Planespotting Amsterdam — EHAM
Schiphol is the airport that made the Netherlands a spotting country. Six runways, about half a million movements a year and the KLM hub mean there is never a quiet hour, and the airport itself runs two free, official spotter zones plus a terrace on the terminal roof. The catch is choice: which runway works depends on the wind, so the first job of the day is to check runway use. The Polderbaan (18R/36L) is the busiest strip — it takes arrivals from the north on 18R and sends departures north off 36L. The Kaagbaan (06/24) and Buitenveldertbaan (09/27) carry most of the rest, the Aalsmeerbaan (18L/36R) and Zwanenburgbaan (18C/36C) join at peaks, and the short Oostbaan (04/22) is mostly business jets. The flat polder means no hills, but grass verges and a few dikes put you close to the action without any fences in the way.
- PVD432V E55P 12 500 ft
- KLC1821 E75L 11 650 ft
- KLM77C E295 11 025 ft
- KLM95T B738 9 575 ft
- FIN8WP A321 5 150 ft
- KLC21B E190 4 825 ft
- CES771 B77W 1 550 ft RWY 04
- KLM655 B772 1 200 ft RWY 36C
Conditions right now
Runways
- 18R/36L 3,799 × 60 m · 12,464 × 197 ft asphalt
- 09/27 RWY 09 3,446 × 45 m · 11,306 × 148 ft asphalt
- 06/24 3,439 × 45 m · 11,283 × 148 ft asphalt
- 18L/36R 3,397 × 45 m · 11,145 × 148 ft asphalt
- 18C/36C 3,301 × 45 m · 10,830 × 148 ft asphalt
- 04/22 2,022 × 45 m · 6,634 × 148 ft asphalt
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody55%
- Widebody22%
- Cargo8%
- Bizjet7%
- Turboprop5%
- Military3%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Polderbaan spotter zone (IJweg, Vijfhuizen)
Schiphol's best-known spot and the one with the most traffic: a parking area and open grass strip on the west side of the Polderbaan with no fence between you and the runway. You see departures from 36L lining up and rotating and 18R arrivals rolling out, plus a long taxiway that brings heavies past at walking pace. The cycle path along the runway lets you pick your own angle.
- Getting there
- End of IJweg, postcode 2141 CN (around IJweg 614). Free car park with mobile toilets and a snack van on many days. No bus stops at the spot — the usual way without a car is to cycle from Hoofddorp or Haarlem station.
- Best time
- When the Polderbaan is active, which is most days. You stand west of the runway, so the afternoon sun is behind you; in the morning try the verge on the east side of the runway further along IJweg (no parking there).
- Lens
- 100–400 mm for rotations and taxiing heavies, 70–200 mm for the closest taxiway shots.
Buitenveldertbaan spotter zone (McDonald's, Schiphol-Oost)
The second official zone, on the McDonald's car park east of P3. Arrivals on 27 come in over Amstelveen and touch down in front of you, and you also look across to the Oostbaan, the Aalsmeerbaan, the KLM maintenance hangars and the Schiphol-East business aviation area. Coin binoculars are provided and the burger joint solves food and toilets.
- Getting there
- Loevesteinse Randweg, Schiphol-Oost; satnav postcode 1118 EL, via the Schipholdijk exit off the N231. Parking on site; local buses from Schiphol Plaza stop at the Schiphol-Oost bus station next to P3.
- Best time
- Westerly operations with landings on 27 and departures on 09. You face north across the runway, so the light is behind you from late morning to mid-afternoon.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm for 27 arrivals, 400 mm or more for the hangars and the Oostbaan.
Panorama Terrace (Schiphol Plaza)
The free rooftop terrace above Departures 1 looks out over the piers and the apron in front of the terminal, so it is the place for KLM regional jets, pushbacks and logging registrations rather than for runway action. A retired KLM Fokker 100 sits on the terrace and can be visited.
- Getting there
- Follow the signs from Schiphol Plaza; the airport railway station is directly below. Opening hours differ between summer and winter and the terrace has been closed for building work in the past — check the Schiphol website before you go.
- Best time
- Any time it is open; the morning and late-afternoon KLM waves fill the piers. Light is less critical here than at the runway spots because most subjects are parked or taxiing slowly.
- Lens
- 70–200 mm covers the piers; take 300 mm for taxiways further out.
Kruisweg, Rozenburg — Kaagbaan 06 arrivals
When the wind is from the east, arrivals on runway 06 pass low over the Kruisweg south-west of the airport, and the approach lights are right next to the road. Good for close-up shots of everything from E-jets to 777s on short final.
- Getting there
- Around Kruisweg 381, Rozenburg. Do not park in the bend of the Kruisweg — it is prohibited; use the parking bays on the Aalsmeerderweg and walk.
- Best time
- Easterly operations (landings on 06). You stand under the approach from the south-west, so the morning and midday sun is broadly behind you; late afternoon turns into backlight.
- Lens
- 24–105 mm right under the approach, 100–400 mm for the field next to the bend.
Aalsmeerderdijk — Aalsmeerbaan 36R
A dike on the east side of the Aalsmeerbaan that sits higher than the runway, so you can see along the whole strip. In northerly operations 36R is used for landings at peak times, and the height gives cleaner backgrounds than the flat polder spots.
- Getting there
- Around Aalsmeerderdijk 138, Oude Meer. Arrive by car or bike and park legally in the village; the road on the dike is narrow, so keep off the carriageway.
- Best time
- Only when 36R is in use, typically in arrival peaks with a northerly wind. East of the runway, the morning sun is behind you.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
KLM sets the rhythm: 777-200/300s, 787-9/10s and A330s on the long-haul banks, 737s and A321neos on European routes, and KLM Cityhopper Embraer 175s and 195-E2s everywhere in between. Transavia, easyJet, Lufthansa Group, British Airways and Air France add the narrowbody flow, while Delta, United, Emirates, Qatar, Singapore, China Southern and others bring widebodies from four continents. Freighters are a strong suit — Martinair and KLM cargo flights, Cathay, Qatar and Saudia 747s and 777Fs — and the Oostbaan keeps business jets coming. Night movements are capped, so the action starts with the early long-haul arrival bank around 06:00.
What actually flew over Amsterdam in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 23.8 %
- A21N 20.5 %
- E190 12.2 %
- E295 10.8 %
- A320 9.7 %
- A20N 8.9 %
- E75L 8 %
- B38M 6.1 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Amsterdam?
Check Spotterra's live map: it shows every aircraft over Amsterdam and the Schiphol approach lanes in real time, with type, registration and route, straight from ADS-B receivers. No app or account needed.
Which runway is in use at Schiphol today?
It changes with the wind and through the day. LVNL publishes current runway use, and Spotterra's live map shows where the arrivals are lining up — check it before you drive to the Polderbaan or the Kaagbaan.
Is the Panorama Terrace open?
It has reopened after the Departures 1 rebuild and is free to enter, but hours differ between summer and winter and closures do happen. Check the Schiphol website on the day.
Can I get to the Polderbaan spot by public transport?
Not directly — no bus stops at the IJweg spotter zone. Most spotters without a car rent a bike at Hoofddorp or Haarlem station and cycle the last stretch.
Spotterra watches the sky over Amsterdam
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
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