SilverWingPix wrote:Very interesting pictures.
Could you possibly tell a little more about the situation there?
Egon/CPH
Thanks all for your compliments!
A full report on this trip with hints and tips will appear in Scramble mag. Photography of civilian airliners should officially be allowed in India but this is not widely known, therefore it's wise to stay low profile and out of sight of the military guarding the entire airport boundary airside. Mornings till about 11.30u are best at line-up 27 (runway in use about 90% of the time even with tailwind landings!!), downside is that you have to go into Jharimari slums and sort of hide behind latrines which are in use frequently by the locals, this way you can not be seen by military guards.
Locals will not bother you, no begging and no complaining. Just be sure to turn away and better even get out of the way whenever a woman goes to latrine to do her thing! Men won't bother....
Second spot is nearby but this is the famous "mount shitty". You'll have to have a strong stomach when standing here, I found the smell and flies unbearable in 32c sun!
Around midday the sun will turn in front of you, then it's wise to take a walk to another part of Jharimari slump alongside the 27 treshold (see AI Express B737 pic) and look for a friendly family with elevated balcony on their hut, pay some Rupees and takepics over the 3meter high wall with barbed wire (see Indian A319 pic).
We received info from an Indian pilot on the usage of 14 rwy, will appear in the report as well. 14 is perfect from the Orchid Hotel roof terrace both for landings and for line ups. Unless wind is really strong around 140degrees this rwy is only in use when 27 is out for maintenance schedule, normally fridays and sundays 12.00-14.00. We were lucky to have 14 all day from 12.00h on monday due to wind directions. 27 and 14 are ILS equipped, opposite dir. VOR/DME only wherby 09 will never be used. Photograpy from Hotel rooftop terrace is no problem at all and, very convenient indeed with pool, toilets showers and bar nearby
I've included some pics to give you an impression on the possibilities, this together with the report in Scramble should give a fine overview..
Also check some of our short movies on youtube under "Plane spotting Bombay". Finally more pics can be seen on
www.avationphotos.net
First one shows how pics can be taken hidden behind the latrines for line up 27 in the morning..
me taking pics over the smelly latrines
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Once you move 3 meters to the right you have a clear view but now your in sight of the guards in the little grey shed (we only noticed military guards during weekdays by the way, no one there in the weekend!
The other spot is for 27 line-up is Mount Shitty, hide behind the concrete wall also next to a couple of loo's but beware, the smell is awful here!
Nice view on the famous mount. It´s dirt all around you here!!
Nice view from the balcony of a kind family´s hut alongside treshold 27, good for both landings and take offs. Pay some money, take off your shoes and be kind to all annoying kids surrouding you for their picture taken! Be sure to stay low profile with the camera as you might be seen by the guards in the red-white shed airside! Mount shitty can be seen in the background on the right
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View from the rooftop terrace of the excellent Orchid Hotel, it´s 5 star and expensive, but the only possibility to take landing shots at 14 and therefore certainly worth the Euros!!!
Behind the slum down below there´s the treshold and turning point for 14 runway
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View from the terrace towards domestic terminal, behind you´ll see Air India hangars and bizjet parking area, also IAF birds are parked there. On the left behind 14 runway is the International terminal
Luckily the Indians are aware of safe transportation of hazardous goods like your gas tanks
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Finally, how to get to the 27 lineup in the morning from the Hotel. Ask the taxidriver to take you to Jahrimari Road, takes about 20 mins. depending in traffic. Looking at the photobags he knows exactly where to drop you off. Once there try to let the guy wait to take you back to the hotel later. Will cost you virtually nothing extra and saves you from searching for a tuk/tuk as regular taxis are hardly seen in the slums. Tuk/tuk drivers don´t always know where the hotel is although it´s simply on the other side of the airport!
Both Ton Jochems and me will be at the DSC in Nieuwegein this saturday so feel free to ask anything you like and watch for the article in Scramble mag.
regards,
Sjaak Louwen