Has LHR lost its atmosphere?

[Agent153Orange]

The thing now is - most aircraft that you can see at major airports look the same - so it doesn't interest me much unless there is a 'plane in some sort for fancy paint job or a new airline I'm not familiar with.

Actually, some of the smaller twin-turboprop puddle-jumpers are still pretty interesting to look at -- just for example, the Piaggio Avanti and the Beech Starship (both pretty hard to find, but well worth looking for).

[Planemike]

Agent153O.......

Those sound like "biz prop" territory to me. Agree there are some marginally more interesting a/c in this group.

Beech Starship.......!!! Rocking Horse s**t springs to mind. Think I am correct in saying, only one left airworthy precious few in museums. Unlikely to be a visitor to Heathrow and CERTAINLY not today !!!!!!!

Planemike

[SpringHeeledJack]

But there was a swiss registered Piaggio Avanti into Northolt a couple of weeks ago and seeing that in the air close by was pretty pleasing.


SHJ

[Agent153Orange]

There is one privately-owned Avanti that flies into San Jose Mineta Airport on a semi-regular basis (once in a few days). Or you could go to Reid-Hillview and watch all the V-tail Bonanzas doing flight training. In fact, generally small airports with small planes are more interesting -- there's greater variety among the smaller planes, for understandable reasons (lower development cost, for instance). Military fields anywhere are a good bet, what with all the fighter jets and whatnot flying around (Moffett Field used to be a spotter's paradise until it was decommissioned a few years ago). For the REALLY hardcore spotter who wants to see some REALLY unusual experimental flying saucers, Groom Lake (aka Area 51) might be a good spot -- that is, IF you're willing to risk getting yourself arrested for spying. Edwards AFB outside of Palm Springs could also be a good spot on a good day, but it's a long drive from town and not a very active base on most days.