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Hello everybody,
Yesterday morning we returned as scheduled back from a spotting trip to New
Delhi and Mumbai. Luckily my friend and myself didn't have much trouble. We
arrived in New Delhi on the evening of march 9 with KL871 from Amsterdam.
This was only a view days after the release of the two British spotters in
New Delhi.
We stayed also in the Radisson hotel very near the airport. A room on the
first floor wasn't available. We asked for room 474 for the next day,
knowing from the press that the 2 British spotters asked that as well. My
friend has to be in Delhi for work as well, mostly night work so we find it
a good excuse to ask for room 474. This is a room with 2 beds completely at
the end of the hallway. We said we needed a quit hallway because we had to
"sleep" during day time. At march 10 at noon room 474 was available for us
and finally we started spotting the planes at Delhi airport
I left my SBS system at home and we had further no problems in the Radisson
Hotel. Using the SBS system is by the way the best system for spotting in
New Delhi from the Radisson Hotel, without it you will miss planes.
Around the airport and I think every were in India they have an overdose of
security, police and military people. We also did some spotting near the
domestic terminal when we were walking back from the museum at Palam AFB.
Again to many military people or other ones with AK.47s'......
Friday the 12th we flew from Delhi to Mumbay on Jet Airways 336. After check
in and behind the security you will have quit an unobstructed view at
planes. We watched and wrote down the numbers and even here a security guy
asked us what we were doing and we had to follow the guy to a bunch of other
security people. They checked the logbook, found it suspicious, wrote down
our details and we could run to catch our plane.
So be careful behind the security. If a bus brings you to your plane, you
will have a free platform tour for logging registrations !!!
After VT-JNE brought us to Mumbai, we checked in at the (world??) famous
Orchid Hotel very close to the domestic terminal. On the roof is a bar, a
restaurant, a swimming pool and a very good view at airplanes. Unfortunately
runway 14-32 was closed for renewal, so every plane used runway 27-09
After the big terrorist attack photographing is not aloud anymore and after
the visit of Mr. Ayris en Mr. Hampston to India the Orchid Hotel doesn't
like spotters anymore !!! Friday and Saturday there was almost constantly a
security guy from the hotel on the roof watching us what we were doing. We
missed planes, but we played a big cat and mouse game and we think we won
this game. Late Saturday afternoon I had a huge conversation with one of the
hotelmanagers and the security manager. The hotel is afraid of loosing their
license. The Government informed the hotel about being so close to the
airport and the big danger risk etc etc etc etc.....
After this conversation we were aloud to watch planes with our binoculars
from the edge of the pool. This way nobody from the airport could see us
watching airplanes. On Sunday we stayed near and most of the time IN the
swimming pool and we were not bothered at all.
Sunday afternoon I flew back to Delhi to fly in the night back to Amsterdam
on KLM, and my friend flew in the night back to Amsterdam on Delta Airlines
from Mumbai
I hope this information is useful for anybody wishes to go to India !!
Be warned and be careful while aircraft spotting in India !!!!
Greetings Rob van Ringelesteijn and Harry H.
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