Planespotting / Viewing Guides for Dunsfold, Fairoaks & Redhill Airfields, and other airports & airfields in Surrey

Home Update the site Brooklands Museum Caterham-Willey Park Farm Scrapyard Charlwood-Gatwick Aviation Museum Charlwood Scrapyard Chessington-Rushett Farm Airfield Dunsfold Airfield Epsom Racecourse Helipad Fairoaks Airfield Redhill Airfield

Aircraft Spotting at Surrey's Airfields and Airports

Spotting locations, viewing areas and advice on access for airports and airfields in Surrey. 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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Over 620 UK airports plus 170+ preserved and stored aircraft - their locations, viewing spots, hotels and preserved aircraft can be seen on detailed satellite images, making planning your spotting trip exceptionally easy. All these spotting points of interest can be uploaded to your SatNav to give you another excellent resource to make your trip that much easier and more enjoyable. Please read the Download Instructions for example screenshots and further details

BROOKLANDS MUSEUM

Spotting Info
Head west on the A245 into Byfleet village. Turn right at the roundabout onto the A318 and you'll see the signs for Mercedes Benz World. Straight over the next two roundabouts for the entrance and follow the road round. Open 1000-1700 in the summer, 1000-1600 in the winter, admission is £11. The museum also has a helipad that gets used occasionally.
Brooklands Museum
Last reported November 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

CATERHAM-WILLEY PARK FARM SCRAPYARD

Spotting Info
Head west out of Caterham on B2031 to Chaldon. At the Green Lane/Roffes Lane crossroads turn left on to Roffes Lane. Go round right hand bend, past Willey Lane on left and Badgers Wood on right. On the next long left bend there are two right turns next to each other, take the second right - Willey Farm Lane. At the end of the first field on the left is the scrapyard. You can walk along the bridleway and along the edge of the boundary field and look through the bushes and hedges to see the aircraft. There are also small knot holes in the fences. Friendly, but if you turn up unannounced there may not be anyone available to escort you round - necessary to ID all the fuselages. I don't have an email address yet but their phone number is 01883 340062 - this is already listed on several websites but if they wish their details to be removed please let me know.
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CHARLWOOD-GATWICK AVIATION MUSEUM

Spotting Info
Gatwick Aviation Museum for directions and a list of aircraft on display. No entrance fee but the museum does ask for a donation of £3.50 for adults and £2 for children. A small price to pay to look after these gems and well worth it. They also advise calling/emailing/faxing before you visit to ensure someone is available to show you all aspects of the museum and the exhibits. The aircraft are also listed at Demobbed Museum Exhibits and Demobbed Yard Exhibits
Last reported August 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

CHARLWOOD SCRAPYARD

Spotting Info
Take the Russ Hill road out of Charlwood and then an angled right turn onto Glovers Road before the end of the houses and Aerospace Logistics is on the left. If you pass the windmill you've gone too far. Apparently all can be seen from Glovers Road but as well as the 2 almost complete aircraft there are fuselages and cockpits and other bits and pieces so contacting in advance may get you a tour, full log with information and serials - could someone please advise if Aerospace Logistics are happy with visitors and tours?
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CHESSINGTON-RUSHETT FARM AIRFIELD

Spotting Info
Owner of this strip does not welcome spotters. Some aircraft are visible from the road. Heading east along M25: Exit J9 head north on A243, strip is on right after 1-2 miles. Go up and over a hill, and on the descent there is a small entrance on the right. The best marker for the entrance is the lamppost or telegraph pole, with a green board notice on it. If you see a BP garage on the right, you've gone too far. Drive down the narrow track until you reach the farmhouse, and ask there. Heading west along M25: Exit J9, take 3rd exit at roundabout (dual carriageway) to take you under M25. At next roundabout turn right onto A243 (north), directions as above.
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DUNSFOLD AIRFIELD (EGTD) - A/G 119.1

Spotting Info
Just east of village. No access from main gate on the north side but XL621 Hunter (G-BNCX) is the gate guardian. The aircraft are in hangars, however if they are flying the best location is the far side of the field on a back road from the A281 to Dunsfold.

There are various stops along the road and then walk up to the airfield boundary. Views can also be had from the A281, you can clearly see the aircraft through the hedges. Park in a lay-by on the A281 north of the airfield and take the 5 minute walk down to the perimeter for views of the BA B747 over the far side next to the old control tower, the South African DC3 north side and the MediVac helicopter on the south side if it's outside its hangar.

Continue south down A281 and turn right at Alfold Crossways onto Dunsfold Road. Follow this to crash gates by a pub for different views. The gate guard for this southside Compass Gate is Sea Hawk WV795.

There is a view on the north side of the airport - from the lay-by head north on A281 and take the first left onto Barrihurst Lane. Bear left at the triangle junction onto Stovolds Hill (B2130), the road bends sharply right and left, then take the second left - High Loxley Road. Follow this to the end for the view - please note if you cross the gate you will be trespassing on the farmer's private land.

