Photographing plane spotters

[IO540]

but it's the frantic scribbling of registrations in notebooks that I don't understand

The stuff ends up on countless spotter websites e.g.

http://uk.geocities.com/bigginhill_uk/move/move.htm

http://home.freeuk.com/redmike/may99.html

http://www.flybhx.co.uk/forum/viewto...74887fee7cc6ca

http://www.airport-data.com/manuf/Pi...oration;5.html

http://www20.brinkster.com/dlenton/search/tbindex.asp

http://www.gloster.pwp.blueyonder.co...ents/apr05.htm

and there are many many more with photos.

Do a google on your tail number and see what turns up.