Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the air?

[N918KT]

I always notice that whenever I am on the ground walking outside, I can usually spot a plane flying nearby much easier than I would be if I am trying to find a plane in the air when flying.

Have anyone else notice that you can spot a flying plane easier when you are on the ground than when you are flying a plane in the air looking for another airplane, even if ATC tells you the relative position of another plane in flight following?

 

[olasek]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

This is probably normal due to simple factors - when in the air your are busy flying your airplane and windows, wings, etc restrict visibility. On the ground you enjoy much better field of view plus you can stare in the sky and devote 100% of your attention to spotting.

 

[N918KT]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

Yeah, I also think another reason why it is so easy to spot a flying plane from the ground is because you can hear the noise of the engine from the plane and you can relatively tell where the noise is coming from, hence finding the plane will be easier. Even if an airliner is flying at least 10,000 feet up in the air without leaving any contrails, I think it is still possible to see that speck of airplane flying above you.

 

[MAKG1]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

There is MUCH higher contrast looking into the air (even for a white plane), and the view toward the ground or the horizon is much more broken up.

It's not too hard to spot an aircraft above you while airborne.

 

[acrophile]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

There is MUCH higher contrast looking into the air (even for a white plane), and the view toward the ground or the horizon is much more broken up.

It's not too hard to spot an aircraft above you while airborne.

Exactly. And in addition to the difference in backgrounds, a plane you see from the ground is more likely to have a plane-shaped outline than one you see from the air, when you're more horizontally aligned with it. Furthermore, a plane you see from the air against the ground is in motion relative to both you and the ground.

 

[N801BH]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

And.... on the ground, you have a sound to reference off of and get a basic direction..

 

[timwinters]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

While flying, I find it easier to spot planes below my altitude than above my altitude. i.e. with ground as the background instead of sky.

 

[N801BH]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

While flying, I find it easier to spot planes below my altitude than above my altitude. i.e. with ground as the background instead of sky.

Or..... Do what I did and paint it a BRIGHT Orange like a Tide soap jug....

Heck... Even Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder can see mine........

 

[cessna182b]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

Or..... Do what I did and paint it a BRIGHT Orange like a Tide soap jug....

Heck... Even Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder can see mine........

I think the color of the plane vs the background has a lot to do with it. A couple of years ago I was approaching an uncontrolled field preparing to land when another pilot announced his intentions to do so as well. I looked and looked for that guy but never saw him until he was over the runway, about to touch down. The plane was an RV painted navy blue.

Dave

 

[kgruber]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

The easiest airplane to spot is from the air, with a slight haze in the atmosphere.....say 8 miles visibility.

 

[1600vw]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

Or..... Do what I did and paint it a BRIGHT Orange like a Tide soap jug....

Heck... Even Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder can see mine........

Fly through Illinois or many midwest states in say November and this airplane will be invisible.

Tony

 

[MAKG1]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

And.... on the ground, you have a sound to reference off of and get a basic direction..

Working at an airfield with quite a lot of transitions, the "basic direction" is often very wrong, especially for fast aircraft. A descending airliner over 10,000 appears tens of degrees away from where it sounds.

For a launching turbojet, it tells you more or less that a plane is nearby. You have to know where the runway is, and then you can spot it easily 'cause you already know where to look.

 

[N801BH]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

Fly through Illinois or many midwest states in say November and this airplane will be invisible.

Tony

Perfect reason NOT to visit Illinois.........

 

[N801BH]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

Working at an airfield with quite a lot of transitions, the "basic direction" is often very wrong, especially for fast aircraft. A descending airliner over 10,000 appears tens of degrees away from where it sounds.

For a launching turbojet, it tells you more or less that a plane is nearby. You have to know where the runway is, and then you can spot it easily 'cause you already know where to look.

But.................

From inside a plane you CANNOT ever hear another plane.. That was my point sir...

 

[Graueradler]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

I think that pilots tend to look at too great of an angle up or down when trying to spot traffic. If you cut the bottom out of a personal sized water bottle and look through the neck and out of the missing bottom while holding the bottle horizontally, you have about the up and down angles that you should be limiting your search to. Take the distance and altitude difference of an initial traffic call out and do the math.

