Warsaw - Okecie "Fredric Chopin Airport"
I've been visiting Warsaw - Okecie airport almost every year since 1995 - my wife is Polish and the trips to visit my "in laws" always help my aircraft log book too !
The airport has undergone a lot of new construction and expansion in recent years.
For the aviation enthusiast there is a public viewing terrace ( terrace widkowy ) on top of the small domestic terminal. This is next door to Terminal 1.
The entrance for the viewing area is to the left of the domestic terminal. As you enter you will have to pass through an airport style metal detector and your bags through an x-ray machine. I've never had any problems with security taking through bins and cameras. You then have to walk up about 8 flights of steps so pace yourself !
At the top you pay your admission - last week this cost me 4 zloty ( approx 80p ). The viewing terrace is open with no glass - good. There are toilets and a small roofed area to take shelter but no views from the shelter.
The view from the spotting terrace - pretty good with EADS PZL Okecie site in backgroundThe open air viewing area gives good opportunities for photography from sunrise to midday, but as it faces West you will have problems on a sunny afternoon. Note that there are no refreshments at all up here, so make sure you buy snacks/drinks in the Domestic terminal before climbing all those steps.
I've not encountered any hassle problems with logging or photography up here - you eill get some strange looks from the locals though ! I've never used or seen an airband up here so this may NOT be a good idea.
Directly below you are three pier gates - last week I saw the following at these gates during a Tuesday morning,
Lufthansa 737-500
CSA 737-500
Malev 737-800
Air France A319
CSA 737-500 OK-CGJ at pushbackNothing too exciting but good for photos.
Okecie has two runways that intersect - both can be in use. One runs parallel with the viewing terrace, good views but you'll need a 400mm for photogrpahy.
With the other runway you can see 3/4 of it but not the Eastern threshold.
There is still a lot of development going on at this airport with some large areas of apron being re-worked - as such some aircraft will taxying and meander to and from gates. Much of these will go right past the viewing terrace and a 200mm will suffice.
Adria S5-AAF CRJ taxies past
Lotus A320 SU-LBJ taxies towards Terminal 2Way down to the South ( on your left from the viewing terrace ) is the cargo area - typical daytime inmates may include DHL 757, TNT 146, UPS MD11.
N279UP MD-11F of UPS back tracks down the runway towards cargoAlso to your left is the old small Etiuda terminal - low cost carriers park here inclusing Easyjet and Wizzair. Currently low cost arriving passengers are bused airside into the spanking new Terminal 2 for arrivals - but check-in and departure are via the Etiuda terminal itself. A few LOT ERJ145 and 737 may also park to your left.
Most airliners will park to your right alongside Terminal 2 - aircraft can park both infront and behind Terminal 2, so expect stuff to taxy out that you may not have been aware of.
Warsaw-Okecie also has a military ramp, home to 36 splt and its VIP fleet of Tu-154, Yak 40, Sokol, Bell 412, Mil 8 and M28 transports. As a capital city Warsaw gets plenty of visiting VIP / Govt aircraft.
Seen last week were an Israeli AF KC-707, USAF C-32 and a Fench AF Falcon 900 - a couple of days earlier the Ukraine Govt IL-62 and support Tu-134 were in.
The new Terminal 2 - at the far end is a good view across the military ramp
Israeli AF KC-707 with boom serial 260 on the military rampIt is possible to get a good view across the military apron by walking towards the northern end of Terminal 2 - I tend not to loiter here, although since Terminal 2 opened for departure earlier this year I note a lot more ( normal ) people admiring the vantage from this point. The LOT maintenance hangers are in this area too.
The Biz / GA area is way off to the North and difficult to see from viewing terrace and from the terminal area.
When on the viewing terrace right in front of you but way off is the old PZL Okecie factory - here was the production line for the Wilga, Kruk, and Koliber - they make components for Airbus here and EADS. I believe one Kruk was completed last year, but the glory days are over.
There is a brand new hanger over on that far side which I believe is owned by White Eagle - last week so one visiting Global Exp and a WEA ATR parked up.
