Planespotters, riddle me this
Discussion
Whenever there's an accident or something unusual that happens, there's usually a clip on youtube of it, that someone must have taken.
Do people sit by runways regularly recording normal goings on?
Is the plan to spot something unusual as a payoff for a lot of patient waiting of dissapointing planes/landings, or is it all about crossing off "Airframe xyz" on the tickbook and something like an emergency landing (with everyone unhurt) is a happy accident?
Not having a go at anyone's hobby, knock yourself out. Just was wondering where the clips came from. You can't KNOW there's going to be a kerfuffle and run out with your tripod ahead of time can you?
Do people sit by runways regularly recording normal goings on?
Is the plan to spot something unusual as a payoff for a lot of patient waiting of dissapointing planes/landings, or is it all about crossing off "Airframe xyz" on the tickbook and something like an emergency landing (with everyone unhurt) is a happy accident?
Not having a go at anyone's hobby, knock yourself out. Just was wondering where the clips came from. You can't KNOW there's going to be a kerfuffle and run out with your tripod ahead of time can you?
Yes, drive down the A30 next to Heathrow runway and there will always be at least 3 or 4 people watching the planes with cameras and binoculars. When that BA plane landed short of the runway a few years back, they were setting up in the 1st lane of the dual cabbageway on step ladders to get a better look.
I used to work at RAF Brize Norton, and there is nearly always people parked up at the end of the runway taking pictures and videos of the aircraft flying/landing/taxying.
Worst of it all is their parking usually means their car's stick out onto the road, and coming from one direction you come over a sharp hump-back bridge only to be met by half a Discovery or something blocking your way.
Quite a few times I've had to stamp on the brakes!
Worst of it all is their parking usually means their car's stick out onto the road, and coming from one direction you come over a sharp hump-back bridge only to be met by half a Discovery or something blocking your way.
Quite a few times I've had to stamp on the brakes!
Some people are collectors - they need to collect something. Be that cars, teddy bears, thimbles, train numbers or plane numbers etc etc. So yes some people will stand at the end of runways so they can collect a sighting of a 'plane type or an actual aeroplane (by number).
As such if something does happen on landing or takeoff there will usually be someone there to view it. I don't think (many) people are there on the off-chance they may see something like an accident, they happen so infrequently it would be a very frustrating hobby.
As such if something does happen on landing or takeoff there will usually be someone there to view it. I don't think (many) people are there on the off-chance they may see something like an accident, they happen so infrequently it would be a very frustrating hobby.
In my teens I was an ardent spotter. It had a number of things going for it as a hobby -
it was cheap (free essentially)
I could get to my local airport (Dublin) on my bicycle
it was social - I met other lads of a like mind
I like aeroplanes. I couldn't afford to learn to fly. It was a means of being "involved" in aviation for very low cost
Spotting to me was just part of an overall passion for aircraft - I read books on aeroplanes, built models, drew pictures, took photographs - and noted what I saw
when at the airport
In later years, the number and registration collection aspect of the hobby faded out but I still like to lurk around airfields and have a look at the aircraft and take photos.
Sighting the unusual is still a bit of a thrill. I can still remember exceptional days at Dublin when really strange aircraft turned up (literally) out of the blue - such as two ex French air force Skyraiders staging through Dublin on their way to the US - or the arrival of three B-25 Mitchell bombers following completion of the (awful) movie, "Hanover Street".
it was cheap (free essentially)
I could get to my local airport (Dublin) on my bicycle
it was social - I met other lads of a like mind
I like aeroplanes. I couldn't afford to learn to fly. It was a means of being "involved" in aviation for very low cost
Spotting to me was just part of an overall passion for aircraft - I read books on aeroplanes, built models, drew pictures, took photographs - and noted what I saw
when at the airport
In later years, the number and registration collection aspect of the hobby faded out but I still like to lurk around airfields and have a look at the aircraft and take photos.
Sighting the unusual is still a bit of a thrill. I can still remember exceptional days at Dublin when really strange aircraft turned up (literally) out of the blue - such as two ex French air force Skyraiders staging through Dublin on their way to the US - or the arrival of three B-25 Mitchell bombers following completion of the (awful) movie, "Hanover Street".
We always knew it was School Holidays when I was in the RAF as the crash gates would be chock-full of Dads and kids on sunny days...of course I never stood out on the step in a manful pose as we came in over the hedge....
It is always fun to see if you have been 'Papped' after a flying trip, as one of our aircraft is still on the irish register and the other has spent most of its life as a Glider tug so both deemed a 'catch' for the spotter, I tend to google our registrations every now and again and see what new photos have been put up onto the interweb.
Of course you can look up the owner's details on any UK registered aircraft via G-INFO and anyone can upload a picture of your aircraft to your entry!
It is always fun to see if you have been 'Papped' after a flying trip, as one of our aircraft is still on the irish register and the other has spent most of its life as a Glider tug so both deemed a 'catch' for the spotter, I tend to google our registrations every now and again and see what new photos have been put up onto the interweb.
Of course you can look up the owner's details on any UK registered aircraft via G-INFO and anyone can upload a picture of your aircraft to your entry!
Father in law does this. He's been doing it for years. While most of his slides are not very interesting (to me), he's got some cracking shots of 'special' planes - the SR-71 for instance. That's the only one that springs to mind, admittedly 
It gets him all over the world, he gets to go to airbases (civilian/military) that normal folk wouldn't have a hope, Peruvian, Colombian, Japanese, Chinese, you name it. I think he's in the process of setting up a website to sell photos of these planes to folk.
Also, bear in mind, it was the plane anoraks (his words! ) that first spotted the 'Extraordinary Rendition' flights that were oh-so-secret not so long ago - as they are the ones who know which planes should be where, what airbases they operate out of and (more specifically in this instance) where they should *not* be!
It gets him all over the world, he gets to go to airbases (civilian/military) that normal folk wouldn't have a hope, Peruvian, Colombian, Japanese, Chinese, you name it. I think he's in the process of setting up a website to sell photos of these planes to folk.
Also, bear in mind, it was the plane anoraks (his words!
) that first spotted the 'Extraordinary Rendition' flights that were oh-so-secret not so long ago - as they are the ones who know which planes should be where, what airbases they operate out of and (more specifically in this instance) where they should *not* be!Well I'm certainly guilty of cycling down to Ringway(sorry MIA)mostly haven't got a clue what I'm looking at but the 40 minute ride through the backlanes sets me up nicely for a bacon butty.Seems I'm not alone either as its a fav stop off for various traffic BiB,Merseyside and West Midlands to name a couple.
For the collectors there will always be a few aircraft in a particular airline's fleet that they will want to "tick off" their lists.
However, it's the unusual or unexpected aircraft that provide the real interest and it is this that keeps most of them coming. It's a fairly harmless pasttime and, in this era of heightened security, the spotters' intimate knowledge of aircraft movements and of the regular spotter fraternity can be of use to "outsiders" like the police or the media.
However, it's the unusual or unexpected aircraft that provide the real interest and it is this that keeps most of them coming. It's a fairly harmless pasttime and, in this era of heightened security, the spotters' intimate knowledge of aircraft movements and of the regular spotter fraternity can be of use to "outsiders" like the police or the media.
Truckosaurus said:
There always seems to be at least one spotter peering through the fence at Farnborough airport as I pass on my way to work. I believe the local police liaise with the spotting community to keep an eye out for evil doers.
Do the police hand out a badge or something, imagine how chuffed the designated official anti-terrorist special-ops ninja spotter would be.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff