Post by billsamuels on Oct 13, 2016 7:38:26 GMT
Morning Chaps,
Apologies for not being on for a few days but as the title would indicate - I've been overseas for a few days....
Mrs. S was out in the Gulf for a few days on business and suggested that it might be fun if I was to join her!!! Well 2 cats, one dog and three goldfish were crushed (only joking) in the rush to get packed!!! She'd been to Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and that was where I joined her... I arrived on the 6th from the Virgin service (08.00) and I'd convinced her that a stay at the 'spotter hotel' Grand Excelsior Deira (was formerly the Sheraton Deira, and my wife renamed; 'Not so Grand' - which I thought was a bit unkind....). I had arranged to be picked up by the hotel - not courtesy bus, AED95 (regular taxi on the way home was just AED30 (including a good tip) but I was in the hotel by 10am and spotting from the room (552) with aircraft taking off right above the property - in fact they were about 1000ft when directly over head - and the room sound proofing was outstanding as you could hardly hear a thing!!! Thankfully I had pre-requested an airport view room and to be inside the room 4 hours before the official check-in time was a complete result.... Anyway, I'll give you a bit more info about the changes at the hotel (for spotters) later... But here is my log for the 4 days.... I didn't log everything because there was a lot of 'returns' during the visit plus I didn't log all of the Emirates movements (which were considerable)...
F = needed the frame, R = seen frame previously but needed registration - all from my ADU set-up.
Wednesday, 5 October, 2016 HOME (some of these were seen on the ground at LHR pre-departure)
A7-BCR Boeing B.787 38336 Qatar Airways
B-6076 Airbus A330 797 Air China
C-GWJG Boeing B.737NG 35504 WestJet
D-AEAA Airbus A300 743 European Air Transport
D-AEAM Airbus A300 797 European Air Transport
R EC-MFO Airbus A319 938 Iberia
EC-MHS Airbus A321 6740 Vueling Airlines
R F-HMBG Cessna Citation CJ525A0142 CM-CIC Bail SA
F F-HSAS Dassault Falcon 7X119 Unijet SA
R G-CISK Embraer ERJ-145 145570 Eastern Airways
F G-PRPI Bombardier DHC-8 4204 Flybe
F HS-TKV Boeing B.777 42111 Thai Airways International
F I-PBRA Dassault Falcon 50339 Sirio Fly SpA
LX-GVI Gulfstream Aerospa6095 Global Jet Luxembourg SA
F N791AV Boeing B.787 37509 Avianca
N797KK Bombardier Global 9290 Kohler Company
OE-GUN Cessna Citation Ex560-5061 My Fair Jet GmbH
TC-NRN Hawker Beechcraft RC-44 Swan Air
G-VFIZ A340 Virgin (flew on)
Thursday, 6 October, 2016 Dubai
9H-VFG Bombardier Challen5978 VistaJet Limited
F 9K-AKF Airbus A320 6375 Kuwait Airways
F 9K-AKJ Airbus A320 6516 Kuwait Airways
F 9K-CAM Airbus A320 5625 Jazeera Airways
F A4O-BE Boeing B.737NG 37161 Oman Air
F A4O-BI Boeing B.737NG 40069 Oman Air
F A4O-DJ Airbus A330 1599 Oman Air
F A4O-EA Embraer ERJ-175 17000323 Oman Air
F A6-ANR Airbus A320 5718 Air Arabia
F A6-AOC Airbus A320 6293 Air Arabia
F A6-AOO Airbus A320 7226 Air Arabia
F A6-EAK Airbus A330 452 Emirates Airline
A6-EEE Airbus A380 112 Emirates Airline
A6-EEI Airbus A380 123 Emirates Airline
A6-EEL Airbus A380 133 Emirates Airline
A6-EES Airbus A380 140 Emirates Airline
A6-EGQ Boeing B.777 41076 Emirates Airline
F A6-EGY Boeing B.777 41080 Emirates Airline
