D-ABFC A320	D-AGEP B737	EC-LEK E195	EC-LFH DHC8	F-GPSA FA50	G-EZBJ A319
G-NIKO A321	G-TTIF A321	HA-LPT A320	N889CP BD700	The mound at 06L	The mound at 24L

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For many years, a spotting ambition was to visit Palma on a Saturday during the summer when the airport is at its’ busiest, that ambition was realized on 24^th July.

Planning only began in earnest a month or so before departure when a 10 day apartment rental in Alcudia was secured via the internet. Flights were booked with Jet2 out of Newcastle and were surprisingly good value considering the closeness to the date of travel. Once a hire car was booked and a ‘pass’ had been negotiated (well, it was supposed to be a family holiday!) my research as to finding a way around the airport began.

My first port of call was: http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/pmi/pmispinfo.htm This site is out of date but the map enabled me to decide on spots 1 or 3 midway down each runway depending upon how they were landing on the day (I’m not a keen photographer so logging was my priority). I also used: http://www.plane-mad.com/airport-spotting-guides/spain/palma-de-mallorca-pmi-lepa.html   Google maps offers good views and I found my way to the biz-ramp by printing off the road maps.

Noted at Newcastle before our flight to Palma  onboard G-LSAD, was my last FCA B757W G-OOBG, a good start to the holiday.

After a 2 hour 22 minute flight not much seen at PMI as we taxied straight on to the gate from  runway 24R. A7-HJJ A330 Qatar and LY-AKW B737 Aurela were noted however.

On the 24^th, I decided to set off early for the airport and found myself approaching the biz-jet ramp at 0600 along road ‘Camino de Son Fangos’ where a small roundabout at the end allows ample space to pull over and view the ramp through the fence. To my amazement the ramp was packed, present were:

4 C525’s not read off as they were nose-on. Cracking start to the day.

Whilst logging these aircraft I noticed an Air Berlin B737 land on runway 06L so I decided to try and find  ‘spot 1’ on the north side of the airport midway along the runway and hope the arrivals would settle on that runway. They did and by 0645 I was in position on the mound with the perimeter fence in front and below me ready for the day’s action. There was a chair on the mound and this proved helpful as a ‘table’ on which to put my gear/food etc. The sun was just rising above the hills to the east and I had the place to myself all morning.

A word of warning – there is no shelter from the sun whatsoever so take plenty to drink and suntan lotion, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees by the afternoon it was hot.

Arrivals between 0650 and 1129 were as follows:

Runways were now changed for landings on 24L so I headed off for ‘spot 3’ on the south side of the airport. After a wrong turn I arrived at 1147 to find I was not alone – 3 German photographers were already in position.

At this point I decided to call it quits as my arms were well ‘cooked’. I’d had a fabulous morning and PMI certainly provided good views and photographic opportunities.

Our return to NCL 5 days later was once again onboard G-LSAD and strong head-winds made the flight time 3 hours. Of note for me upon our arrival was PH-BGI B737W KLM to round off a great holiday to a beautiful island.

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