Renaissance Hotel Room
The Renaissance Hotel overlooks the runway 27R / 09L. Getting a room at the top of the 3 storey building allows you to get some great runway shots. The spot isn't perfect but with the right conditions I feel its probably the best spot at Heathrow. First downside is the cost. You will obviously need to make a reservation to get into the room which will cost £86. The Hotel is also on the North side of the airfield, meaning the sun is a serious problem. The room is useless in the winter as the sun never works its way around, but in the summer you can get nice shots from 1700-1800 until dark. The spot is at its best when 27R is used for landings in the afternoon / evening. If 27R is used for departures then only taxi shots can be taken, with 27R for landings you can get some great touchdown shots. I've never tried it but I would think 09 movements would make it pretty impossible.
Best to check the runways before you book the room. At Heathrow the runways are switched every week, whatever runway is used for landings in the morning one week is used for take-offs in the morning the week after and so on. The London Aviation website in the links on this page gives details of which runways are used for each week. Obvisouly if 09 is used then this can be ignored and I wouldn't bother going.
One further point to note is that you will be shooting through glass, although didn't cause us many problems at the time of our visit.
Sat Nav Co-ordinates
(Some locations may not be next to a road but the sat nav should get you pretty close using these co-ordinates)
Latitude: N51° 28' 48" (N51° 28.799')
Longitude: W0° 26' 46" (W0° 26.766')
Best to check the runways before you book the room. At Heathrow the runways are switched every week, whatever runway is used for landings in the morning one week is used for take-offs in the morning the week after and so on. The London Aviation website in the links on this page gives details of which runways are used for each week. Obvisouly if 09 is used then this can be ignored and I wouldn't bother going.
One further point to note is that you will be shooting through glass, although didn't cause us many problems at the time of our visit.
Sat Nav Co-ordinates
(Some locations may not be next to a road but the sat nav should get you pretty close using these co-ordinates)
Latitude: N51° 28' 48" (N51° 28.799')
Longitude: W0° 26' 46" (W0° 26.766')