Other aircraft stored on the airfield are ZD610 Harrier near the control tower and G-BDXJ B742 marked as N88899 and as N9747P on one of the old cross runways. Also stored here on the eastern side are Jetstreams N437TH and N437UH.
Last reported October 2012. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

EPSOM RACECOURSE HELIPAD

Spotting Info
The racecourse is southeast of Epsom off the B290 and well signposted. The helicopters park in the middle of the course - cross the course and walk up to the fenced area where they are all parked and by walking down the fence line you can easily read everything off.
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FAIROAKS AIRFIELD (EGTF/FRK) - TWR 123.425

Spotting Info
Situated on the A319 between Chobham and Ottershaw and well signposted. Although you can't get access to hangars or airside, it's my local and I love it! There are two entrances - Main and West.

Fairoaks Airport Planespotting Video Guide:

Take the main entrance first by following the signs. At the T-junction turn left, follow the track and park up near, but not at, the end. On the left is the east side parking and on the right you may see one or two helicopters parked outside the hangar. Looking south you have views of the London Transport Flying Club and any visitors parked up alongside the taxiway.

Head back towards the entrance but don't turn right, head straight over. During the summer the doors to the back of the hangars on your left are open so you may get lucky and see something. Just before you park up there is a gap between the last hangar and the clubhouse, which will net you one or two that you might not otherwise get. Park in car park: the GA hangar is the large black hangar on your right. Walk round to the left in front of the clubhouse to see what's parked outside the hangars here, by the fuel bowser and on the apron.

Back to your car again and follow the track round behind the large GA hangar, taking great care with the speed humps. On your left is the wreck compound - it's gated but there are gaps. There's usually one or two fuselages in here, plus Gazelle XW863 marked "TAD022" on a trailer.

Turn left at the end of the track (turning right takes you back towards A319). Drive down the West entrance road and follow round to the left. You get a different view of the based aircraft and a better view of the helicopter hangars and any aircraft parked outside all hangars. Handy if there are a couple you can't get from the main area.

Turn right out of either entrance and you will see a lay-by on the right by a crash gate. Pull in for views of any helicopters that sometimes park here. If there are still some you can't get then take the road next to the lay-by, Bonsey's Lane, it runs parallel to the airfield. Park sensibly as it is a thin dirt track leading to residential housing.

There were 2 Jetranger wrecks (cabin only I think), but one has possibly departed by road. However there is definitely one still south of the runway, next to an unmarked PA28 (G-BCTA?) near the blister hangar - neither identity is known, could you please let me know them. They are visible, at a distance, from the first viewing space above - round by the helicopter hangars, but they are also clearly visible from the public footpath that runs down the west side of the airfield, down behind the LTFC and by the threshold of runway 06. Michael Baldock took this photo stating "This unidentified hulk, the remains of a Bell 206 JetRanger, is located in a field adjacent to Fairoaks Airport where it is used to train dogs for the Prison service".

Fairoaks Residents & Movements, Fairoaks Email Group
Last reported February 2013. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report

REDHILL AIRFIELD (EGKR/KRH) - TWR 120.275

Spotting Info
From A23, which runs parallel to M23, the airfield is well signposted. You can't get in to the main area due to a barrier. However, there is parking before the barrier and a pathway runs down the side of Acebell.

Go to the London Helicopter Centre (LHC) reception and ask for access to their hangar. WAIT to be granted permission, you must sign in the visitors book and be handed a visitor pass. DO NOT just wander into the hangar on your own - you WILL be removed and access will be stopped. Be advised they have asked that we visit before 11am at weekends as they are becoming increasingly busy on Saturdays and Sundays and they can't guarantee you'll be granted access after 11am. Weekday visits are during business hours. You will need a hi-viz jacket and some ID (which may be photocopied). You will also be asked to make a donation to the Air Ambulance. Once in, you will be able to go through their hangar and out onto the main apron.

Keeping to the buildings, you will be able to go all the way along the front of the hangars asking at each one for permission to enter. This may, or may not, be granted. There is a hangar with lots of old aircraft in - you won't be allowed access but you can log from the door. The owner is friendly and may call out the registrations to you if he's not too busy. There is a hangar with helicopters in that goes quite a long way back which will sometimes let you in. The one with the helis lined up facing the front will let you in though. Just ask at each one, some will grant access, others not, and a couple have notices outside barring entry, but you can log from the entrance. Hangar 9 has a couple of aircraft in, visible through the windows.

A cafe beyond the Bristow hangar has views over most of the airfield. Follow the signs from the main gate.

If you turn left out of main entrance, at the top of the incline there is a lay-by on the left for you to log a few.

For the microlight area and Redhill Flying Club hangars you need to head south out of South Nutfield and Ridge Green villages on Crab Hill Lane and the gate is on the right in line with the 26L runway line. You get a view of the main area from here as well as views in to the hangar to pick up a few more. Usually friendly, ask for access to their hangars though there is one individual here who objects to visitors, though he isn't always there.
Last reported March 2013. Want to update or confirm the information is still correct? Send in a report