dmpop
Aircraft photography, spaghetti code, half-baked thoughts
Reads GuestbookAnother weekend in FRA: Exploring new locations
By now, it's an established fact that I cannot resist the pull of FRA, which explains why the missus and I spent yet another weekend there. This time around, I decided to forgo my absolute favorite sport on the A5 motorway overpass in Zeppelinheim and try something different. Well, a little bit different to begin with, anyway. Since we arrived in afternoon, position of the sun was ideal for photographing airplanes close to landing lights array. This made it possible to capture aircraft from a different angle than usual. But that required better reaction and steadier hand, because airplanes whizzed by super fast, leaving no room for mistakes. I ended up with a larger than normal rejects, but I appreciated the challenge, nevertheless.
On Sunday, we decided to get adventurous and see if we could get to the observation platform Nord (a.k.a. the "Dune") by public transport. Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult of a task: a short S train ride from Gateway Gardens to Frankfurt am Main Airport Fernbahhof, then a 15-minute bus ride to Flughafen Tor 33, and then a 15-minute walk to the platform. It's actually less complicated than it sounds. The location is perfect for capturing RWY 07L and 25R arrivals (which was the case on that day). And the sport is ideally suited for catching airplanes when they touch down. Once landed, the aircraft taxi right by the platform, close enough to see pilots waving. And let me tell you, I've never thought that waving could be so enjoyable. Alas, interesting arrivals occur very early in the morning, so you need to get up super early (ideally, around 05:00) to get there in time.
By the way, there is a small patch of forest right behind the platform, with a tree stump inviting you to sit down and enjoy your lunch al fresco. But be smart and resist the temptation to sit on it; otherwise, your pants will be covered in sticky and impossible to remove tree gum goo. Don't ask me how I know that.
We had a dinner reservation in Frankfurt am Main, so we had to wrap up earlier that I'd have liked. But, hey, it was nice to get there at all. Next morning, I got at at 07:00 to squeeze a quick airplane photography sesh, before having breakfast and heading back home. Besides capturing my old friends Airbus A340-600, I discovered a better spot to capture RWY 25R arrivals in Gateway Gardens than my usual one. And that concluded our yet another FRA outing.
