I can almost see the attraction of trying to get a good photo but it's the whole collecting serial numbers thing that borders on mental illness. Apparently the following count as seeing the aircraft and ticking it off in your book.
1. Seeing any part of the airframe by peeking through a crack in the hangar doors.
2. Spotting an aircraft at high level with your telescope then ringing around your mates to find out the number.
3. Hiring an aircraft to fly you over Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona equipped with a list of serial numbers counts as seeing them all.
