Explain plane spotting to me

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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Lots of dudes with cameras, zoom lenses, laptops, video cameras.
What is it exactly that they are doing? They snap photos of every plane landing and taking off.

Oh, this is Founder's Plaza viewing area at DFW
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MauleSkinner said:
Camelflage.
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That's camouflage. This is camelflage.
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Humanity is diverse. There's herbivores, carnivores; drivers, and spectators. You know it when you see it type of thing. I certainly know what bucket I belong to, but as I've gotten older I've gained an appreciation for the fact different things make other people tick that don't for me. More importantly however, none would make me pause and think of the possibilities, if not for these folks existing. And that's what made life interesting for me on that front.

...It also reminds me that my exwife never had that sensibility towards others' interests and idiosyncrasies, mine in particular. :D Friends don't let friends be like their exwife. Digressing.
 
We all like to watch planes take off and land, what’s wrong with it? Seems like you judge more often than you don’t, and if you don’t judge others, you’re humoring us with nonsense. Please, some of these people may just enjoy it as a hobby. Leave them be.
 
I did a little in my late teens and early 20s, but between living far away from a big airport and not wanting to spend thousands on a good camera and equipment, lost interest.
 
They are a serious historical asset... glad someone is documenting all the paint schemes, even if I think there are better things to do with my time. Speaking of which, why am I on POA right now?
 
Seems kind of like birding and storm chasing, but easier. Spared the nuisance of having to move. No uncertainty in when something will show up.
 
Foamers, but with planes. Not for me, but whatever. It's just as productive as watching sports; actually a little more, like @Plano Pilot said, they're a great source of airplane photos, often very good ones. It's fun to search your tail number on www.jetphotos.com once on a while to see if anyone has caught you. Here's a couple of my plane from that site:
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How about the dudes that barge into and all around people's aircraft camping spots in the North 40 at Oshkosh? They like to flit around the N40 during the airshow. They get a little too close snapping pics of your plane, scribbling in their notebooks, and generally don't even say hi. I'm sitting under my wing enjoying a beer and the airshow and they act like you're not even there. They push my Midwest Nice limits.
 
They're zooming in on the panel to see if it's worth jacking anything ala Gone in 60 seconds.

Now when they come up and start talking to the plane...that's when you should be concerned
 
There are some benefits to this.

One, is historical. If you wanted to see how paint schemes changed over the years, or document which plane may have flown what route. You'd be surprised the number of people that go on to aviation sites and say something like "I flew into LAX in 1984 on American Airlines, I wonder what kind of airplane that was?" and you'll have people who still have the schedule cards showing what equipment was being flown at that time. Sometimes, you'll then have people post a photo from LAX in that timeframe and say something like "Don't forget that in April, they had the special other equipment fill in. It flew that same route, so could have been that one instead". Adds greatly to the conversation.

Second, is scale modeling. Modelers can get downright picky about details (rivet counting, as it were) and these photos help with some of that level of details.

Third, it is a pretty cheap hobby. A camera and time is really all that is required. While cameras can get expensive, I'd rather have their hobby costs than this one. (just the costs, not the fun factor.)
 
SmallPilot said:
We all like to watch planes take off and land, what’s wrong with it? Seems like you judge more often than you don’t, and if you don’t judge others, you’re humoring us with nonsense. Please, some of these people may just enjoy it as a hobby. Leave them be.
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I'm not judging anyone. Geez. I'm asking what it is they are doing. Just taking photos? Are they documenting where they came from where they're going to do they follow certain planes around as they travel like a groupie at a rock band? I'm not saying these people are doing anything right wrong or different I'm just asking how this works.


My actual words were what is it exactly that they are doing? Where did you see me judging them?
 
I know that if I do a search for my N number online, it will return pretty nice photos of my plane landing and departing several fly ins that I have attended. The photos are shown with info on how to purchase copies for myself. So..maybe they are trying to drum up a few sales ?
 
The ones I see generally are walking the lines at Oshkosh with a pad of paper scribbling down details (n-numbers, color schemes, aircraft type) of every airplane on the line. Certainly different. But harmless.
 
kyleb said:
The ones I see generally are walking the lines at Oshkosh with a pad of paper scribbling down details (n-numbers, color schemes, aircraft type) of every airplane on the line. Certainly different. But harmless.
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It's all good and fun until someone gets clocked with an F stop.
 
