|
Photo copyright © by Denis Roschlau
The Airbus Industrie plant at Hamburg-Finkenwerder (XFW) is located south of the river Elbe. It has one runway (05/23). Traffic consists of new Airbus A318, A319 and A321 (painted and in primer colours) which are manufactured here, new A320 (mostly in primer colours) that receive their interior outfitting in Hamburg and several shuttle service currently operated by Privatair A319, WDL BAe 146 and OLT Saab 2000 and of course the famous A300-600ST "Beluga" which transport aircraft parts between the different plants of Airbus Industrie.
If you arrive by car, exit the motorway A7 at "Waltershof" and follow the signs to "Finkenwerder". Stay on the main road through Finkenwerder until you pass the main entrance of Airbus Industrie. A few hundred metres later you'll see the famous dike. Don't park your car at the edge of the road as police cars watch this space quite frequently, instead use one of the parking lots on either side of the delivery center (marked with P). If you come with public transport, take bus 150 (final destination "Cranz Estebogen") from Altona station and alight at "Nesshauptdeich".
Feel free to send an e-mail if you have any further questions.
> Spotting Point 1: "The Dike I"
Runway: 05/23
Time: until 4:00pm
Lenses: 50mm-300mm
Access: From this part of the dike you can take shots of all aircraft using the runway or one of the two taxiways behind until about 2:00pm. Additionally you can take pictures of aircraft turning out taxiway Bravo and taxiing to runway 23. You can move your location according to the angle of the sun.
Examples:
 
> Spotting Point 2: "Plane Crossing"
Runway: none
Time: from 10:00am
Lenses: 50mm-120mm
Access: Climb the dike just behind the plane crossing and go right until the fence. From this spot great photos of all aircraft coming from or going to the delivery center on the other side of the road can be taken. A ladder can be helpful.
Examples:
 
> Spotting Point 3: "The Dike II"
Runway: 15/33
Time: until 2:00pm
Lenses: 50mm-120mm
Access: From the dike on the other side of the delivery center photos of all aircraft taxiing on the runway can be taken. You can vary your position on the dike, besides you can also go down to the fence and shoot from there.
Examples:
 
> Spotting Points 4 & 5: "Runway 05 approaches"
At the moment these locations are not of interest, but when some of the above locations are going to be unaccessable due to the construction work for the Airbus A380, they will become more important.
| 
Spotting Locations at Hamburg-Finkenwerder (XFW)