Planespotting Leeuwarden AB — EHLW
Leeuwarden is the Royal Netherlands Air Force's northern fighter base and the home of 322 Squadron, which flies the F-35A, as well as 306 Squadron with MQ-9 Reaper drones. It is also one of the few military fields in Europe with an official spotter's hill, which is a big part of why spotters drive up to Friesland. The main runway is 05/23 (renumbered from 06/24 in 2013), almost 3 km long, with the shorter 09/27 as a secondary strip; a perimeter taxiway with shelters runs round the whole field. Flying happens on weekdays in two blocks, roughly mid-morning and early afternoon, with occasional night sessions — weekends are usually silent. The highlight of the year is Frisian Flag in spring, a two-week multinational exercise that fills the sky with fighters from across NATO and beyond.
- FFMRPN1
Conditions right now
Runways
- 06/24 2,956 × 49 m · 9,698 × 161 ft closed
- 05/23 2,938 × 49 m · 9,639 × 161 ft asphalt
- 09/27 RWY 09 1,997 × 49 m · 6,552 × 161 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: 10:00
Typical traffic mix
- Military88%
- Turboprop6%
- Cargo4%
- Bizjet2%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Spottersbult baankop 05 (spotting hill, Marssum)
The official spotter's mound just south-east of the short final for runway 05 and the first stop for almost everyone. You get F-35s on short final to 05, aircraft taxiing out from the southern shelter area and lining up, and, when 23 is in use, departures that often break away from the village — a chance for banking shots. Some serials on the south apron can be read from here.
- Getting there
- Small road just outside Marssum; search for 'Spottersbult baankop 05 EHLW'. From the A31 take exit 22 (Marssum) — parking is right at the hill. By bus from Leeuwarden station towards Marssum and walk. Toilets only during Frisian Flag.
- Best time
- Landings on 05 in the morning, when the sun is behind you; best on a cold day with an easterly wind, as summer heat haze ruins long shots.
- Lens
- 150–600 mm.
Bitgumerdyk
When late missions fly and the sun has moved round to the far side of the runway, spotters move back to this dyke road. Past the farm you can frame landing jets with the Leeuwarden skyline behind them.
- Getting there
- Bitgumerdyk, a short drive from the Marssum hill; check the exact stretch on a map before you go. Stay on the road; the fields are private farmland.
- Best time
- Late-afternoon and evening missions.
- Lens
- 200–600 mm.
Jelsum — N357 side road (approach 23 and 27)
On the north-east side of the base, a minor road beside the N357 lets you cover landings on both 23 and 27 — 23 is the runway most often used for arrivals from this side. A cycle path heading north gives a second angle on the approach.
- Getting there
- Park on the small road next to the N357 near Jelsum. Crossing the N357 on foot is forbidden. Buses from Leeuwarden station run to Jelsum.
- Best time
- Daytime missions with landings on 23 or 27; you can stand on either side of the centreline, so you can always keep the sun behind you.
- Lens
- 100–600 mm.
Pieter Rindersreedsje, Jelsum (evening)
A quieter alternative in Jelsum village for aircraft approaching runway 23 in the late afternoon. Few spotters use it, so it is a good option when the main spots are busy during an exercise.
- Getting there
- Pieter Rindersreedsje, Jelsum; there is a small parking spot.
- Best time
- Late afternoon and evening, landings on 23.
- Lens
- 200–500 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
The daily diet is F-35A Lightning IIs of 322 Squadron, flying in pairs and fours during the morning and afternoon waves, plus MQ-9 Reapers of 306 Squadron. Visiting transports — C-130s, the NATO MRTT tankers from Eindhoven and the odd A400M — appear for exercises and deployments. Frisian Flag each spring brings dozens of foreign fighters: F-16s, Eurofighters, Rafales, F-15s and others from Europe and the USA, often with tanker support. Exercises and visiting jets are announced at short notice and Dutch fighter flying pauses in the summer holiday period, so check before a long drive.
What actually flew over Leeuwarden AB in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 31.8 %
- B38M 16.8 %
- A21N 10.9 %
- B789 10.4 %
- A20N 7.9 %
- B77L 7.5 %
- A320 7.5 %
- A359 7.2 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Leeuwarden?
Open Spotterra's live map and you'll see what is flying over Friesland right now — type, callsign and track where the aircraft transmits ADS-B. Fighters on training sorties often fly without it, so treat an empty map as 'unknown', not 'nothing flying'.
When does Leeuwarden fly?
Weekdays only as a rule, in a mid-morning block and an early-afternoon block, with night flying in some weeks. Weekends and the summer holiday break are normally quiet.
When is Frisian Flag?
Usually in spring, for about two weeks. Dates are published by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shortly before; restrooms are put up at the spotting hill for the exercise.
Can I photograph the base?
Photographing aircraft from public roads and the official hill is accepted in the Netherlands. Do not enter fields — they are private farmland — and follow any instruction from the Royal Military Police (KMar), who patrol the perimeter.
Spotterra watches the sky over Leeuwarden AB
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