Also in front of you is the large new ATC facility - over here are two old IL-14 - one red SP-LNB fuselage only , one blue SP-LNE appears complete. Out of sight but over there is a preserved An-2 SP-TWF as well - you can see all three if you sit on the correct side as you depart airborne !
What follows is a log from approx 9am to 12 Noon on Tuesday 15.4.08 - I arrived the previous Tuesday and many of the flights were same ( ie scheduled ).
MILITARY RAMP
260 KC707 Israeli DF
90004 C-32 USAF
F-GTVC B1900 French Interior Ministry
???? Falon 900 FRench AF
102 Tu-154 Pol AF
504 W-3 Sokol Pol AF white/red
02 Bell 412 Pol AF
0619 W-3 Sokol Pol AF camo
038 Yak 40 wfu
041 Yak 40 wfu
AIRLINERS - NON LOT
4X-EKA 737 El Al
5B-DBV 737 Eurocypria
D-ABIT 737 Luft
D-ACRQ CRJ Luft
D-AGPH FK100 Star / Connect
D-AVRK 146 Luft
EI-IGC 757 Air Italy Polska
EI-SLH ATR Air Contractors parked cargo
F-GRXM A319 AF
G-EZBF 737 Easy from Bristol
G-EZJW 737 Easy from Newcastle
HA-LOM 737 Malev
HB-IYW 146 Swiss
LN-KKW 737 Norwegian Air Shuttle
N279UP MD11 UPS
OE-LGC Dash8 Austrian Arrow
OH-LKH ERJ190 Finnair
OH-SAP 146 Blue1
OK-CGJ 737 CSA
OO-DJE 146 Brussels
PH-BDN 737 KLM
RA-85662 Tu154 Aeroflot
SU-BPG 737 AMC
SU-LBJ A320 Lotus
S5-AAF CRJ Adria
YL-BBF 737 Air Baltic
RA-85662 Tu-154M much more interesting than a Flot Airbus !
Taxying to Terminal 2 from Riga, LatviaAIRLINERS - LOT / EUROLOT / Centralwings - all SP-
EDD ATR Euro
KCN ATR White Eagle
KWD Jetstream LOT titles
LDB 170 LOT
LDD 170 LOT
LDF 170 LOT
LDG 170 LOT
LDI 170 LOT
LFA ATR Euro
LFE ATR Euro
LFF ATR Euro
LFG ATR Euro
LGE 145 LOT
LGO 145 LOT
LIB 175 LOT
LIC 175 LOT
LID 175 LOT
LIE 175 LOT
LIF 175 LOT
LKA 737 LOT
LKB 737 LOT
LKC 737 LOT
LKD 737 LOT
LKF 737 LOT
LPC 767 LOT
LPF 767 LOT
LLF 737 CW
LMC 737 CW
LMD 737 CW
BIZ
N187PN Falcon 50
OY-JMC Citation
YU-BSG Citation
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER !
Preserved inside Terminal 1 hanging from the ceiling is SP-2243 SZD 24B Foka 4 glider - there used to be a second glider ( SP-2142 ) during the 1990's but this had gone by 2000.
Bus outside Terminal 1 - glider SP-2243 lives in this terminalDumped way down by the Cargo area is An-24 SP-LTA - keep eyes peeled when you taxy.
Finally if you leave the airport on the main route into the city, there is a gate guard to the Pol AF 36 splt VIP area, easily visible on your left just as you leave the airport - this is Mig 21UM serial 9308 - mounted almost vertically on a pole ( maye 1/2 mile from Terminal 2 ).
If you do hire a car there is a preserved Wilga outside the PZL Okecie factory visible from the road past the factory entrance - this is marked "SP-PZL" in reality Wilga 40 SP-PHC.
Check out the two links below for some very good photos of Warsaw - Okecie
Happy Spotting !
External Link to superb photos of Warsaw - Okecie airport in the 1960s and 1970s
External Link to photos of Warsaw - Okecie airport in recent years
1 comment:
Looking for photos of Okecie airport taken inthe 1960s and 70s. First visited warsaw in 1964 through the old terminal on the north side of the field. On my second trip in 1969, use the "new" international terminal opened earlier that year. I believe this was roughly on the site of the current terminal 1.
Thanks.
Ted
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