Châteauroux-Centre Marcel Dassault Airport - Spotting Guide

Châteauroux-Centre Marcel Dassault Airport – Spotting Guide

August 24, 2020 - last modified on November 19, 2023

Châteauroux-Centre “Marcel Dassault” Airport (CHR/LFLX) is located a few kilometers north of the centre of Châteauroux. The airport is famous thanks to its variety and number of stored planes especially during the Covid-19 crisis, when British Airways parked several A380s here at CHR. That’s when the airport experienced quite a high amount of movements as it is otherwise not home of any airline and does not handle any regular services – neither freight, nor passengers. However, CHR sometimes hosts rare charter flights (such as the Antonov ADB An225) or is used for training flights/touch and goes for military and civil airplanes. In addition, you will also find a little amoun of general aviation such as Cessnas or Helicopters, but in general CHR is very quiet.

The airport was opened in the late 1920s and experienced an economic uprise once Marcel Dassault openend his aircraft factory here. However, in WW2 the airfield was then used by the Germans, who made the owners produce parts for their own air force aircraft. After WW2, the airfield was used by the French troops for a very short while, before it lost its usage completely till the Americans opened a base during the cold war, which was run till 1967 when France left the NATOP as a major hub – air bridges between the US and Europe were kept alive between Dover and Châteauroux for example for the NATO/US troops.
After the US had moved out from CHR completely, the airport gained back civil usage and was reconstructed into today’s airfield – an airport with lots of free space and infrastructure made for big aircraft, although it is normally only used for maintenance and general aviation of all classes and sizes.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Emiel Pijpers, Maël Robin, Guillaume Bach and Corentin Altherr. Last Update: February 2021

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
03/21	3,500m / 11,480ft (asphalt)
Spotting Information
Ladder	Highly recommended for all spots actually.
Car/Public Transport	Car is needed to go to the major spotting locations as public transport is poor here.
Restrooms	Not available or only at some restaurants or fast foods places.
Drinks/Food	2km West of the airport or at some petrol stations.
Hotels	Hotel Restaurant Relais Saint Jacques & Logis Hotel La Promenade
Season	All year around but summer for good weather.
Runway Usage
03/21	Used in all directions. Depends on the wind’s direction but is sometimes subject to ATC rules so keep an eye on FR24.

Field Northeast - 21 Arrivals and Departures

WHERE	East of the runway’s northern head, you will find a little road running paralelly to the runway. As you are not allowed to drive in, leave your car by the roadside of highway D80 and walk in along the fence till you reach the turning pad roughly. Now choose your favourite position somewhere around here along the fence as you can simply also just continue by foot down the street…

WHAT	Landings on runway 21 as well as backtracks/turning aircraft prior 21 departure.

TIME	From early morning until around 14pm.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby this spot therefore bring with you what you need. Ladder needed.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm A400 = 110mm

Taken from various positions along the fence:

Arrival lights - 21 Arrivals

WHERE	This spot can be found literally just at the runway’s head, so leave your car east/west from here (directly at this spot parking is forbidden) and then come back to this area and choose your favourite position along the highway D80 regarding the light and your favourite angle…

WHAT	21 arrivals from the front.

TIME	Actually all day as you can easily move with the sun below the arrival path.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby this spot therefore bring with you what you need. Don’t park directly here as it is forbidden at the runway’s head so you need to park in the east/west of the runway.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-300mm depending on the angles you wish and the size of the plane

Unluckily we didn’t visit this spot ourselves yet, but please don’t hesitate to contact us once you got some so we can present some example pictures here as well!

Field Northwest - 21 Arrivals and Departures

WHERE	From the village of Notz, take an unnamed paved street to the southwest exiting from the D80 to Notz. Then follow this street straight for about 500m, before taking the bumpy farmroad to the left. This one will lead you to the fence. You can park all around here by the roadside and then just search your favourite spot along the fence easily…

WHAT	Landings on runway 21 as well as backtracks/turning aircraft prior 21 departure.

TIME	Late noon till sunset.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby this spot therefore bring with you what you need. No ladder needed, but maybe useful to avoid people and the fence in the bottom of your picture.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm An225 90 degree = 60mm

Rue du Petit Verger - Taxiway and 03 Departures

WHERE	This spot can be found at the eastern end of the village of Céré at the end of the street “Rue du Petit Verger” – just make your way thru the residential area here. From the street’s end you have a nice view, but you may also cross the field just in front if nothing is growing there to be directly at the taxiway…

WHAT	The taxiway/storage row right in front as well as the runway in the distance behind – 03 departures are best from here.

TIME	From late noon till sunset.

MISC.	Ladder recommended as haze from the field is quite disturbing, but also if you wanna stand along the fence directly. Haze in general is a problem here. Keep a low profile while you are in the residential area.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm A380 = 110mm

Storage area - Main storage apron and Terminal apron

WHERE	Leave the highway D920 to the east (into the direction of the tower) where you can find the little kinda u-curve north of the first main hangars and airport buildings. But just after a few meters, turn to the right/south again where you can see a “ZIAP” sign and make your way down to the halls. Park your car there and search your favourite spot along the fence…

WHAT	Big parking area for planes which are waiting for being painted in the hangar or just stored for a long term. In addition, from the eastern ends of this spot you can also see the terminal’s apron.

