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Christmas has come early for Brisbane plane-spotters, with the city’s airport unveiling plans for a new viewing area for aircraft photographers and self-described aviation geeks.
Along with better views of aircraft movements on both Brisbane Airport runways, the new viewing area will also feature a decommissioned Fokker F28 Fellowship tail.
Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said the announcement was a fitting end to their 100th anniversary celebrations.
A new plane spotting area at Brisbane Airport will incorporate a Fokker F28 tail. Credit: Brisbane Airport
“It’s our birthday, but the present is for Brisbane,” he said.
“We want to create something that celebrates our past and inspires the future, and this iconic plane spotting area will be the place to visit.
“We have growing demand from people who want to come and have a front-seat view of aviation, and we know the children watching aircraft today will be the pilots and aircrew of tomorrow.”
Aircraft training organisation Aviation Australia donated the 50-year-old F28 tail, which had a symbolic link to another piece of history on display at Brisbane Airport – the century-old Southern Cross, also a Fokker, which Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew across the Pacific in 1928.
Brisbane Airport is now home to the world’s largest Fokker fleet, operated by Alliance Airlines, which attracts interest from aviation enthusiasts across the globe.
Along with the F28 tail, the new location will be closer to taxiways, providing less-obstructed views of aircraft taxiing to and from the new western runway, as well as aircraft landing and taking off on the eastern runway.
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One plane-spotter looking forward to the new viewing area was Lloyd Fox, who has been photographing planes at Brisbane Airport – and its predecessor at Eagle Farm – since he was about 10 years old.
During that time, Fox said he had visited about 5500 times, with a library of almost 30,000 images.
“This new area is something I could never have imagined as it will get people a lot closer to the action,” he said.
“It’s not just about taking photographs, it’s talking to people.
“I see parents here all the time with their kids sharing a love for aviation.”
The current viewing area will have to be closed during construction, as 927 cubic metres of fill is trucked in for the foundations.
“We thank people for their patience during this time and we’re confident the wait will be worth it, and can’t wait to open this new area in 2026,” de Graaff said.
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