The Salisbury Plain Training Area is an area covering 150 square miles over Wiltshire and a little in Hampshire. The area has seen military activity since 1898 and today still serves all three armed services.

I receive many emails asking me where the best places are to go on the Salisbury Plain so I have decided to put together this viewing guide to hopefully educate enthusiasts on the safest and best places to visit.

I regularly hear people comparing the SPTA to 'The Mach Loop' low level training area. The problem with this comparison is 'The Loop' are free to roam mountains with public footpaths and car parks. The SPTA however is primarily a Military Training Area which is owned by the MoD and also the farmers. If you block a gate in Wales, you prevent a farmer from getting to his land. If you block a gate on the Plain you prevent service men/women getting their valuable training ready for going to war and putting their lives on the line. Various places are completely off limits and at worst can cost you a fine or even injury.

The best place to view aircraft on the Plain is a place called Deptford Down. This is a large Airstrip split into two portions and an area that is completely open and un-fenced. If you set up for the day on the public footpath alongside the airstrip (the green path below) then you will experience 'airshow' like action. The helicopters regularly come over to you and rotate so you get all the shots you need. The unwritten rule is that if you let them get their training done at the end they come over and do a few flypasts for you.
The area below in red is the area you MUST NOT stand on. This area is where the aircraft land and quite often do 'engine-off' landings which control is at a minimum.

Click here for a location on google maps.

From Deptford you can also see the FIBUA village (Fighting in built up areas) and also a drop zone called Fox Covert where you can get some good pictures from just being at Deptford.

Below are some examples of what to expect at Deptford:

Elsewhere

I don't recommend looking elsewhere on the plain, purely because there are no other safe areas to view from.
For the sake of the forces' security I am not going to reveal any more locations. What i recommend though, is parking at 'Z' crossing next to Netheravon. Here you will get a good view across the plain. If you see a helicopter and it appears to go into a safe place to view that's close to the road then follow it.
The east side around Netheravon is a really delicate area. There are tanks and armour charging around also Wardens looking for people that are in places they shouldn't be.