Aircraft Spotting at Devon's Airfields and Airports

Spotting locations, viewing areas and advice on access for airports and airfields in Devon. Use the hotlinks above or scroll down for spotting information on spotting locations, airfield hangar access, aviation museums, preserved aircraft. Plus all the information has been plotted as Points of Interest and can be downloaded to your SatNavs and Google Earth to make planning your spotting trips abroad so much easier and helping you log many more

PRESERVED & STORED AIRCRAFT IN DEVON - their locations are marked in the Spotting in the UK download

G-OPNI B206B is with UCZ Paintball Trago Mills, just up the road from G-BDDX above. From the Trafo Mills Heathfield Estate, turn right / head northeast so that the A38 is on your left. Straight over the roundabouts and the entrance to UCZ Paintball is on the left on the left hand bend. Drive past, keep looking through the trees and the Jet Ranger will come into view. Last reported December 2012
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BIDEFORD-LAKE HELIPORT

Spotting Info
A mile or two southwest of the town of Westward Ho!, any helicopters parked outside can be logged from the lane that runs right past the heliport or you can turn into the car park and log them. If the hangar is open, any helicopters inside can either be logged from the car park or by turning right out of the car park onto the lane and taking the next right.
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BRANSCOMBE-HIGHERLANDS FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head northwest out of the village, past the left turn on to Berry Hill, fork right after about half a mile and it's on the right. Friendly, ask for access.
Last reported December 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

BRENTOR AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head north out of Tavistock town on the A386 and turn left after the college and school grounds. If you pass the right turn to a small industrial estate you've gone too far. Follow this road for a couple of miles and it's on the right. The entrance is fairly hidden among the line of trees but it's the last right before you reach the crossroads at the end. Best days to visit are Wednesdays and weekends, that's when the club is actively gliding. If it's all locked up there are gaps in the hangar.
Dartmoor Gliding Society
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COCKPITMANIA-SOUTH MOLTON PRESERVED

Spotting Info
On Churchill Crescent in South Moulton, you'll find Cockpitmania, a collection of cockpits. Very friendly, visit the website to arrange your visit in advance.
Last reported January 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

DUNKESWELL AIRFIELD - TWR 123.475

Spotting Info
Village is signposted from A30 at Honiton. Drive north through village and airfield is on left. A few aircraft park outside the clubhouse - ask here for permission to drive round to the other side, and if granted, continue along the disused taxiway which takes you to the other side of the airfield where there are numerous hangars. Take great care and keep a constant lookout as you drive under the final approach for the runways. Very friendly airfield, just ask for access at each hangar.
Dunkeswell Aerodrome Movements
Last reported February 2013. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

EAGLESCOTT AIRFIELD - TWR 123.0

Spotting Info
Southwest of the CAA Burrington radar site, take the A377 from Exeter towards Barnstaple as far as Bow, then the A3124 towards Bideford. After Winkleigh take the B3217 to Middlemoor Cross (the radar station). Eaglescott airfield should be signposted from this point forward. Turn right onto the minor road and first right again. Airfield entrance is on right. Ask in the clubhouse for access, they are friendly - airfield is usually only open Friday-Sunday with everything locked up outside of these days. Beyond the clubhouse is a small hangar housing gliders and some more parked on the grass. Head back to the entrance for the main GA hangar and workshop round the back, with two Cadets hanging on the wall and a Bensen in the roof of the workshop. A few aircraft are stored on the wall and at the back. Beyond this hangar there are aircraft parked on the grass and a new hangar beyond that.
Eaglescott Airfield
Last reported October 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

EGGESFORD-TRENCHARD FARM AIRFIELD - TWR 123.5

Spotting Info
Strip is just north of Coldridge village. On B3220 turn off and head through Coldridge, continue northwards, over the river, and left at the T-junction. Strip is on left after less than a mile, about a quarter of a mile past the windsock. Friendly strip, ask for access. To the left of the airfield entrance is an open, rundown wooden hangar/shack with an aircraft in it. In the workshop beyond the main hangar there are frames and fuselages against the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Between the two hangars, you'll find the frame of G-AIZY Auster. Head north out of the strip and Trenchard Farm is on the right. Here you will find some fuselages and frames stored in barns: G-BASU PA31 fuselage buried in the undergrowth and G-KFAN SF25 - you can ask at the airfield about them and they'll tell you where they are or escort you over there.
Eggesford Airfield
Last reported October 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

