Guide to London Heathrow Airport (LHR / EGLL)

The grass area close to Myrtle Avenue at Heathrow has become perhaps the most popular spot at LHR since the closure of the Queens Building viewing area. The spot is perfectly placed on the approach to runway 27L and when this is the landing runway you can get some good approach shots. The area is also the safest in that you will not be bothered by the police or BAA security.

The Renaissance Hotel overlooks the runway 27R / 09L. Getting a room at the top of the 3 storey building allows you to get some great runway shots. The spot isn't perfect but with the right conditions I feel its probably the best spot at Heathrow. First downside is the cost. You will obviously need to make a reservation to get into the room which will cost £90+. The Hotel is also on the North side of the airfield, meaning the sun is a serious problem. The room is useless in the winter as the sun never works its way around, but in the summer you can get nice shots from 1700-1800 until dark. The spot is at its best when 27R is used for landings in the afternoon / evening. If 27R is used for departures then only taxi shots can be taken, with 27R for landings you can get some great touchdown shots. I've never tried it but I would think 09 movements would make it pretty impossible.
Best to check the runways before you book the room. At Heathrow the runways are switched every week, whatever runway is used for landings in the morning one week is used for take-offs in the morning the week after and so on. The London Aviation website in the links on this page gives details of which runways are used for each week. Obvisouly if 09 is used then this can be ignored and I wouldn't bother going.
One further point to note is that you will be shooting through glass, although didn't cause us many problems at the time of our visit.

Superb banking shots can be taken of aircraft departing 09R as shown below. The vast majority of aircraft turn sharp right after take-off allowing some really niice shots, particularly on a nice sunny day. It should be noted though that aircraft are a very big lens is required. An A340-300 will require a slight crop in order to be full frame with a 400mm lens on a digital body (ie 680mm). Anything smaller is not worth bothering about. The spot is pretty good throughout the day although you will suffer heat haze on a hot day.

With the new Terminal 5 development complete theres now a grass embankment to the south side of runway 09L where approach shots can be taken from. When runway 09L/R are in use then 09L is used for the vast majority arrivals and so you won't miss much in a day of shooting. I rate this spot better than Myrtle as you are a bit more side on to aircraft rather than underneath as at Myrtle.

The area is best from about 10am until 3pm on a summers day. The sun does tend to work its way round and at about 5pm ends up at 90° to the runway, meaning shots are very difficult by that time. After this time you can walk down to the roundabout on the north side and shoot south, although its probably 7pm before you get the sun behind you.

The best way to get by car is to come off the M25 at the Terminal 4 junction and turn left at the first roundabout. You can park the car up on the side of the road, on a sunny day especially there'll be plenty of others there. The spot is also walkable from Terminal 5 if on foot.

It's a good place for taking photos but in cloudy days only (or summer evenings when sun goes down on your right side). You are very close to planes lining up for departure on 27R . Lens around 50-150mm is enough but you have to shoot through the fence which is not easy due to metal bariers hanging on the whole Perimeter Road.

The best way to get there is by public transport. Take a bus from Hatton Cross Station (Bus Stop A) towards Heathrow Central (285, 90, 423) and get off on the bus stop at Hatton Road

One of the best places to take photos of planes departing from LHR. Situated at the Southern Perimeter Road near Esso petrol station (shop, toilet) is perfect to catch planes taking off from runway 27L. Every lens above 70mm will be good in that area for almost whole day (from around 10am till afternoon)

If you want to use public transport take bus 203 from Hatton Cross Station towards Staines (bus stop E) and get off near petrol station on the junction of Bedfont Road and Clare Road. Follow Bedfont Road for about 60 - 100 meters and then turn right into Riverside Road. There's a pub at the end of that road called Rising Sun , from where I took photo of bmi A330 (below) having a nice ,cold pint of beer. To get to Esso petrol station from there, you just have to turn right to Southern Perimeter Road (via Oaks Road)

You can get there by car via Bedfont Road (free parking space on Oaks Road) or via Southern Perimeter Road (parking space at Esso petrol station)

Sit and enjoy a coffee or hot chocolate whilst watching planes land or depart on 09L also you can see several stands where the BA A319/A320's park.

Its quieter than Myrtle Avenue and you get really good photos of planes on approach and side on coming in on Runway 27L.