F A6-EIU Airbus A320 5821 Etihad Airways
A6-ENG Boeing B.777 35604 Emirates Airline
F A6-ENN Boeing B.777 41360 Emirates Airline
F A6-ENU Boeing B.777 41367 Emirates Airline
A6-ENV Boeing B.777 41368 Emirates Airline
F A6-ENW Boeing B.777 41369 Emirates Airline
A6-EOO Airbus A380 190 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPD Boeing B.777 42323 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPG Boeing B.777 42326 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPL Boeing B.777 42331 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPP Boeing B.777 42335 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPR Boeing B.777 42337 Emirates Airline
F A6-ERP Airbus A340 185 Emirates Airline
A6-EUB Airbus A380 213 Emirates Airline
A6-EUC Airbus A380 214 Emirates Airline
F A6-EUE Airbus A380 217 Emirates Airline
A6-EWG Boeing B.777 35578 Emirates Airline
F A6-FDC Boeing B.737NG 40233 flydubai
A6-FDD Boeing B.737NG 40234 flydubai
R A6-FDE Boeing B.737NG 40235 flydubai
R A6-FDF Boeing B.737NG 40236 flydubai
F A6-FDG Boeing B.737NG 29636 flydubai
F A6-FDH Boeing B.737NG 31716 flydubai
F A6-FDI Boeing B.737NG 31765 flydubai
F A6-FDM Boeing B.737NG 40240 flydubai
F A6-FDO Boeing B.737NG 40242 flydubai
F A6-FDP Boeing B.737NG 40243 flydubai
F A6-FDQ Boeing B.737NG 40244 flydubai
F A6-FDR Boeing B.737NG 40245 flydubai
F A6-FDS Boeing B.737NG 40246 flydubai
F A6-FDU Boeing B.737NG 40249 flydubai
F A6-FDV Boeing B.737NG 40248 flydubai
F A6-FDX Boeing B.737NG 40251 flydubai
F A6-FDZ Boeing B.737NG 40253 flydubai
F A6-FEA Boeing B.737NG 40254 flydubai
F A6-FEB Boeing B.737NG 40255 flydubai
F A6-FEC Boeing B.737NG 40256 flydubai
F A6-FED Boeing B.737NG 40257 flydubai
F A6-FEE Boeing B.737NG 40258 flydubai
F A6-FEH Boeing B.737NG 40260 flydubai
F A6-FEI Boeing B.737NG 40261 flydubai
F A6-FEK Boeing B.737NG 40282 flydubai
F A6-FEM Boeing B.737NG 40264 flydubai
F A6-FEP Boeing B.737NG 40269 flydubai
F A6-FEQ Boeing B.737NG 40267 flydubai
F A6-FER Boeing B.737NG 40268 flydubai
F A6-FET Boeing B.737NG 40271 flydubai
F A6-FGB Boeing B.737NG 60955 flydubai
F A6-FGC Boeing B.737NG 60956 flydubai
F A7-ADF Airbus A320 2097 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHA Airbus A320 4110 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHI Airbus A320 4754 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHL Airbus A320 4802 Qatar Airways
F A7-AIB Airbus A321 4382 Qatar Airways
F A7-ALF Airbus A350 11 Qatar Airways
F A9C-AC Airbus A320 4059 Gulf Air
F A9C-CE Airbus A321 5321 Gulf Air
R A9C-DHC Boeing B.757 22211 DHL International
A9C-KB Airbus A330 281 Gulf Air
F AP-BEQ Airbus A310 656 Pakistan International Ai
R AP-BLJ Airbus A320 1497 Shaheen Air International
F AP-BLM Airbus A320 3105 Shaheen Air International
R AP-BLU Airbus A320 2719 Pakistan International Ai
R AP-BLV Airbus A320 2758 Pakistan International Ai
F AP-BMP Airbus A321 6119 AirBlue
B-6112 Airbus A330 937 China Southern Airlines
B-LAO Airbus A330 1317 Cathay Pacific Airways
F B-LAX Airbus A330 1366 Cathay Pacific Airways
D-ANMB Bombardier Global 9723 Imperial Jet Europe GmbH
R EP-FQJ Fokker F.100 11477 Qeshm Air
F EP-FQP Airbus A320 617 Qeshm Air
F EP-IEG Airbus A320 2054 Iran Air
R EP-LCJ McDonnell Douglas 53221 Kish Air
R EP-MMQ Airbus A340 449 Mahan Air
R EP-OPI Fokker F.100 11509 Naft Airlines
