nice bit Of Tele
 

Nice bit of Tele from FAB Last night going to get very busy we hope,
keep us all Amused at least . Bit Nippy and foggy this morning Early on.

Tony

I'm Fascinated

by The writing

Style.

Hi Gents. May I ask a question?

What is a spotter?

Having done many airshows around the country over the years with one or two of Her Majesties finest machines, I have always taken the time to talk with countless people, of all ages, about the aircraft and if possible give them a close look at the steery bit at the front. This is usually a very pleasant experience for the vast majority of aircrew.

We call these people enthusiasts.

There is also, however, another type of strange being which has absolutely no interest in the aircraft whatsoever except for the number on the side of the fuselage. I remember one time at Yeovilton being yelled at by one of these creatures because I had opened the rear baggage door and he couldn't see the number!

Now that is what we understand by the term "spotter".

So is our interpretation of terminology correct?

If not please educate us poor drivers-airframe.

Regards

Dak

Dak,

Think you may have opened the flood gates with your question "what is a spotter".!

Fosters

I guess that just as there are many different types of fishermen, there are many different types of spotters. Some have no qualms with being referred to as "spotters", whilst others prefer "aviation enthusiast". Some purely spot "numbers" (registrations actually) in an attempt at underlining all the registrations in their registration book. Some only take photographs. Some do both and create their own specialised databases. They also have a healthy interest in, and a reasonably good knowledge of aviation in general. Some are PPLs; and finally, quite a remarkable number are also aviation professionals ranging from airline managers to air traffic controllers and airline pilots (though not all openly admit to it). It's a pretty harmless hobby/passtime. Unfortunately, it is at times tainted by a mindless minority of idiots - just like football supporters.

I'm a 'Spotter'! Also Captain of a UK based regional jet.

Mind you, some of my friends think I'm bonkers.:8

The way I look at it, as a lifelong wannabe-pilot who has managed to 'become' one, my interest in all things aviation would no doubt have continued even if I had had to plod on in my old job.

When I'm an old knacker and they won't let my senile old self anywhere near an aircraft, far less get in one(!), at least I'll have my flying logbooks and my spottery ones to look back on.

Then I'll pop my clogs and it will all be lost- like tears in rain.:{

Not really sure why I do it really- something to do on the Summer Hols maybe?

I'm not planning on stopping anyway.

I met a ATCer at Ronaldsway once who was a Spotter-also one at EDI, Sandy? so I'm not alone!:p

Nice you may be but you're still all bonkers

Each to their own and all that is what I say!

If you want to start trivulising a hobby then Golf would be an interesting place to start IMHO!!http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/badteeth.gifhttp://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/badteeth.gif

Anyway, most Spotters are a good bunch....Sure, there are a few extreme characters! Someone has mentioned the airshow photography freaks...These are the hardcore nutters who seem to hold a "my stepladder/lens is bigger than yours" competition at every major airshow and sod the rest of you!!http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/censored.gifhttp://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/censored.gif
do you know what golf is ? WHAT it stands for.G O L F replys please
cheers chris:=:)

Spotting's not what it used to be (oh God, here we go)

At Newcastle in the 60s we'd hove up on our bikes, head straight for the fire hut where they had a board with the day's expected movements chalked up. Into the passenger terminal where we got half price teas or coffees on the understanding we would vacate the building when the afternoon London flight started checking in. Or if it was hot & sunny we'd sit under the wing of the Argonaut parked up on the grass.

If anything interesting overflew we'd climb up to the tower to see if they could ID it for us. And if anything big and interesting arrived we'd go to the Ramp Manager's office to ask if we could go out onto the apron for a closer look. The concept of airside and landside, let alone security, was meaningless.

Pointless doing it just for the registrations, you were lucky if you came away with more than one or two new ones. Personally i used to count the passengers and wonder how on earth Dan-Air made any money on the Dakota to Kristiansand or the Doves to Liverpool and Cardiff - essential training for a would-be beancounter.

There has been a lot of passenger counting at Cork Airport too down the years with the hard core evening having clickers just like the easyJet cabin crew have so it has not all been registrations and photos etc.

A legend and hero and Cork's Number One in his own lifetime is The Count of Cork Airport.

That's what spotting is all about as they say in Cork.

If Cork does not get a good movement soon in 2009 there is going to a lot of emergency referrals to the psychiatric services!

Sir Michael Bishop was a well known spotter many years ago at Manchester, hasnt done him any harm !!

OK, I'll have a go at some definitions - bear in mind that I became a spotter at MAN in 1968, so these are local (and old) expressions:

Reggie spotter = takes down registrations no matter what, including wings piled up in hangars (I have witnessed this). There was also one guy at LGW who used to collect the codes on airport equipment too...

Dot spotter = collects registrations from overflights. This was a derogatory term in my day as the only help you had was an airband radio and the listings in enthusiast mags. Not like now with radarboxes, acars etc. Many purists would not collect dots as you often could not be 100% sure with the tie-up.

Bum spotter (ah, innocent days) = any newbie with less than 1000 reggies in his collection. Any spotter who still needed any BEA Tridents (LHR), Viscounts (MAN) or 1-11s (MAN).

Cribber = you always get em - cheats who would log aircraft without actually being sure they had seen them. Also used as a term of general abuse to friends, as in "you're just a cribber!"

Great days...

After 50+ years of looking at aircraft, flying a few of them,visiting airfields all over the world - even those that have not seen an aircraft since I was a toddler and latterly running a historical website ......I really don't give a damn what anyone calls me .

I enjoy aviation as a hobby and really that is all that matters IMO.

I've been all over the world doing photography and I love aircraft, so why not put the two together? Thats what I did.

I don't take down the reg, I don't care about the reg, I just like the photos.

I'd go mad. I mean looking at a historical photo, taken in the 1950s, it annoys me that a lot of the aircraft are unidentified. All my photos will one day have that "wow" factor that age and time gives. Hence the 5 seconds with the pen and paper....