 years ago, but the last time I went it was closed and blocked off!

Nice shots! Were these taken from the Petrol station that closed down a couple of years ago?

They certainly were. We didn’t expect the staff to be as tolerant as they were. We weren’t really in the way or causing any problems, but at least five or six different people came out for cigarette breaks and not one asked us to move on.

As has been mentioned already, the lamp-posts do pose some problems for departing aircraft, especially the heavies, which won’t have cleared them by the time they reach the petrol station. The smaller stuff is at a sufficient height to be photographed without lamp-posts or fences in the way. I was especially keen to snap the departing Thai 747 shortly after noon and I had one of my shots ruined, thanks to a big thick lamp-post in the way!

Runway 9R (the other end of 27L) is occasionally used for departures. For ‘spotting’, the views would be ideal, but for photography, I expect the garage would be useless, with at least one fence between you and the aircraft.

Nice shots! Were these taken from the Petrol station that closed down a couple of years ago?

I see you got a shot of my fav lamp post! I have so many good shots of it right in the centre of my pics 😉
Great to have the garage open for drink etc, just a shame you are not pushed down the road a bit so the trees and lamps get in the way for some heavy stuff and all A340’s!

Hey Mike – thanks for today, was good to meet up again. Its ashame that it didn’t warm up though at all. It was nice to try out a new spot at LHR though.

Some great shots from you! 🙂 Another meet soon!? :diablo:

Good to see some shots again Michael they are brilliant like the VS 747 AC A330 and the AF 747-400 😎

James