G-VFIZ Airbus A340 764 Virgin Atlantic Airways
F HZ-AQJ Airbus A330 1473 Saudia
F HZ-AS20 Airbus A320 4392 Saudia
F HZ-AS45 Airbus A320 4823 Saudia
F HZ-ASO Airbus A321 4962 Saudia
F HZ-ASP Airbus A321 5009 Saudia
F HZ-ASQ Airbus A321 5065 Saudia
N275UP McDonnell Douglas 48774 United Parcel Service
N294UP McDonnell Douglas 48472 United Parcel Service
N576FE McDonnell Douglas 48501 FedEx Express
OO-TSB Boeing B.777 39286 ASL Airlines Belgium
F P4-KDA Airbus A321 5357 Air Astana
PH-HSJ Boeing B.737NG 42150 Transavia Airlines
F RP-C3343 Airbus A330 1495 Cebu Pacific Air
F RP-C8789 Airbus A330 1504 Philippine Airlines
TC-JHR Boeing B.737NG 40989 Turkish Airlines
VP-BRH Boeing B.737NG 41196 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
F VP-CXD Airbus A320 2182 Flynas
R VP-CXG Airbus A320 1965 Flynas
F VP-CXJ Airbus A320 5716 Flynas
R VP-CXQ Airbus A320 3933 Flynas
F VT-AXR Boeing B.737NG 36330 Air India Express
F VT-AXU Boeing B.737NG 36332 Air India Express
F VT-AXX Boeing B.737NG 36335 Air India Express
F VT-AYA Boeing B.737NG 36337 Air India Express
F VT-AYD Boeing B.737NG 36340 Air India Express
F VT-GHA Boeing B.737NG 60694 Air India Express
F VT-IAQ Airbus A320 6247 IndiGo
F VT-IAR Airbus A320 6275 IndiGo
F VT-IEI Airbus A320 4813 IndiGo
F VT-IEJ Airbus A320 4818 IndiGo
F VT-IEQ Airbus A320 5036 IndiGo
F VT-IFX Airbus A320 5898 IndiGo
F VT-JFS Boeing B.737NG 39065 Jet Airways
F VT-JGP Boeing B.737NG 34798 Jet Airways
F VT-JGQ Boeing B.737NG 34797 Jet Airways
F VT-JGR Boeing B.737NG 34799 Jet Airways
F VT-JGV Boeing B.737NG 34803 Jet Airways
F VT-PPD Airbus A321 3212 Air India
F VT-PPE Airbus A321 3326 Air India
F VT-SZJ Boeing B.737NG 41397 SpiceJet
F VT-SZN Boeing B.737NG 41345 SpiceJet
YI-ASH Boeing B.737NG 40076 Iraqi Airways
Friday, 7 October, 2016 Dubai
F 4K-AZ82 Boeing B.767 41063 Azerbaijan Airlines
R 5Y-JZX Airbus A320 671 Jubba Airways Kenya
F 9K-AKE Airbus A320 6350 Kuwait Airways
F 9K-CAO Airbus A320 6124 Jazeera Airways
F A4O-BO Boeing B.737NG 33103 Oman Air
F A4O-BR Boeing B.737NG 33104 Oman Air
F A4O-DH Airbus A330 1572 Oman Air
F A6-AEI Airbus A321 6821 Etihad Airways
F A6-ANA Airbus A320 4468 Air Arabia
F A6-ANS Airbus A320 5772 Air Arabia
F A6-AOE Airbus A320 6430 Air Arabia
F A6-AOJ Airbus A320 6665 Air Arabia
F A6-EGF Boeing B.777 38987 Emirates Airline
F A6-EGJ Boeing B.777 38989 Emirates Airline
F A6-EGP Boeing B.777 35599 Emirates Airline
F A6-ENX Boeing B.777 42318 Emirates Airline
F A6-EOS Airbus A380 203 Emirates Airline
F A6-EOY Airbus A380 209 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPB Boeing B.777 42321 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPE Boeing B.777 42324 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPJ Boeing B.777 42329 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPM Boeing B.777 42332 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPN Boeing B.777 42333 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPQ Boeing B.777 42336 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPS Boeing B.777 42338 Emirates Airline
F A6-EUF Airbus A380 218 Emirates Airline
F A6-FDJ Boeing B.737NG 40237 flydubai
F A6-FDK Boeing B.737NG 40238 flydubai
F A6-FDL Boeing B.737NG 40239 flydubai
F A6-FDT Boeing B.737NG 40247 flydubai
F A6-FEF Boeing B.737NG 40259 flydubai
