FRA/EDDF guide for aviation enthusiasts and photographers

About this guide

This guide is a labor of love and a result of countless hours spent around Frankfurt am Main airport. I belong to a rare breed of humans who don't have a driver's license (long story, don't ask), so I wrote this guide with car-less aviation enthusiasts in mind. Of course, if you do have a car, you might still find the guide useful: you can get to all the described locations, but you can do it faster. :-)

Introduction

At the risk of stating the obvious, a car can come in useful for airplane spotting and photography. You can use it to get to otherwise unreachable locations, quickly zip from one spot to another, haul all your photography gear, and use it as a shelter.

But while spotting and photographing airplanes without a car might not be ideal, it's definitely doable. Sure, your options are somewhat limited, and you have to spend more time on getting to the desired destination, but at least you don't have to worry about traffic and parking.

Resources

All locations covered in the guide are available as a GPX file (direct download) that can be imported and viewed in any map app, desktop application, or web service that supports the GPX format. I recommend using Organic Maps to import and view the locations on an iOS or Android device.

If you plan to use public transportation, the RMV website publishes up-to-date S train and bus schedules.

Understanding runway usage

FRA operates in two directions (Betriebsrichtung in German): 25 West and 07 East.

• Westerly winds (runway usage 25 West): RWY 25L and 25R - arrivals, RWY 25C - departures
• Easterly winds (runway usage 07 East): RWY 07C - departures, RWY 07R and 07L - arrivals
• RWY 18 - departures only (the runway is closed when tailwind exceeds 15kt). RWY 36 is not in use

The Aktuelle Betriebsrichtung und Betriebsrichtungsprognose service is a reliable source of information on current and possible runway usage. The service is in German, but its interactive graph is pretty much self-explanatory. The forecast is updated three times a day, starting at 06:00, and it's valid for eight hours: 06:00-14:00, 14:00-22:00 and 22:00-06:00.

Locations

Although FRA is a fairly large airport, there are several locations around it that can be reached by public transportation and even by foot.

The A5 motorway overpass (1) and the observation platform (2), footpath (3)

These locations are perfect for photographing RWY 25L arrivals, without the need for a long telephoto lens (200mm should do the trick just fine). You can also photograph RWY 07C departures, but you'd need a lens with a longer reach (ideally 400-600mm). Whether you photograph arrivals or departures, the light is good throughout the day: from early morning till sunset.

Photo taken at location no. 1 (RWY 25L arrival)

Photo taken at location no. 1 (RWY 07C departure)

From the observation platform, you can also capture movements on the runways and taxiways, but keep in mind the following:

• ideally, you'd need a stepladder to clear all obstacles obstructing the view
• heat haze can be an issue on hot days

The bicycle and footpath (3) offers spots on both sides of an approach lights array, where you are closest to airplanes arriving on RWY 25L. Due to the proximity as well as the fences and masts obstructing the view, you only have a few seconds to capture landing aircraft.

Photo taken at location no. 3 (RWY 25L arrival)

The locations have another important advantage. There is small eatery called Terminal 4 (4) close to the S train station. Here you can grab something to eat and drink as well as visit a restroom, if necessary. Theoretically, Terminal 4 is opened on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays from 11:30 till 21:00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 till 18:00. The place is closed on Saturdays if the weather is bad, and they are closed during summer vacation season. So do check their website in advance to avoid surprises.

Terminal 4

Speaking of restrooms. It might happen that you urgently need to answer the call of nature, and Terminal 4 is not an option. There is a stairs (1A) at the end of the overpass that leads to shrubbery, and you can use the spot as the last resort. Disclaimer: I strongly discourage making use of this option, but I also appreciate that sometimes you just have to go.

Getting there

The locations are easy to reach by foot from Gateway Gardens and by S train from the Frankfurt am Main Hbf (Cental Station).

• From the Frankfurt am Main Central Station, you can reach Zeppelinheim by taking the S7 train direction Riedstadt-Goddelau. It runs every 30 minutes, and it takes about 10 minutes to reach the Zeppelinheim station. From there, it's another 10-minute walk to the A5 motorway overpass and the observation platform.
• From Gateway Gardens, there is a footpath leading to both locations, and it takes about 20-minute walk to reach them.

Gateway Gardens

There are at least two locations for photographing aircraft in Gateway Gardens. The one right behind the b'mine hotel (5) is a decent spot for capturing RWY 07L departures, especially heavies. You need a lens with the focal length above 300mm, and you'll be aiming slightly up. You have about 5-second window to capture the departing aircraft, but you'll hear it long before you see it, so you should have enough time to get ready. The light in this spot is good from around afternoon till sunset.

Photo taken at location no. 5 (RWY 07L departure)

The other spot is the area around the Gateway Gardens S-Bahn station (6). Here, you can photograph RWY 25R arrivals, with the airplanes passing somewhat high above your head.

