Spotting/photography @ XFW

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Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 2,343

Hi all,

I have just booked a quick 2-day trip towards the end of January to Hamburg, Germany, as I am making a special trip to visit Miniatur Wunderland to see the model airport (Knuffingen) and railway displays...:D

As I have some time to myself on the day I arrive before my visit to Miniatur Wunderland, I was thinking that I might try to take a trip to the other airport in Hamburg (Finkenwerder/XFW) to see the Airbus Factory.

I am wondering if anyone on here has been already and could possibly tell me if it is something worth doing (what exactly is there to see, if anything?), and how I might get there using public transport?

Original post

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 2,098

I have the pleasure of visiting XFW now and again... and while it certainly is nothing like as busy as HAJ it is worth a visit if you have a few hours spare... you should certainly see some aircraft doing test flights/engine runs/brake tests..as well as Beluga and other visitors... There is a fantastic spotters gantry at the delivery centre... the below is a thread i posted from last february:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=107227
Cheers.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 2,343

Thats great Tartan Pics, thanks so much for your help (some great photos in that thread of yours!:)).

How exactly did you get there when you visited?

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 2,098

Cheers:)
Well i drove there... my job is driving a van around Europe. XFW is in a strange location... right in the heart of a busy district of Hamburg.... i did see plenty of public buses running along the road. The viewing platform is at the delivery centre... which is just about the furthest point of the plant... Meant to add, although you may not see too much action..there are always loads of frames about for the number cruncher...lots of nooks and crannies with airbus lying around in them....i'd say about 30 plus any time i've visited.

Member for

17 years 1 month

Posts: 34

Cloud 9

XFW is fairly easy to get to, the bus 150 from Altona(by the station) goes past the site and delivery centre.
Air traffic can vary from day to day(when I get back I will try the ops link see if it is publicly available.)

Also a piece of advice if visiting the Miniature Wonderland at the weekend, get there early!!! opens 8:00am

Member for

13 years 7 months

Posts: 819

Hamburg Fuhlsbuettel Airport is worth a visit as well. Quite busy and some decent stuff goes in there. Good observation deck.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 2,343

Cloud 9

XFW is fairly easy to get to, the bus 150 from Altona(by the station) goes past the site and delivery centre.

Also a piece of advice if visiting the at the weekend, get there early!!! opens 8:00am

Thanks tone1947, I happen to e-mail the transport company that runs the buses in Hamburg, and a very helpful lady has e-mailed me back with all the details. Looks pretty easy to get to.

As for Miniature Wonderland, I'm booked for the 0800 entry already as it was pretty much fully booked up for the day when I checked online...hardly surprising really due to the weekend.

Culpano, I have a full day up until my return flight back to LHR on the Sunday...was thinking of spending some of it at the observation deck, do you know where it is exactly and whether it costs anything to get into it at all?