F A6-FEG Boeing B.737NG 40281 flydubai
F A6-FEJ Boeing B.737NG 40262 flydubai
F A6-FEL Boeing B.737NG 40263 flydubai
F A6-FEN Boeing B.737NG 40265 flydubai
F A6-FEU Boeing B.737NG 40273 flydubai
F A6-FEV Boeing B.737NG 40275 flydubai
F A6-FEX Boeing B.737NG 40278 flydubai
F A6-FEY Boeing B.737NG 40274 flydubai
F A6-FEZ Boeing B.737NG 40272 flydubai
F A6-FGA Boeing B.737NG 60954 flydubai
F A6-FGD Boeing B.737NG 60957 flydubai
F A6-FGD Boeing B.737NG 60957 flydubai
F A6-FGE Boeing B.737NG 60958 flydubai
F A7-ADA Airbus A320 1566 Qatar Airways
F A7-ADT Airbus A321 2107 Qatar Airways
A7-AEE Airbus A330 711 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHB Airbus A320 4130 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHO Airbus A320 4810 Qatar Airways
F A7-AIC Airbus A321 4406 Qatar Airways
A7-BCK Boeing B.787 38329 Qatar Airways
F A9C-AH Airbus A320 4218 Gulf Air
F A9C-AK Airbus A320 4541 Gulf Air
F A9C-AL Airbus A320 4780 Gulf Air
F A9C-CB Airbus A321 5074 Gulf Air
F A9C-DHJ Boeing B.767 23146 DHL International
F AP-BLB Airbus A320 2155 Pakistan International Ai
R AP-BLS Airbus A320 3060 Pakistan International Ai
F B-5923 Airbus A330 1397 Sichuan Airlines
B-HLP Airbus A330 418 Cathay Pacific Airways
F EP-AST Fokker F.100 11523 Iran Aseman Airlines
EP-FQJ Fokker F.100 11477 Qeshm Air
EP-FQP Airbus A320 617 Qeshm Air
R EP-MME Airbus A340 371 Mahan Air
F HZ-AK32 Boeing B.777 61591 Saudia
F HZ-AQ11 Airbus A330 1724 Saudia
F HZ-ASK Airbus A321 4590 Saudia
F HZ-ASL Airbus A321 4838 Saudia
F HZ-ASV Airbus A321 5509 Saudia
M-ACHO Bombardier Challen5840 ExecuJet Middle East
N1AR Bombardier Global 9061 Al Rushaid Aviation Limit
N576FE McDonnell Douglas 48501 FedEx Express
N617FE McDonnell Douglas 48748 FedEx Express
OK-TVG Boeing B.737NG 30719 Travel Service Airlines
OO-TSC Boeing B.777 37138 ASL Airlines Belgium
F P4-KBC Airbus A320 5734 Air Astana
F P4-VAS Airbus A320 3141 Air Astana
F RP-C8783 Airbus A330 1463 Philippine Airlines
F RP-C8786 Airbus A330 1482 Philippine Airlines
SP-TVZ Boeing B.737NG 29643 Travel Service Poland
SU-GDY Boeing B.737NG 40758 Egypt Air
TC-JCI Airbus A330 1442 Turkish Airlines
TC-JVF Boeing B.737NG 42008 Turkish Airlines
R TC-OCF Airbus A330 362 Onur Air
R VP-BVP Airbus A321 2707 Ural Airlines
F VP-CXT Airbus A320 3817 Flynas
F VQ-BWB Boeing B.737NG 41209 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
F VT-AXI Boeing B.737NG 36324 Air India Express
F VT-AXJ Boeing B.737NG 36325 Air India Express
F VT-AXM Boeing B.737NG 36326 Air India Express
F VT-AXW Boeing B.737NG 36334 Air India Express
F VT-AXZ Boeing B.737NG 36336 Air India Express
F VT-EXE Airbus A320 6803 Air India
F VT-IEG Airbus A320 4762 IndiGo
F VT-IEK Airbus A320 4868 IndiGo
F VT-IEP Airbus A320 5027 IndiGo
F VT-IFY Airbus A320 5923 IndiGo
F VT-JBD Boeing B.737NG 35099 Jet Airways
VT-JBG Boeing B.737NG 35083 Jet Airways
F VT-JFY Boeing B.737NG 42804 Jet Airways
F VT-PPN Airbus A321 3955 Air India
R VT-SGJ Boeing B.737NG 29641 SpiceJet
F VT-SLE Boeing B.737NG 34958 SpiceJet
F YI-ASQ Boeing B.737NG 40079 Iraqi Airways
R Z-GAC McDonnell Douglas 48756 Global Africa Aviation
Saturday, 8 October, 2016 Dubai
4K-AZ81 Boeing B.767 40343 Azerbaijan Airlines
F 5Y-CYC Boeing B.737NG 43400 Kenya Airways
F 9K-CAI Airbus A320 3919 Jazeera Airways
9N-ACB Boeing B.757 23863 Nepal Airlines