TIME	Depending on the exact parking angle and your position, but best in the afternoon and evening.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby this spot therefore bring with you what you need. Keep a low profile here as the local storage company is located just a few meters away and we don’t wanna make them mad and close this area for spotters.

FOCAL LENGTH	10-200mm Garuda A339 = 38mm / Onur A321 = 18mm

Rue Blériot - Main storage apron

WHERE	Leave highway D920 at the exit towards airport industrial area by entering a big kinda gate. Then take the “Rue Georges Clemenceau” northwards after this striking entrance gate and follow the road for a few dozens of meters, before turning right into “Rue Blériot”. Follow this road till its end (a little parking area). From there you should have a tiny shooting window onto the apron.

WHAT	The storage apron and taxiway parts just in front of you here.

TIME	Depending on the angle/position an aircraft is parked in, but best around late noon…

MISC.	Keep a low profile here as the local storage company is located just a few meters away and we don’t wanna make them mad and close this area for spotters. There is a lot of disturbing stuff just behind the fende which may destroy some shots of closely parked aircraft. High ladder needed in order to have as little disturbing foreground clutter in your image as possible.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-200mm HiFly A330 = 50mm

Industrial area - Main storage apron and Southwestern apron

WHERE	This spot can be found close to spot #6, so basically leave highway D920 at the same exit towards airport industrial area. Also take the “Rue Georges Clemenceau” northwards after the striking entrance gate, but now turn right after a few meters into “Rue S Aviation” like marked on the overview below. Then follow this road to the east till you reach a big parking lot. Leave your car there on a public non-preserved parking spot and search your favourite position along the fence in the south/east…

WHAT	From here you can see the southwestern apron which is sometimes used for storage, but also for cargo operations. In addition, you also have a great view onto the main storage apron/row northeast of this spot. Furthermore you even have a great view onto the taxiway which runs just in front of you.

TIME	Depending on what you wanna shoot: Southwestern apron – Early summer morning or late summer evening. Northern/main apron – late morning till late noon would be best.

MISC.	Haze is a big problem on the northern/main apron. Ladder needed or at least recommended.

FOCAL LENGTH	24-200mm

Rue Clément Ader - Southwestern apron

WHERE	West of the airport’s southern end, you will find some lorry parking lines along the highway D920. Just south of them, leave the mentioned highway D920 to the east into “Rue Védrine”. But just after a few more meters, turn left/north into “Rue Clément Ader”. After only a few more dozens of meters you shoud see a building on your right, where you can park and then just cross the streetside to the perimeter fence, from where you can shoot…

WHAT	From here you can see the southwestern apron which is sometimes used for storage, but also for cargo operations. Furthermore you even have a great view onto the taxiway which runs just in front of you.

TIME	Late morning till afternoon.

MISC.	Ladder needed. Take care not to block any preserved parking spots with your car at the building.

FOCAL LENGTH	20-150mm Hainan A330 = 40mm

03 Arrival lights - 03 Arrivals and 21 Departures

WHERE	West of the airport’s southern end, you will find some lorry parking lines along the highway D920. Just south of them, leave the mentioned highway D920 to the east into “Rue Védrine”. Once the later street makes a right turn, you will have to leave this road to the left into a little paved road running along the fence. Just once you reached the arrival path’s lights, you have reached the spot. Park your car by the roadside and choose your favourite position along the street regarding the light and your favourite angle…

WHAT	Arrivals onto runway 03 from the front as well as 21 movements from the front – heavies are best therefore.

TIME	21 movements: Best around noon 03 movements: Best on early summer mornings or late summer evenings

MISC.	Nothing around. Ladder useful for shots onto runway 21.

FOCAL LENGTH	18-400mm depending on the angles you wish and the size of the plane

Unluckily we didn’t visit this spot ourselves yet, but please don’t hesitate to contact us once you got some so we can present some example pictures here as well!

Crashgate Southeast - Southeastern apron

WHERE	This spot can be found in the Southeast of the airfield just around a little crashgate. Either come from the west via “Rue Védrine”, pass spot #8/the runway axis and you will end up here or come from the south via the farmroad “Chemin de la Fleuranderie” which also leads you to this point here. Then just search your favourite position along the fence around the crashgate here…

WHAT	Southeastern parking row mostly including out of several A320s.

TIME	Best in the morning till noon – depending on exact parking angle.

MISC.	Ladder definitely recommended otherwise you will have grass and dark corners as below. Haze is a problem on warm days. Take care which car you drive in here with as the road is in a bad shape and may be a problem.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm A320 = 210mm

Right at the crashgate:

Fire Station/Crash Gate - Southeastern apron

WHERE	From the N151, at this roundabout go on Avenue Pierre Clostermann. Take the first exit out of the next roundabout and at the next junction take a left. Continue until you see the airport fence, park your car on the left or right, without blocking the crash gate access! From the previous spot continue to drive (or walk) on the dirt road till you reach the intersection.

WHAT	Small airbus aircraft mainly A320 waiting for delivery. There are trees, bushes and a building the sight so only 2-3 gaps to photograph the stored aircraft. Additionally, you can get good shot from the B747SP form Corsair from there.

TIME	Best in the morning till noon – depending on exact parking angle.

MISC.	There is nothing there, a ladder is useful.

FOCAL LENGTH	A 300mm for the A320 will work just fine and a 200 mm for the 747.