I'm a fan of all things transportation, as is my 8 year old, so we spend a fair amount of time admiring trains, planes, ships, transit systems, etc. sometimes in museums, sometimes in accessible areas such as Gravely Park, Baltimore, etc. We cross paths with lots of "enthusiasts", some obviously more enthusiastic than others. Keep in mind that _____-spotting is a popular activity with those with OCD or on the autism spectrum, so it's not unusual to note hobbyists with certain peculiarities noted on this thread, such as copious note taking or awkward and otherwise anti-social behavior. Sometimes they're anti-anti-social and all to happy to tell you in greeeeeaaat detail all about what they're doing or looking for.

At the end of the day, these folks are on our side, share a love of aviation, and are getting to "participate" even if financial or medical conditions would prevent them from participating otherwise. Be welcoming and thankful they're documenting something none of us have bothered to do.

Here's a photo a spotter took of me flying into Philly Intl...997F8B34-D15E-449A-B8BE-FB2B3D7D4F59.jpeg
 
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I think that they have a cross between two personality traits
1) the airport bum. This is one I have. I like airplanes for some reason, and whenever I have the chance I enjoy watching them....watching takeoffs and landings, etc...
2) the collector. Some folks just like to collect things. I have suffered from this myself in some ways. One that comes to mind is certifications. When I was younger and actually had free time, I collected certifications. Mainly just for something to do, to give me purpose. I got my pilot's license, then my instrument rating, then I worked on a multi engine rating even though I'll likely never own a twin or need it, then I worked on tail wheel sign off, and ant one point even worked on a commercial...again for no good reason. For SCUBA diving, I collected a whole litany of C-Cards...open water, advanced open water, a few "specialty cards" , nitrox, dive master, assistant instructor, technical diver, deep diver, trimix diver, gas blender, etc.... Not that was ever planning to work in the industry only because I was diving anyway, so might as well work on something.
Seems to me that these planes spotter fall into that mode...they're being airport bums, might as well record and document how many different aircraft they have "seen"

baboss said:
How about the dudes that barge into and all around people's aircraft camping spots in the North 40 at Oshkosh? They like to flit around the N40 during the airshow. They get a little too close snapping pics of your plane, scribbling in their notebooks, and generally don't even say hi. I'm sitting under my wing enjoying a beer and the airshow and they act like you're not even there. They push my Midwest Nice limits.
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I'll admit to catching myself doing this sort of thing. I think in my case it's because they are fixated in airshow mode looking at the machines.... + there's a real chance that you could just be some random other spectator hanging out near this cool plane too, just like me. No way to really know if you're not paying attention, that YOU are the owner.
 
Doug Reid said:
I know that if I do a search for my N number online, it will return pretty nice photos of my plane landing and departing several fly ins that I have attended. The photos are shown with info on how to purchase copies for myself. So..maybe they are trying to drum up a few sales ?
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I have found that to be pretty cool. My picture on flight aware showed up at some point as a shot someone took of my last landing at Oshkosh.

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I like to Google tug boats as they pass by on the Illinois River. Only because I want to see what engine they're running and if we made it. I don't just sit there and do that though. Only if I happen to be at the river.
 
Jim K said:
Foamers, but with planes. Not for me, but whatever. It's just as productive as watching sports; actually a little more, like @Plano Pilot said, they're a great source of airplane photos, often very good ones. It's fun to search your tail number on www.jetphotos.com once on a while to see if anyone has caught you. Here's a couple of my plane from that site:
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Nothing on Jet Photos for me. But the picture in Flightaware is a random one of me taxiing in Kansas City departing after hanging out with the @Ted
 
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NealRomeoGolf said:
Nothing on Jet Photos for me. But the picture in Flightaware is a random one of me taxiing in Kansas City departing after hanging out with the @Ted
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I really like it when there are good photos of planes on FlightAware. Not that it's any of my business what someone else's plane is/looks like, but it's more for my own enjoyment when I look up planes I have some relationship with.
 
Domenick said:
I admit I enjoy competition cooking shows. Ironically, I got addicted when I couldn't eat by mouth for an extended period.
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OMG that sounds like torture. Like one step down from self immolation.
 
hindsight2020 said:
as I've gotten older I've gained an appreciation for the fact different things make other people tick that don't for me
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Amen....I even stop and talk to folks doing such things... never know what you may be missing out on
 
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