Biggin Hill

1Northwest side

Where no roads run along the airport perimeter, public footpaths do. Most of these are of little value for spotting, but the part at Leaves Green is the exception and offers a view on aircraft landing on runway 21 or departing from 03. Photos are possible too, especially of landings in the afternoon when the light is better. A free parking lot is available on Ashmore Lane, when coming from the north on the A233 first right after the petrol station and inn in Leaves Green. From there, walk back to the main road, turn right, and then left on the byroad on the other side. Near the bench in the curve is where you can enter the footpath and walk to a position of your liking.

2Executive Passenger Terminal

We just list this to help you avoid making a useless stop: there is nothing to see here. Only passengers and crew will be allowed to pass the security checkpoint for this area and views towards airside have been thoroughly blocked.

3Biggin Hill Memorial Museum

Continuing south from the previous spots, you will notice a Hurricane and a Spitfire guarding a gate with a chapel behind it. They are replicas and here is the museum that pays tribute to the war efforts originating from the Biggin Hill section, and those who did not survive. The link to the museum website is on our More Info panel in this guide.

4Runway 03 pm

This spot is one for afternoon photography of flying traffic, and all day for aircraft taxiing to runway 03 for departure or from 21 after landing, as all but the occasional light private plane will exit here at the end. Departures from to 21 will obviously be rather high and landings on 03 not very low yet, but if you move further back it is hard to see them coming. Steps are advised to take photos over the fence. You will be standing on the sidewalk of Main Road, the A233, and thus have to park somewhere else like at The Lookout Coffee Shop - see spot 5. For morning shots of most traffic, that same spot is better of course.

5The Lookout Coffee Shop

The coffee shop includes outside seating and overlooks the runway area including the terminal apron, part of the nearest bizjet apron and the adjacent light aircraft stands. All movements can be watched and photographed from here, with the light being best in the morning. Parking is available on the spot and the walk to spot 4 is roughly 600m/yds from here. To get here, take Churchill Way (the road that encircles the southeast part of the airport) from the roundabout at the A233 and then the very first left again.

6Bombardier

Churchill Way is a private road after Wireless Road when it enters the southeastern part of the field and authorisation is required to enter it. See the next spot as well for the latter, but if you can proceed along it, you will pass nearly every apron and hangar on this part of the airfield, enabling you to log a whole lot more than from public roads. One option for a stop-and-go that is probably very worthwhile is this parking lot along the road behind one of Bombardier's hangars. Do not be surprised if you get sent away however. Other options exist closer to the next spot, noteworthy for light private planes as well.

7The Heritage Hangar

At this unique location, more Spitfires can usually be seen together than anywhere else in the world, along with a Hurricane and a Bf109. Even better: these are airworthy specimen or being worked on to become one. Tours of the Spitfire Factory cost £ 49 per person and can be booked via their website (see More Info in this guide). And yes, the name Fly a Spitfire means passenger flights on the iconic fighter can also be booked here. When scheduled on a tour, you have a valid reason to drive all along Churchill Way (see previous spot as well) and spot all that you can on the way. From The Heritage Hangar, you also have a better view of the terminal area and other aprons west of the runway - plus the runway itself of course.

8West Kent Golf Club

A rather obscure spot that we list just for completeness. Should you find yourself at the golf club, a look from the crash gate behind the club's parking lots may bring an arriving or departing aircraft into view. Do not expect much though, as the field of view is very limited and you are lower than the runway and taxiways. This applies as well to nearly all of the public footpath where it runs along the fence, like it does here. Unless your main goal is stretching your legs in fresh air, your time is better spent elsewhere around the airport.