F 9XR-WG Boeing B.737NG 40893 RwandAir
F A4O-SB Boeing B.787 42379 Oman Air
F A6-ENT Boeing B.777 41366 Emirates Airline
F A6-ENZ Boeing B.777 42319 Emirates Airline
F A6-EOR Airbus A380 202 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPF Boeing B.777 42325 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPH Boeing B.777 42327 Emirates Airline
A6-EPJ Boeing B.777 42329 Emirates Airline
F A6-EPO Boeing B.777 42334 Emirates Airline
F A6-FDY Boeing B.737NG 40252 flydubai
F A7-AHC Airbus A320 4183 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHT Airbus A320 5078 Qatar Airways
F A7-AHU Airbus A320 5127 Qatar Airways
A7-ALF Airbus A350 11 Qatar Airways
F A7-BDD Boeing B.787 38348 Qatar Airways
F A9C-AB Airbus A320 4030 Gulf Air
F A9C-AD Airbus A320 4083 Gulf Air
F A9C-AF Airbus A320 4158 Gulf Air
F A9C-CD Airbus A321 5257 Gulf Air
F A9C-CF Airbus A321 5336 Gulf Air
R AP-BLW Airbus A320 2789 Pakistan International Ai
F AP-EDG Airbus A320 5891 AirBlue
F B-LAZ Airbus A330 1387 Cathay Pacific Airways
R D-AFUN Embraer ERJ-135BJ 14501168 Air Hamburg GmbH
R EP-LCL McDonnell Douglas 53229 Kish Air
R EP-MNM Airbus A300 773 Mahan Air
R EP-MNV Airbus A310 567 Mahan Air
HS-TBC Airbus A330 1289 Thai Airways Internationa
F HZ-AS44 Airbus A320 4564 Saudia
F HZ-ASR Airbus A321 5285 Saudia
F HZ-ASW Airbus A321 5549 Saudia
R HZ-SK6 Gulfstream Aerospa5038 Sky Prime Aviation Servic
F JY-AYQ Airbus A320 4670 Royal Jordanian Airlines
N284UP McDonnell Douglas 48541 United Parcel Service
N297PJ Gulfstream Aerospa1160 Journey Aviation
N576FE McDonnell Douglas 48501 FedEx Express
N895FD Boeing B.777 41749 FedEx Express
OD-MRN Airbus A320 4339 Middle East Airlines
OK-TVH Boeing B.737NG 35275 Oman Air
F P4-OAS Airbus A321 1204 Air Astana
F T7-MBH Embraer ERJ-135BJ 14501193 Empire Aviation Group
R TC-LKA Boeing B.777 41818 Turkish Airlines
R TC-OCH Airbus A330 437 Onur Air
F UK78701 Boeing B.787 38363 Uzbekistan Airways
F VP-CXC Airbus A320 2171 Flynas
F VP-CXH Airbus A320 3256 Flynas
VQ-BVP Boeing B.737NG 41204 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
F VT-AXN Boeing B.737NG 36327 Air India Express
F VT-GHD Boeing B.737NG 60697 Air India Express
F VT-IFU Airbus A320 5807 IndiGo
F VT-JBQ Boeing B.737NG 36694 Jet Airways
F VT-JBX Boeing B.737NG 37961 Jet Airways
F VT-PPG Airbus A321 3367 Air India
Sunday, 9 October, 2016 Dubai
9H-VFH Bombardier Challen5979 VistaJet Limited
F 9XR-WF Boeing B.737NG 40892 RwandAir
F A4O-BC Boeing B.737NG 35284 Oman Air
F A4O-BM Boeing B.737NG 29682 Oman Air
F A4O-BV Boeing B.737NG 40068 Oman Air
A6-EAS Airbus A330 455 Emirates Airline
A6-EKY Airbus A330 328 Emirates Airline
F A6-EOQ Airbus A380 201 Emirates Airline
A6-EOR Airbus A380 202 Emirates Airline
A6-EOV Airbus A380 206 Emirates Airline
A6-EOZ Airbus A380 210 Emirates Airline
A7-ACD Airbus A330 521 Qatar Airways
A7-AHU Airbus A320 5127 Qatar Airways
A7-AID Airbus A321 4530 Qatar Airways
F B-LAR Airbus A330 1362 Cathay Pacific Airways
R EP-IEF Airbus A320 312 Iran Air
R EP-MMR Airbus A340 615 Mahan Air
G-VNYC Airbus A330 1315 Virgin Atlantic Airways (Flew on)
F HZ-AS19 Airbus A320 4376 Saudia
HZ-ASP Airbus A321 5009 Saudia
F P4-KBD Airbus A320 5870 Air Astana
VP-CXC Airbus A320 2171 Flynas
F VP-CYC Airbus A320 4061 Flynas
VT-AXW Boeing B.737NG 36334 Air India Express