EXETER AIRPORT - TWR 119.8, APP 128.975

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Spotting Info
On the A30 to the east of Exeter town off J29 M5. There are always various stored aircraft, and those on maintenance, dotted around so well worth a visit. These include G-JEAT 146 and G-BAUR F27 fuselage on the fire dump directly north of the terminal area, with 146s and ATRs. You can see them all from the vantage points listed below, and they're marked in the Spotting in the UK download. If you're flying out, there is a cafe with a viewing terrace airside with views of the terminal stands and any aircraft northside. Northside, you can try spotting from the road and path along here but it's not as good as it was due to the building work.

Southside and Terminal Area Spotting Info

Flybe's maintenance hangars - head towards the airport exit and take a sharp left, keeping the short term car park on your left. The hangar is on your left. Just beyond this hangar is car park 4. This has free parking for 10 minutes stay. If there is more than one of you in the car, you can walk through this car park for better views across the airfield, useful for noting the stored airliners. The staff car park at the end of car park 4 has views into the Flybe hangars. Opposite car park 4, there are indentations in the hedgerow - if you park in as close as you can, without obstructing the road, you can then walk through the car parks to log what's outside the hangars, and what's inside if they're open. Alternatively, there's a dirt track opposite the entrance to car park 4 you can park in if no one else is around. You should be able to park up round this area without blocking any roads or entrances.

Exeter Airport Movements, Mike's Aviation Resource - movements and stored airliners, Runway 26 Email Group
Last reported March 2013. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

EXETER-MIDDLEMOOR HELIPAD

Spotting Info
The entrance to the police helipad and estate is off the southbound A3015 though I doubt you'll get access due to the security. There may be views of the helipad from the Exeter Services or the Sowton Industrial Estate located on the other side of the railway line that runs along the eastern perimeter. The A3015 also runs east/west along the northern perimeter of the helipad, and if you walk along the pavement here, you may get views through the trees using bins.
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HALWELL AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head east out of Halwell on A3122 and airfield will be on right after a mile. Leave the A38 at Buckfastleigh and head to Totnes. Follow the signs to Dartmouth and this will take you through the village of Halwell. Carry on though the village until you get to a BP garage. Turn left here and the field is about half a mile up the hill on the right hand side (look for a black barn).
South Hams Flying Club
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NORTH HILL AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Easiest directions are from Dunkeswell. Head north or turn left from Dunkeswell and take the first left down an easy to miss narrow lane. At the end of this lane turn left and go through the village of Sheldon. At the end of the road turn left again and after about half a mile on the right is a lane sign posted to the gliding club. A couple of hangars with gliders and fixed wing aircraft, friendly place, ask for permission. If the individual hangar that hides the club Tug is locked, there is gap under the hangar door for you to view it.
Last reported September 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

SALSTON MANOR HOTEL HELIPAD, OTTERY ST. MARY

Spotting Info
Head west out of Ottery on B3174, over the Rover Otter and turn left to Tipton St John, left again at the crossroads and the hotel is half a mile on the left. This is where the pipeline helicopters park up for the night and also a fair number of helicopters land here. So if passing Ottery it may well be worth a visit, all can be seen from the road, they park on the lawn.
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YARCOMBE-WATCHFORD FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head southeast out of Churchinford village on Moor Lane and take the first left turn after a right-left bend. After another right-left bend, follow the road round to the left and take the next right. Go past the beautiful Watchford Lodge and just through the trees there is a track up and to the left. Ignore this and carry on round to the left. Just before the track bends to the right there is another track up to the left (almost a hairpin) and it's bumpy. At the top is a gate which is normally open if someone is there. Casual visitors are not allowed access, you need to contact the airfield in advance to arrange your visit so there can be someone there to open all the hangars for you. Ask in the caravan for access, very friendly and they're usually happy to open the hangars up.
Last reported November 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

YARNSCOMBE-BELLE VUE FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head north east out of Great Torrington on B3232 towards Barnstaple. After a couple of miles you pass a very tall mast. Turn right into a lane a few yards after this - the airfield is a few yards along this lane on the right. A notice says to ask at the farmhouse for access - if there's no one there, you should be able to find someone on the airfield to ask. Friendly, ask for permission.
Last reported October 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report