I've been "spotting" under various guises now since the age of 8 (I'm a youthful 53 now). It never fails to amaze me the vehemence of most Engineers about spotters. It's as if they consider it a crime to be remotely interested in the machines they work on. And yet they will trot out chapter and verse about any aeroplane you can think of, but of course, they're not really interested!!
After a long spell in the Air Force and keeping my hobby firmly under my hat (for most of the time) I've now decided that, at my stage in life, I couldn't give a monkey's stuff what some fool thinks of my hobby. Working for a British airline at a small airport I have managed to bag 16 free return flights thanks to my pictures - something that others find amazing. Especially as they are with rival airlines!!
The fact is, spotters are weird, but no weirder than the sports freaks, the boat nuts and the golf fanatics. It's a hobby, no more or less.
skiddy