Aircraft Photography at Aurangabad Airport

Aircraft spotting is illegal in India. If you are caught clicking photos of aircrafts, then the only thing is spending time behind the bars or sometimes, they can leave you taking some fine, depends upon how cool their minds are. 

Being a young aircraft spotter from the historical city of Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, I go for spotting quite often. Luckily, I haven't been caught at the airport for spotting. They tell it is for security reasons! We are not terrorists, and it is clear. My firm message to all airport authorities is that we aircraft spotters are no terrorists. In fact, we are all passionate people who always look towards the sky. 

Let me share some information about spotting locations at Aurangabad Airport. The airport codes of Aurangabad Airport is IXU and VAAU. Aurangabad Airport is not a very busy airport. Only five flights takeoff and landing at the airport every day. The airlines are Jet Airways, Trujet, JetKonnect and Air India. 

As per my knowledge, Aurangabad Airport has three spotting locations. They are;

1) The place next to Control Tower: 
The most frequently used place by me is next to the Aircraft Control Tower (ATC Tower). 

The above image shows the ATC Tower of Aurangabad Airport. The image was taken standing just next to the tower. This location gives you very far and wide view of the whole airport ramp. It even enables to look at the aircraft taking off or landing or taxiing or getting parked. This is my favourite location of spotting planes. 

This is an image taken by me at this spotting location. The aircraft is a Boeing B737-7 and bears a registration 'VT-JLB' and belongs to JetKonnect, a subsidiary airline of Jet Airways. 

The main disadvantage of spotting from this location is that one needs high zoom lenses to spot planes far away. 

2) The Gate: 

This is a really very dangerous location, as you are almost in the airport! There is a blue gate next to the terminal building which separates the airport ramp and the airport parking area. The gate is very huge. But fortunately, there are big gaps between the walls and the gate where the hinges are there. 

The disadvantage is that you have to use a digital camera. No DSLR! A DSLR is big and so, it cannot be used. The main reasons are the tight security out there and also, the DSLR will not fit in the gap between the walls and gate. It depends on your lens. 

This image was taken from there. 

I have addressed this place as a dangerous one because any airport personnel or officer can catch you up here. I'd like to share my own personal experience. I was once spotting planes from here and some airport worker caught me, but luckily, I wasn't arrested or taken somewhere for interrogation. He shouted, "Go away!" And I immediately put my digital camera in my pocket (so that he does not know that I am photographing) and walked next to him and he too went somewhere else. It's DANGEROUS! 

3) Outer Airport Area: 

I have been to this location only once because it is seldom open. Recollecting my experience here, the view of the airport is poor because there is a fence that obstructs photography. High zoom camera is necessary. 

Currently, I am in my pursuit of finding some more spotting locations, like I'm trying to use the terraces of the civilian houses at the airport.