Amsterdam 2/15/2008 Day 1

[tipek]

Hi All,

I did my weekend spotting trip to Europe. This time I've picked AMS and that city delivered all my expectations.
Spotting locations are AWESOME. Police is patroling spotting areas only to see if people didn't park their cars illegaly, if somebody did police would ask them to move the car. Each location had at least 100 spotters taking pictures.
Here are some pictures from my first day at AMS. I started at noon and finished at 6pm.

http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/af318am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/astraeusam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/arkeam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/austarram1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/bmiamam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/bmibabam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/brathsasam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/chinairam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/citylin900am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/flybeam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/klm11am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/klm70am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/klm73am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/klm78am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/klmfo50am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/klmfokam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/koraam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/malaysiaam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/martin11am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/nw33am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/pga100am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/privkam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/trans77am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/trans78am1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/vlmam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/vuelingam1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~tipek/zsurinamgateam1.jpg

Shots from Day 2 & 3 will follow in new posts in few days when I find time to edit my pictures.

Rafal

[Matt Molnar]

Great shots, great variety.

[jran225]

Rafal, you didn't go far enough down the road to where the heavies rotate. Great shots though! Do you know whether there's still any way to spot along runway 6/24?

[AirtrafficController]

Intersting shots Rafal. I cant wait to head to Amsterdam in the near future.

[mirrodie]

Great shots! Thanks for sharing those! Sweet!

[brontis5]

Great shots! Can't wait to see what you get on the next few days you are there. I am going to Amsterdam in May and plan to take a whole day spotting. How do you get out to the spots? Do you have to rent a car, or can you get there via public transport or cab? If anyone has any first hand information please PM me, it would be greatly appreciated. Later, Brian

[wunaladreamin]

Great shots! I caught, much to my surprise that ArkeFly jet here at JFK last year. You must have incredible angles there, the kind I dream of here.

[MarkLawrence]

Great shots Rafal!! That really is a nice collection!

[KC]

Goodevening, goodafternoon,

Do you know whether there's still any way to spot along runway 6/24?

No. This official place has been demolished to extend the adjacent cargo apron. During weekends when there are no construction works, there might be a chance to stand upon the piles of soil but normally it is a closed spotting point. But AMS did provide a new and very good spotting place which is excellent in the afternoon.
Greetings, Karl

[tipek]

Omar,

It was freaking COLD. I didn't want to walk anywhere :) That spot at 6/24 is closed by local spotters told me how to get there. Of course walking was involved so I didn't go there.

Brontis5,

I rented a car. I don't believe that those spots at runway 18L/36R are accessible by public transportation. Unless you would go to the town which is close to that runway and from there walk, but walking is not my thing so I don't know :) I know that you can rent bike at the airport and from there you can bike your way to all spots at Schipol. Also shots from second day were more interesting (me thinks)

Mark,

I've got Habitat second day at AMS :) I couldn't get it in US so I've got it in Europe :)


I am at RDU right now so I will post more pictures probably tomorrow night or Thursday night.

Rafal

[petertenthije]

I am going to Amsterdam in May and plan to take a whole day spotting. How do you get out to the spots? Do you have to rent a car, or can you get there via public transport or cab? If anyone has any first hand information please PM me, it would be greatly appreciated. Later, BrianRunway 06-24 is no longer accesible, PERIOD. Yes, theoretically you could walk there. However, the place is a construction site now and fenced off. Venture there and the police will drag you of. By the time you will come here chances are the place will already count as airside, which means you would get military police to drag you of. Not nice!

You can still stand in the final approach for runway 06-24. When planes take off from 06-24 then they will be too high for good photos. For landings this spot is ideal. Easily accesibly by bus. The busstop is right below the flightpath.

For 18R/36L (as depicted above and in the "day-2 thread") you will need some transport to get there. A car would be ideal, but a bicycle is doable as well. Walking from the nearest bus stop would still be near to an hour. That is incidentally pretty much the farthest you can go from any public transport in NL, so it is true what they say about the Polderbaan having been build closer to London then Amsterdam. :D

Taking a cab might be doable. However, you will have to tell them exacty where to go as they might not know the spot and there is no easy point of reference nearby (yes it really is in the middle of nowhere, by Dutch standards anyway). Perhaps in May the local cab-drivers will know the (new) spotter site. Getting back to the airport might be a hassle though unless you manage to arrange to be picked up again by the cab at a set time. Don't expect any cabs to drive by hoping for a pick-up as the place really is too remote for that. You might be able to hitch a ride from a spotter though.

If you intend to go spotting during the weekend, please let me know. Chances are I will be able to join you and give you the guided tour alongside the spots.

Regards,
Peter ten Thije
http://www.schipholspotter.com