iWantWings
Pre-takeoff checklist
So I wanted to get myself a pair of binoculars to look at airplanes in the airport's pattern and wherever else I could spot them.
Lots of choices with a wide range of prices. After some reading I figured I wanted something that would give me a wide field of view even at a 10x magnification, as well as a larger objective of 50mm to help gather just a little more light when there was less of it.
Eventually I figured out what I didn't want and looked for something a little different. So I ended up with a Carl Zeiss Jena 10x50, made in DDR (serial number dates its manufacturing in about 1989, probably not long before the unification of East Germany with West Germany, so no more DDR).
I love this thing; old, but really nice. It also has the relatively wide 7.3* FOV which gives about 128m @1000m (great for helping get airplanes in sight at 10x magnification even if the peripheral view isn't sharp - but center is great).
It took a bit of search to find one in very good condition which I finally found on the European eBay from a seller in Germany.
I wonder what ATC in an airport tower generally use in terms of magnification and field of view?
Lots of choices with a wide range of prices. After some reading I figured I wanted something that would give me a wide field of view even at a 10x magnification, as well as a larger objective of 50mm to help gather just a little more light when there was less of it.
Eventually I figured out what I didn't want and looked for something a little different. So I ended up with a Carl Zeiss Jena 10x50, made in DDR (serial number dates its manufacturing in about 1989, probably not long before the unification of East Germany with West Germany, so no more DDR).
I love this thing; old, but really nice. It also has the relatively wide 7.3* FOV which gives about 128m @1000m (great for helping get airplanes in sight at 10x magnification even if the peripheral view isn't sharp - but center is great).
It took a bit of search to find one in very good condition which I finally found on the European eBay from a seller in Germany.
I wonder what ATC in an airport tower generally use in terms of magnification and field of view?