Photo taken at location no. 6 (RWY 25R arrival)

Getting there

To get to Gateway Gardens from Frankfurt am Main Hbf, take line S8 or S9 direction Wiesbaden. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the destination. Gateway Gardens is also a walking distance from FRA Terminal 2.

Observation platform Nord "Dune"

The Observation platform Nord "Dune" (7) is ideal for capturing RWY 07L/25L arrivals and movements. In fact, taxiway P is so close to the platform that you can see pilots waving, and you can capture airplanes using something like a standard zoom lens. During winter, the light is good throughout the day. In the summer, the runway is backlit early in the morning and late in the evening. Heat haze is an issue on hot days.

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 break or 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.

Getting there

Take S train to Frankfurt am Main Airport Fernbahnhof, and take bus no. 67 or X15 from platform 24. Get off at Flughafen Tor 26. From there it's a 15-minute walk to the platform. Be aware that the A3 overpass has a slight quirk: what looks like a footpath abruptly ends at the other side of the overpass. There, you have to climb over the guardrail and continue walking along the bicycle path, or you have to cross the overpass by walking on the road. I cannot recommend the latter, because you'll be walking with your back to rather heavy traffic.

Visitor's terrace

But what about the visitor's terrace (8) in the airport's Terminal 2? It's an option, but not a particularly good one. The view is pretty good, and you can use a standard zoom lens to photograph taxiing airplanes. And with a moderate telephoto lens, you can even capture arrivals.

Photo taken at location no. 8

There are several issues with the location, though. A mesh fence is one. There are holes for taking photos, but there are only few of them, and they are in high demand. The holes themselves are rather small, so they are unusable with largish lenses. The second issue is light: the entire airfield is backlit most of the day. And on top of that it's a crowded location popular with kids. Enough said.

Where to stay

Since Zeppelinheim is easily reachable from both the city center and from the airport itself, you can choose whatever option works best for you.

But as an aviation enthusiast, you might want to stay closer to the action, right? Right! In which case, the Gateway Gardens area is your best option. Situated in close vicinity to the airport (it's a short walk from Terminal 2), Gateway Gardens has plenty of hotels to choose from. Here, you'll also find a supermarket, restaurants, and a bakery. Better still, S8 and S9 running regularly connect Gateway Gardens both to the airport (1 stop and an about 4-minute ride) and the Frankfurt am Main Hbf (2 stops and an about 10-minute ride), so you can reach both places in no time.

Which hotel in Gateway Gardens to choose? Whichever works for you, but my recommendation would be either b'mine, or Staycity. b'mine features a rooftop terrace that offers a sweeping view of the airport, so you can enjoy your breakfast or a dinner, watching hustle and bustle of the airport. If you have a long telephoto lens, you can even do airplane photography, capturing RWY 28L arrivals and RWY 07L departures. However, most of the day you'll be facing the sun, so the location is better suited for photographing on evenings or overcast weather.

b'mine also offers what they call Planespotting rooms that are more expensive than regular ones. But don't get your hopes too high. Every window has a pretty thick, and not particularly clean, protective glass panel in front of it, so chances of getting decent photos are rather slim.

While b'mine is nice, Staycity is my personal favorite. Firstly, it's one of the least expensive hotels around, but it features modern rooms with all the basic amenities along with an equally reasonably-priced breakfast. More importantly, the rooms on the upper floors facing North lets you watch airplanes landing on 28L. These room don't cost any extra, but they might not be available. Just make sure you ask for a room facing North when you check in. Again, windows are good for watching airplanes but not photographing them, because the windows can't be fully opened, and the glass is fairly thick.

If you opt for Staycity, make sure to create an account, and book your stay using a mobile device: both will give you a substantial discount.

Where to eat

Since Gateway Gardens is only a short S-train ride away, you can jump on the train and find whatever eatery you like. If that's not an option, there are The Italian Frankfurt and the Asia Moon restaurant. The former serves Italian-sounding dishes, and it's open from 07:30 till 24:00. This means that you can grab a breakfast, a lunch, a diner, and even a late-night drink there. Don't expect a culinary heaven, though: the food is pretty bland. But the service is fast and friendly, prices are reasonable, and the ambiance is quite okay.

As the name suggests, Asia Moon serves Asian dishes, and it's opened for lunch. Conveniently, it allows you to order take-away online. Again, you probably wouldn't choose Asia Moon for its sublime cuisine, but you can get a decent meal for a fair price.

Some, if not most, hotels in the Gateway Gardens area have restaurants opened for anyone. This includes THE ROOF in the b'mine hotel and Yazzo in the Best Western hotel.

There is also a REWE supermarket close to Staycity for all your grocery needs. And next to it, there is the Backhaus Schröer bakery.

Feedback

Do you have any comments, suggestions, critic, thoughts about the guide? Please send your feedback to me at me@dmpop.xyz

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