Planespotting / Viewing Guides for Bournemouth Airport, Compton Abbas, and other airports & airfields in Dorset

Home Update the site Preserved & Stored Aircraft in Dorset Bournemouth International Airport Bovington Tank Museum Bridport-Middle Pymore Farm Airfield Compton Abbas Airfield Gallows Hill-Eyre's Field Airfield Litton Cheney-Stancombe Farm Airfield Sturminster Marshall-Newton Peveril Farm Airfield

Aircraft Spotting at Dorset's Airfields and Airports

Spotting locations, viewing areas and advice on access for airports and airfields in Dorset. 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

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

BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - TWR 125.6, APP 119.625, A/G 121.7

Terminal Spotting Info
On B3073 between A338 and A31 follow the signs to the terminal. Not a lot of places to view from the main terminal area. Just follow the road in and turn down any roads that don't have restricted entry signs. You'll be able to read some off from these roads, parked this side and the far side but don't hang around. A good example of this is to follow the entrance road past the terminal until you reach the perimeter fence. Right in front of you are the FRA/Cobham Da20s parked on the apron with the hangar to the left. Turn left here, pull over sensibly and log from your car window. There's a security hut just up the road and you are in full view. Log what you can from here and move on quickly or you'll be moved on. These spots and the areas below are marked in the Spotting in the UK download.

Adventure Wonderland & Bournemouth Aviation Museum Spotting Info
Turn right out of the terminal main entrance and shortly on your left is the Adventure Wonderland Park and the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. The museum has some excellent exhibits and hosts various events throughout the year. A double decker bus complete with SBS has great views over the airport as well. As you are facing north it's also an excellent place for photos. From here you have views of the runway, Signature and CSE and those parked on the terminal apron.

Northwest Industrial Estate Spotting Info
Head east at the B3073 roundabout off the end of runway 08 for the industrial estate. Drive past the security barriers - it's always manned but it's rare that the barrier is down. You don't have to acknowledge the guard if you do not wish, but a simple nod or a hand wave would suffice - they are very friendly to spotters and as long as we don't go where we're not supposed to, they are happy for us to read off the aircraft in the industrial estate, as long as we don't hang around or park up for the day. If it's down, just tell the guard you're visiting the flying club. There are countless roads to drive down that lead to different parked aircraft. I will try and describe each area but you can have a good explore, just don't go where you are not supposed to.

Past the security hut you'll reach a roundabout with 2 crash gates right in front of you. These overlook the BCFT/Airtime West apron but I would suggest only stopping on here on your way back if there are some you haven't been able to log from elsewhere. Park well clear of the gates and don't hang around

PC12 Centre - You can only turn left at the roundabout onto Enterprise Way, then take the next right. This is a narrow road with some nasty speed bumps. After the building on your, take the next road on your right and park sensibly. This is the PC12 Centre where you will hopefully log a few PC12s and you'll have views of BCFT/Airtime. At the back of building alongside the PC12 Centre is a single lane track that peters out in the trees. You can walk through here right to the perimeter fence for views of anything parked at the other end of the PC12 Centre hangar, anything outside the Signature hangar, or in it if it's open and you can see the last remaining fuselage sections of XA-TLJ B732 across the disused runway. Views also possible of aircraft parked on the terminal apron.

Signature & CSE - Head back to Enterprise Way via those bumps and turn right onto it. Take the next road on the right, Commercial Way, follow to mini roundabout and turn right. The last hangar on the left is Signature at one end and CSE apron at the other. You can walk to either side and again have views across to CTC and JetWorks.

Dorset Flying Club - Back to mini roundabout and head straight over it. The European Aviation maintenance, storage and scrapping area is up on the left, but turn right onto Target Way as you approach this area. As you drive through, sometimes there are light aircraft parked on the right. Drive to the end, park sensibly and on the left will be aircraft parked outside the Airtime North hangars. Again views across to CTC and you can read some over at Hangar 102 to the northeast.

European Aviation & Airtime North - Head back the way you came and turn right to drive alongside the European Aviation complex, logging what's there as you go. Follow the road round to the right and you'll see the long stored CL44 RP-C-8023. Continue and park in the Airtime North car park. Log the aircraft parked here though there are no views looking south at what's parked outside the Airtime North hangars. Looking north for views of Bournemouth Handling and to the right of this is the fire training area containing WJ992 Canberra, G-ATPD 125, VR-BEB 1-11 unmarked and a mock-up fuselage with 'Heliliner' titles. There are also views of Hangar 102 from here.