F VT-IAO Airbus A320 6036 IndiGo
F VT-IAP Airbus A320 6208 IndiGo
VT-IEK Airbus A320 4868 IndiGo
VT-IFX Airbus A320 5898 IndiGo
Sunday, 9 October, 2016 London Heathrow
B-KPE Boeing B.777 36156 Cathay Pacific Airways
B-KQL Boeing B.777 41431 Cathay Pacific Airways
F B-KQP Boeing B.777 41758 Cathay Pacific Airways
LX-NAD Bombardier Global 9601 Luxaviation SA
F VQ-BEL Airbus A330 1103 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
So that's the business end of the trip... I hadn't been to Dubai for 30 years!!! And boy, has it changed... To be honest, it's huge now, brash and in your face and in my opinion it's like any western City - with heat (plenty of it, and sand)... Not entirely sure we will go back - but that's just my opinion... My wife far more enjoyed her other stop-off points than Dubai...
Anyway, the Grand Excelsior Deira is changing... This is known as the 'spotter' hotel for Dubai and I'd endorse that - you are right under the approach at about 1-1.5 miles off the end of the runway. Airport view rooms are excellent for us, although a window cleaner wouldn't be a bad thing! And the roof-top pool area is superb. However, on day two a staff member (not the usual guy) approached me and said that if I didn't stop the police might come!!! Enough said (I thought), I mentioned that I'd spent all of the previous day spotting - no big bertha bins, no telescope, just my I-pad (FR24) and a discrete pair of bins (12x50's) and a notepad and pen - didn't go near the edge and was seated most of the time - with the occasional dip into the pool with Mrs. S, plus partaking of food & beverage daily... But when I got told to stop my instant reaction was to de-camp and head back to the room, which I did... Mrs. S stayed up by the pool. About 45 minutes went by and I got a call in the room from what I believed was the hotel manager who promptly apologies for his staff's mistake and said that it was a big mistake and that it was perfectly okay to go back to the pool area and spot... I gave it about an hour and then returned. By this time the original member of staff, who is well known to the spotting fraternity had returned and he again apologized for any inconvenience... I was perfectly happy and to be honest wasn't upset at all...
Nevertheless, it now appears that the shutters have come down on the Grand Excelsior poolside spotting area. Signs have now been put up stating that no spotting with binoculars/telescopes will be allowed, by law.... Naturally that will be a great disappointment to all of the spotters who visit. As I said before, spotting from the room is still pretty good, you can still see landing/departing aircraft providing the visibility is good. Most of the days I was there the viz was okay, but not good. Sharjah departures were very hard to find but I did see a few. Very little going OTT trail - but once you get your bearings with FR24 some were visible but a huge number weren't and seeing these from the room was virtually impossible... But a great spotting trip - cleared all but two of Emirates A340 (which I suspect have been taken out of service) and was left needing 5 Fly Dubai's, 3 were operating out of DWC which was again, impossible to see from the hotel...
If anyone needs any further info about DXB and spotting, let me know.
All the best.
Bill
