Spotters - Disgusting creatures
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: New Zealand
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Some of the younger ones (like myself - I won't say exactly how old, but I'm still at school) aspire to be pilots one day or at least have a career in Aviation. You see some shady looking people in anoraks with little hair and "strange tendencies" 
but surely us young bunnies are all good? The sort who still see the awesome factor in flying?
I too felt I was spot on with my earlier post
I aim to please.
but surely us young bunnies are all good? The sort who still see the awesome factor in flying?I too felt I was spot on with my earlier post
I aim to please.
By and large spotters are harmless and just get their kicks from photographing planes and listening on their scanners. I see no harm in that. Others like me like to sit and waste a day with a fishing rod in hand so to each their own. It would be a sad day in this country if we couldn't do these things for fear we might go troppo and attack some boat/plane/train etc.
To be fair to the spotters and similar inquisitive folk, as a very young person wondering about career choices I happened to visit Point Cook when Sqn. Ldr. Duffy (?) was in charge of the Mustang.
I had the temerity to ask a question about whether I could look in the cockpit.
The answer put me off the RAAF for good.
I had the temerity to ask a question about whether I could look in the cockpit.
The answer put me off the RAAF for good.
Q300, I must agree, young bunnies are always welcome.
Tell me son, do you like gladiator movies????
For what it's worth I have loved my time working in control towers as we get the best view of all the aircraft [I haven't been in a tower for nearly 15 years] but I wouldn't sit by an airport to watch on my days off.
AA
Tell me son, do you like gladiator movies????
For what it's worth I have loved my time working in control towers as we get the best view of all the aircraft [I haven't been in a tower for nearly 15 years] but I wouldn't sit by an airport to watch on my days off.
AA
'amberale' what a crack up
'Flying High' is obviously stuck in yr head
Someone said in here that spotters of a young age at times turned out to be pilots,(or words to that effect),well ya lookin' at one right here As a kid living across the paddocks from EN (housing estates now) I used to walk my bike thru the thistles with a couple of mates up to EN & leave our bikes with the nice man at the carpark ticket box, (hmmmm come to think of it 'amberale' he too asked us kids whether we liked Gladiator movies, bugga that we said would rather watch a smelly old plane anyday). Us kids used to go sit on the observation deck & watch planes for hrs, no camera though as that was a luxury back then, but we where still 'spotters', just not recording the fact. Sometimes we would go stand at the fence line where there was an open gate near a hangar & wait for someone to pass so we could ask to go wander around the light planes, this we did a lot with perhaps the odd person coming up to us & asking can they help us. After about 10 mins we where usually left alone after asking a zillion q's about planes. Obviously never walked around the big planes like the DC3's & even the really big DC9...wooohooooo etc.
Spotters, I see them as mostly curious perhaps fanatical about planes but never had the chance for many reasons to go beyond just watching.
Wmk2
'Flying High' is obviously stuck in yr headSomeone said in here that spotters of a young age at times turned out to be pilots,(or words to that effect),well ya lookin' at one right here
As a kid living across the paddocks from EN (housing estates now) I used to walk my bike thru the thistles with a couple of mates up to EN & leave our bikes with the nice man at the carpark ticket box, (hmmmm come to think of it 'amberale' he too asked us kids whether we liked Gladiator movies, bugga that we said would rather watch a smelly old plane anyday). Us kids used to go sit on the observation deck & watch planes for hrs, no camera though as that was a luxury back then, but we where still 'spotters', just not recording the fact. Sometimes we would go stand at the fence line where there was an open gate near a hangar & wait for someone to pass so we could ask to go wander around the light planes, this we did a lot with perhaps the odd person coming up to us & asking can they help us. After about 10 mins we where usually left alone after asking a zillion q's about planes. Obviously never walked around the big planes like the DC3's & even the really big DC9...wooohooooo etc.Spotters, I see them as mostly curious perhaps fanatical about planes but never had the chance for many reasons to go beyond just watching.
Wmk2
Interesting thread .....
For mine, I've always had a love of aviation and a keen desire to learn to fly - but never had any inclination to become a "spotter" despite being an avid photographer. Dunno why, but photographing planes never really occurred to me
.
Since starting out on my PPL, I strangely find myself hanging around the field after my lesson camera in hand (with very long lens!) taking shots of the comings and goings.
So - should I feel ashamed of myself that I've almost become a disgusting creature, or should I feel happy that I can both enjoy flying itself as a hobby and enjoy recording aspects of aviation via my other interest in photography? Maybe as a budding pilot I can record things with a different eye?
Who knows - at the end of the day, to each his own (as long as you don't hurt anybody).
For mine, I've always had a love of aviation and a keen desire to learn to fly - but never had any inclination to become a "spotter" despite being an avid photographer. Dunno why, but photographing planes never really occurred to me
.Since starting out on my PPL, I strangely find myself hanging around the field after my lesson camera in hand (with very long lens!) taking shots of the comings and goings.
So - should I feel ashamed of myself that I've almost become a disgusting creature, or should I feel happy that I can both enjoy flying itself as a hobby and enjoy recording aspects of aviation via my other interest in photography? Maybe as a budding pilot I can record things with a different eye?
Who knows - at the end of the day, to each his own (as long as you don't hurt anybody).
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Australia
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Expecting the uniform to get a reaction were you?? Please don't tell me you wore it to the local shopping centre during lunch whilst back in your training days.... please
Westfield Shopping Centre at Airport West used to be the swaggering ground for instructors at Essendon
A: He'll tell you ....
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Lunch time at Westfield Shopping Centre at Airport West used to be the swaggering ground for instructors at Essendon...the aviators sunnies over their heads were seriously awesome
Many a time in my former GA days I would frequent a certain shopping centre food court with no hidden intentions or motivations other than to get myself some lunch before heading back to the "office." Does a police officer get into his civvies everytime he pulls into a McDonalds? Or a paramedic? Or any other regular Joe who is required to wear a uniform as part of his job description but - heaven forbid - he might have to be seen in a public place for a few moments? Get over it.