 

[MAKG1]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

I think that pilots tend to look at too great of an angle up or down when trying to spot traffic. If you cut the bottom out of a personal sized water bottle and look through the neck and out of the missing bottom while holding the bottle horizontally, you have about the up and down angles that you should be limiting your search to. Take the distance and altitude difference of an initial traffic call out and do the math.

I disagree.

When Tower tells you the traffic to follow is on the opposite downwind, they can be hundreds of feet off altitude anywhere from 1/4 mile to 2-3 miles past the runway. That can give some fairly large angles, especially if you're flying a good pattern.

 

[Silvaire]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

Obviously an airplane is going to be generally harder to spot with background clutter. This is why we have established traffic pattern altitudes, so that the airplane will be visible above the horizon. Of course it depends on many factors such as the terrain, the color of the airplane and the aspect of the view. While the movement of the object aids in detection when both are moving it will depend on the relative motion. It's possible for the other aircraft to appear stationary, especially when on a collision course.

 

[John Baker]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

It is harder to spot an airplane from the air, that is a given. It is also an essential part of flying for a pilot to have that ability, as in "see" and avoid. Spotting other aircraft is not a skill that some pilots are gifted with, while others are not. Spotting other aircraft from the air is a learned skill, you have to practice as much as you can in order to become reasonably proficient at doing it.

A good habit to get into is whenever you are flying with someone else, turn it into a game of whoever can spot other aircraft during a flight first. This will train you to always be vigilant, and it will teach you how to look.

It is frustrating as hell when your instructor or passenger spots the airplane before you do, then tells you where it is, and you still can not see it.

Another issue is when the tower tells you where the traffic is, but you can not spot it. Always let the tower know that you do not have the traffic in sight, or if you spot it, then lose it...let the tower know. Never bullsh*t the tower.

Practising looking during every flight is critical, it might even keep you from bumping into another airplane and bending it.

-John

 

[N918KT]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

I mean yeah, when I was learning to fly last summer with a CFI, I would sometimes see some traffic fairly easy. Other times when approach advise us of traffic, I would be looking all over the place trying to find the plane but it is hard sometimes.

It is frustrating as hell when your instructor or passenger spots the airplane before you do, then tells you where it is, and you still can not see it.

I know what you mean. Also is frustrating when you cannot find the dang airport you are trying to find to land at. I think I remember my CFI advising me the airport on the GPS and trying to look for it from the air. Still cannot find it. As we get closer to that airport, I finally found it somehow. It was hidden somewhere in the crowded suburbs.

 

[Graueradler]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

I disagree.

When Tower tells you the traffic to follow is on the opposite downwind, they can be hundreds of feet off altitude anywhere from 1/4 mile to 2-3 miles past the runway. That can give some fairly large angles, especially if you're flying a good pattern.

Cross country flight following call out - 1000 ft elevation difference at 3 miles = 3 1/2 degrees, at 2 miles = 5 1/2 degrees, at 1 mile = 11 degrees. In the pattern at 1/4 mile and 200 ft. elev. diff. = 8.6 deg.

 

[LifeInverted]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

I've always had difficulty judging what an aircraft 1000' (any altitude) below or above me at different ranges is pictorially when scanning around the sky and I've never been really taught a quick fix for it. Something to pick up over time I guess

 

[MAKG1]

Re: Is it true that it is easier to spot a plane flying from the ground than in the a

I mean yeah, when I was learning to fly last summer with a CFI, I would sometimes see some traffic fairly easy. Other times when approach advise us of traffic, I would be looking all over the place trying to find the plane but it is hard sometimes.



I know what you mean. Also is frustrating when you cannot find the dang airport you are trying to find to land at. I think I remember my CFI advising me the airport on the GPS and trying to look for it from the air. Still cannot find it. As we get closer to that airport, I finally found it somehow. It was hidden somewhere in the crowded suburbs.

There are tricks to that. If you approach a runway straight in (even if it's not the one you are going to land on), you can spot it a LOT further and more easily. I've spotted some 20+ miles out that way. When not aligned, they look like a lot of other stuff, including factory farms and freeways.