Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Continent: Europe

Country: United Kingdom

Region: England

Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood
Location	Doncaster, South Yorkshire
IATA code	DSA
ICAO code	EGCN
Airport type	Commercial
Website	http://www.robinhoodairport.com
Overview map	[ ]
Communications
Tower	128.775
Ground
Clearance
Approach	126.225
Departure	126.225
ATIS	134.95

Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood Airport is situated south of Doncaster. It is the newest airport to open in the UK, formerly RAF Finningley. Due to still being relatively new, it is very quiet in terms of movements. This has picked up for summer 2009, with a few new operators commencing flights, however it's not the sort of place you would want to spend an entire day at though, unless you take a good book! Well worth stopping by if you're in the area though, and the authorities are very friendly to spotters.

Official Spotting Locations

There are no official spotting locations as yet.

Other Spotting Locations

Runway 02 end

From the airport turn left, and head for the A638. Turn left to head south on this road. Take the first road on the left (High Common Lane). This road runs between the A638 and A614. There is a layby on the northern side offering good views and photography of aircraft landing and departing on runway 02.

Map of this location: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=465625&Y=396545&A=Y&Z=3

Alongside the runway

Runway 02

From this location, continue straight past the end of the runway and you will come to a roundabout. Take the first exit, onto the dirt road (Old Bawtry Road). This road comes closer to the runway and then runs parallel to the runway for most of its length. This offers good views of all traffic landing and departing on both runways, and there is parking for the entire length in a layby that seemingly stretches the length of the runway. You are at the same level as the runway and about 40-100ft from the side of the runway. A 300mm lens is plenty for most traffic.

This spot is good for photography until about 13:00-14:00 before shots start appearing backlit, and is better when 20 is in use for touchdown/rotation shots depending on how far along you go. The location is also popular with the locals and on a sunny afternoon there will be dozens of cars parked watching the planes.

Runway 20

The other side of Old Bawtry Road provides better views of aircraft landing and departing on runway 20, although parking can be fairly limited as the car park area has now been blocked off.

To access this location, go back to the roundabout previously mentioned and take the exit signposted Finningley. Once you are in the village, the road bends round to the left, keep following the road until you see the “The Harvey Arms” pub, and turn down the street to drive past it (also called Old Bawtry Road). Keep driving down this road and you will come to several gaps in the hedges where cars park up to the fence to watch the activity. A few lay-bys are also available for cars to park. You can then walk down the road, past the large blocks and further down the path you will come to a raised mound with some blocks to stand on, allowing you to be above the fence.

Runway 20 approach mound

This location is situated opposite the Chinese takeaway in Finningley. To access this location. Park outside the takeaway and look opposite for the gap in the bushes, climb through this gap and walk up and along the hill on the right or left side. This gives you a clear view of aircraft on approach for runway 20 as well as the Vulcan XH558 which you can see parked directly opposite

As far as I know, spotting at this location is possible and many spotters use it. However I hear rumours that security and the airport staff are not particularly keen on people using it, although no attempt to block access through the hedge had been made as of winter 2020

Terminal side

Parking at this location is restricted in the airport zone. As a result of this, you may need to park in a nearby housing estate, as long as it doesn’t reside in the airport zone you will be fine.

On Fourth Avenue, you will find the 2excel and Cessna Citation hangars, where you may see the Boeing 727 Oil Spill Response parked up, or any other smaller aircraft owned by the company such as their fleet of Beechcraft King Air aircraft, or a number of Cessna light aircraft for the flight training schools.

You will also see stands 16 and 17 from this location, where cargo aircraft sometimes park up, although at the time of writing this(Winter 2020), a number of aircraft are parked here in storage.

You are unlikely to be moved on by security here

For spotting on stands 16 and 17, it may be useful to have a zoom lens, although a 55-250mm will suffice

Stand 5:

This location is where the majority of cargo aircraft parks up, especially since stands 16 and 17 are presently occupied. From here you will be very close to the parked cargo aircraft such as the Astral 747. Night spotting is ideal here as you can set up a tripod and take a long exposure through the fence.

This location can be found by the left side of the main terminal building.

Security sometimes ask you to vacate this location, although this doesn’t happen very regularly.

A kit lens would be suitable and would be best for this location as you are very close to the aircraft.

Stands 1 and 2

This location is not needed most of the time as aircraft don’t usually park here unless it’s relatively busy and there is no other suitable option.

However when it is in use, this location can be found down the right side of the terminal building in the Meet and Greet car park.

Security may sometimes ask you to leave this location.

A 55-250mm lens may be useful at this location as there is a double fence for part of this, and you aren’t as close as you are at the stand 5 location, although you may be fine with a kit lens

Regular Traffic

The airport goes through phases of being quite busy, interspursed with hours of nothing. Unfortunately much of the movement occurs before 9.30am and after 7pm, with only 2-3 movements in between. Most days there is no activity at all between 8am and 1pm.

Consult the schedule before setting off to avoid hours of nothing.

Magma Aviation Boeing 747 freighter arrives into Doncaster on a Saturday, usually fairly early in the morning - flight number CC335

Astral Aviation Boeing 747 Freighter arrives into Doncaster usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Sometimes Friday and Sunday too. Usually in the afternoon but sometimes in the early morning - flight number 8V2601/8V2602/8V2604 and 8V2606 are all previously used flight numbers

External Links

Doncaster Airport Forum Dedicated aviation forum for spotters and aviation enthusiasts as well as aviation professionals. This forum is also home to a number of other airport forums for airports around the UK.