Caution: The following guide was compiled out of impressions gathered on a trip in 2007 and not changed since. Traffic information updated 2011.
Stavanger-Sola (SVG/ENZV)
Norway's third busiest airport is located south of the city, features two runways and serves 3,7 million passengers annualy.
Traffic: It sees the usual mix of SAS and Norwegian with the odd Wideroe in between. International flights include a KLM (EMB/737), Lufthansa (EMB), WizzAir (A320), Air Baltic (DH4/737) and Icelandair (B752).
Runways: Rwy18/36 is the main runway, the other one is mainly used for helicopters departing to offshore oil-rigs.
Spotting Points: I found two spots on the western side of Rwy18, at the northern end. It's about a 20min walk from the terminal. The one along the elevated main-road is best for photos of aircraft on final. The other spot, down at the fence, can be used to take close-ups of aircraft taxiing by for departure. They are best for the second half of the day. For a landing 737 you need about 300mm, for taxiing aircraft, less than 100mm is enough.
Frequencies: TWR: 118.35, ATIS: 126.0
Photo Examples:
 Final Rwy 18 |
 On the Runway |
 Taxiing to Rwy 18 |
Spotting Point Map
Bergen-Flesland (BGO/ENBR)
Norway's second biggest airport is located south of the city, has one runway (17/35) and sees 4,5 mio passengers per year. It serves the culture and tourism city of Bergen, so there might be an unexpected charter to or from the south.
Traffic: It sees the usual mix of SAS, Norwegian and Wideroe - it's a focus city for all three of them. International airlines include KLM (F70/737), Lufthansa (CRJ), Air Baltic (DH4/737), FlyBe/Loganair (SF34), Wizzair (A320) and Icelandair (B752). In summer time, charters to popular holiday destinations like Spanair or SunExpress are a regular sight, too.
Weather: Be informed that Bergen is Norway's wettest city (240 days of rain per year)!
Spotting Points: There seem to be spots on the western side of the airport, opposite the terminal. However, without a car, this is not really recommended, as it would take at least an hour to get there on foot.
So, the only option is the roof of the car-park right behind the terminal. The view isn't that bad. You can see all movements and take photos of the most. The view onto the runway is obstructed by the terminal. But you can see aircraft lifting off early, as well as aircraft taxiing to/from their parking positions on the northern/southern side of the terminal. For runway traffic, 400mm is required. For apron movements, 200mm is enough.
Frequencies: TWR: 119.90, ATIS: 125.25
Photo Examples:
 Apron View |
 Takeoff Rwy 17 |
 Parked acft and take-off |
Spotting Point Map
Trondheim-Vaernes (TRD/ENVA)
Trondheim's Vaernes airport is situated northeast of the city and serves 3,4 million passengers anually, which makes it the forth-biggest in Norway. There is an airport bus from the city, and also trains from the city heading north stop at the airport. This is probably your best bet apart from Oslo. Easy access, great spot, okay traffic!
Traffic: SAS and Norwegian galore, and lots of Wideroe in between. KLM (F70/EMB), Lufthansa (B735), Estonian Air (CRJ/B737) and Icelandair (B757) are the only scheduled international visitors - although there is the odd holiday charter during the summer months.
Caution: The tarmac is to be extended to the west. This could affect the airport's best spotting point, the one mentioned below. In Summer 2007 it was still usable.
Spotting Points: Probably the best point is just west of the airport train station, west of the terminal. It's a 3min walk from the station to an area where you'll find a mound constructed of loose stones. From there you have a good view over the fence. This means, most aircraft taxi right in front of you when using the main taxiway to/from the apron. Runway traffic is great for shots as well, you're right at the liftoff-point for Rwy 27. If Rwy 09's in use, you might get touchdowns with 400mm. For a side-on shot of a 737 on the runway, 120mm is okay. Taxiway movements require a lot less. The sun (if it is shining ;)) is in your back most of the time!
Some shots can also be taken through the terminal windows.
Frequencies: TWR: 119.40, ATIS: 127.55
Photo Examples:
 Taxiing to the Terminal |
 Takeoff Rwy 27 |
 Climbout Rwy 27 |
Spotting Point Map
Tromsø-Langnes (TOS/ENTC)
Tromsø airport is Norway's biggest airport north of the polar circle and serves as the gateway to the north and to its home city, which thanks to its large university and the famous Arctic Cathedral is popular with students and tourists alike. This lifts the annual passenger numbers to 1,6 million and makes Tromsø nr. 6 in Norway by traffic.
Traffic: Here's the place where all the Wideroe dashs from Norway's ruggid north meet the jet aircraft from the south. This means: Loads of SAS and Norwegian, lots of Wideroes. There are some small air taxi companies, too. International traffic is sparse: Air Baltic visits with DH4, and there may be a charter or two to Turkey or Spain in summer. There's one highlight though, that's still operational as of 2011: Nordavia (formerly Aeroflot North) connects Tromsø with Murmansk and Archangelsk using Antonov-24 three times a week!
Spotting Points: I was only looking for a morning-spot, so I took the eastern side. There might be good spots around the terminal on the western side which I didn't check, too.
I stumbled upon a great spot, but I'm not sure how long it will last. From the city, you can take busses 28, 40 or 42. (40/42 go on to the airport terminal) You exit when reaching the south-eastern end of the airport. The street's called Ringveien, and there's a small bus terminal serving the "Farmen" and "Jekta" shopping centres near-by. From there, you walk north along Ringveien following the blue line on my map. The Spotting point is great. It is used by some building companies to load off soil. The truck drivers didn't mind my presence at all. The spot lies about 20m higher than the runway, giving you a great and unobstructed view down. You can take photos of all runway movements (100mm for a 737 side-on) and can get some great rotation shots here! Best for morning, works until about 3pm in summer. There might be other spots with a similar view further along Ringveien.
Frequencies: TWR: 118.30
Photo Examples:
 View from the spot |
 Takeoff Rwy 19 |
 Antonov on Rwy 19 |
Spotting Point Map
Hammerfest (HFT/ENHF)
If you like going to extremes, this might be your place! The world's northernmost city also has an airport (located up on an exposed and windswept plateau) which serves as Wideroe's far-north mini-hub. The cute airport has an 800m-runway and about 16 flights a day, leading to a mere 100'000 passengers a year.
Traffic: Not much to say here. Wideroe Dash 8-100 is the only thing you get. Maybe a King Air of Lufttransport if you're lucky. That's it. Opt for the early morning (7 o clock), there are up to 3 aircraft on the tarmac. After that it's about 1 flight/hour.
Weather: Caution, weather can be terrible up there! The airport is very exposed, so it's always very windy, and even during summer it can be very cold. A windbreaker is a must. During my stay of 4 hours, blue sky and heavy rain alternated 6 times. Go to the terminal between flights ;)
Public transport: There's a bus meeting all flights, operating from the city centre. You can also walk, it's a nice 1hr/3,5km walk from the city along the sea shore.
Spotting Points: Only the north-eastern side of the airport is suitable for spotting. Because of the elevated terrain to the north and east, you have a great view of the runway and the airport. There's pretty much nothing around the airport (except some Reindeers maybe!), so you can walk around and choose your favourite spot. See the blue balloons on the map for my choices. 200mm and more are fine.
Frequencies: AFIS: 118.40
Photo Examples:
 Early morning overview |
 Takeoff Rwy 19 |
 On finals Rwy 23 |
Spotting Point Map
