Spotting in Rome (FCO)

Thanks for the info, Philip. I’ll definitely have a look at that website when I get a minute. I wasn’t planning on taking many photos anyway so a cafe that looks over the apron would be perfect. I’m guessing an airband scanner would be out though?

Hi Gareth
I passed through FCO on Monday on business but took the opportunity, as you do, to check it out from the enthusiast/spotter point of view. Certainly there are lots of uniformed officals about but there were decent views from the landside cafe’s where there is not much else to look at but the movements area. I would be careful with ‘optics’ and wouldn’t use a camera there though and it would be a lot of pizza/coffee to pay for over a day !
There is a Rome spotters website that shows the off airport locations and other details at http://www.fcospotters.altervista.org/index1.htm which I found helpful.
Regarding Ciampino, security there looks even tighter because of the military presence on the field, they look far more interesting aircraft there though.
One thing I could request from other forum members, is there a definitive identity known for the four ex AZ A300 stored there all white ? There were six but two have gone and various reports have quoted various identities for those left in the checking I have done so far.
Happy hunting
Philip

Hi Gareth,

CIA I would say isn’t too differant securitywise. Fair variety of mainly lo-co traffic, but it’s also worth bearing in mind it is a join mil base which has quite a lot of Goverment movements. Might be an idea to drop Wannabe Pilot a e-mail as I’m pretty sure he was there recently.

Thanks for the reply, Paul.

I’ll probably have a quick look around but may just be safer going in to the city itself. Does anyone know if it is easy to get to Ciampino and what spotting/traffic is like there?

I travelled through FCO a couple of years ago as a pax and the level of security in the terminal was intimidating to say the least. You migh be better off under the approach but even then you will almost certainly attract the wrong sort of attention.