Bournemouth Handling - Back past European Aviation to the mini roundabout and turn right onto Commercial Way again. At the T-junction turn right to take you round the back of the European Aviation hangars. Follow the road right round to the right for Bournemouth Handling's aircraft and hangar. You can also look south to those parked outside the Airtime North hangars for any you may have missed from the Dorset Flying Club area.

Northeast Industrial Estate Spotting Info
Turn left out of the terminal entrance, at the roundabout turn left and then fork left onto Matchams Lane. Drive past all the trees and the scenery will open up on both sides. Take the next left, signposted for the Flying School. Follow the road, take care over the narrow single lane bridge and take the first left for Bournemouth Flying Club. Park up, log what you can from here, and if anything is parked at Av8Jet next door you should just be able to peer over the fence to log them - the owner of Av8Jet as asked that no photographs are taken into the hangar or with the hangar in the background, please respect their wishes. Back to the main estate road, turn left and follow the road round to the left. At the bottom, turn left and drive right past the FRA/Cobham apron to log any Da20s that you couldn't get from the terminal area described above. Turning right will take you to CTC and JetWorks. Nearby there is also a road that runs right alongside a large compound of tightly parked aircraft. No problems with logging from the fence. Head back along the road as if you are leaving the estate, and on the first right hand bend are two left turns - the second has a faded restricted access sign but this is no longer valid. The road leads to Hangar 102 from where you can log those parked out on the apron. They are usually friendly but on occasion spotters have been asked to leave.

If you log everything (airliners, biz, light aircraft, helicopters, military) you should allow a couple of hours to properly do Bournemouth Airport if you want to make sure you visit every spot and log as many as you can.
Bournemouth Airport Enthusiasts Email Group, Bournemouth Hurn Airport Movements Email Group
Last reported March 2013. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

BOVINGTON TANK MUSEUM

Spotting Info
West of Bovington village and signposted. The tank museum houses Skeeter XM564 hanging from the roof of the Post War Hall, and the bare frame work of the centre section of GAL59 Hamilcar TK718 in the World War 2 Hall, with a tank inside it displaying its capabilities.
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BRIDPORT-MIDDLE PYMORE FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head north out of Allington on the B3162 and after 1-2 miles turn right at the crossroads onto Pymore Lane. The strip is half a mile on the right, the track runs alongside the runway as you head towards the hangar. Ask for access, friendly.
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COMPTON ABBAS AIRFIELD - TWR 122.7

Spotting Info
Take the B3081, heading southeast out of Shaftesbury, turn right and go through Melbury Abbas and follow signs for the airfield. Due to damage to hangared aircraft you will no longer be allowed airside or round the hangars unless accompanied by a member of staff. If you visit, please report to Ops, they are friendly and if someone is available they'll take you round. On the dump is the unmarked fuselage of G-AZRV PA28R, slowly disappearing into the bushes. Viewing is possible from outside the restaurant as well as in the car park and the adjacent field, which is also used for car parking in the summer. The fences are all low so the airfield is excellent for photography. Usually a bit quiet during the week but if the weather's good it can be very busy with visiting aircraft at weekends as it's a popular airfield.
Compton Abbas Airfield, Compton Abbas Residents List - includes photos
Last reported February 2013. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

GALLOWS HILL-EYRE'S FIELD AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head north out of Wool towards Monkey World. Once past Monkey World, the strip is on your right. Take the next right, Puddletown Road, and right again after the bend is the entrance. Very friendly, ask for access. Best to visit at weekends as they rarely fly during the week.
Last reported September 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

LITTON CHENEY-STANCOMBE FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Head east out of Bridport on A35. After approximately 5 miles you will come to a crossroads - the right turn leads to Litton Cheney village, turn left for the strip and it's on the left. If it's all closed up a couple should be able to be read off.
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STURMINSTER MARSHALL-NEWTON PEVERIL FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
At Newton Peveril-Sturminster Marshall crossroads, head to and through Newton Peveril and strip is on left. Friendly, ask for access. If gate is locked you can log a few from the track running down the east side and through the bushes by the lane if the foliage isn't too thick. Opposite the strip entrance is a track leading to a farm. Just down here on the left is a double car shelter containing Kitfoxs G-BULZ and G-TWTW. If the gate to the airfield is locked, you can politely ask at the farmhouse for permission to enter the strip and log the aircraft - they are friendly.
Last reported September 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report