Aircraft Categories. US v. Europe

[Timothy Aanerud]

Why is it that North American contributors are more apt to categorize their aircraft photos by aircraft type and European contributors are more likely to categorize their photos by location? I think this is a true statement for almost everyone whom is listed as a "Top Photographer" on the home page of Airport-data.com
--
Timothy
A North American who sorts his aircraft photos by aircraft type.

[Doug Robertson]

Good question, Timothy. For a long time I have wondered about the same thing. I sort my aircraft photos by make, model and further breakdowns-Warbirds with further sub groups, Experimental class aircraft with further subgroups, Production aircraft with further breakdowns, S/LSAs, Military aircraft, Helicopters, Lighter than air, etc. etc. As I had so many floatplane photos, I put those taken at LHD under a sub-heading of the world's largest seaplane base, a deviation from my usual approach.

There are far more aircraft photos than airport photos on this site. Someone wanting to find a particular photo or photos of aircraft by make and model would be hard pressed to find them by looking in the Airports section of any contributor, I believe. Search Aircraft feature here brings up an aircraft photo, but not one filed by airport code in the Airport section

In Europe and in the U.K. there is far less General Aviation flying and it is heavily controlled for between country flights. Is the U.K. still charging pilots for every takeoff and every landing at a U.K. airport? Practically all the German exchange engineers from Germany who worked at Point Mugu in technology transfer tours learned to fly in America in Point Mugu's Aero Club, first based at OXR and then at NTD, as we had so many aircraft in the club and they were so inexpensive to fly, even our T-34 warbird, as compared to learning in Germany. Many European recreational pilots get the glider rating only as that is much cheaper. Further, are more of the European contributor photographers non-pilots, hence less air to air aircraft shots?

I average one request per week for use of one or more of my aircraft photos. Far more rare, for example, I recently got a request from an FAA Safety Officer in Anchorage, Alaska for use of a Merrill Field Tower airport photo of mine in preparing his presentation to local pilots. I'm also a North American.

[Doug Robertson]

Please permit a further reflection on friend Timothy's question. Many photographers outside of the USA refer to their hobby as Aircraft Spotting, recording at what airport photos of aircraft were taken.

When I first worked as a young, un-specialized Airman Apprentice E-2 and Airman E-3 in US Naval Aviation on military aircraft ramps the term Aircraft Spotting had an entirely different meaning. What I do, as do many others here now is simply aviation photography.

I have never quite understood, either, the older men who stand near railroad tracks Train Spotting and copy down the freight cars' long serial numbers as the trains go by, usually near a terminal where speed is slowed and it gives them a better chance to get all the numbers right in their little handbooks. And, I am not referring to railroad employees such the yard bulls (railroad cops chasing hobos); rather these are railfan hobbyists. Any enlightenment on this would be appreciated.

Perhaps, to each his own.

[moxy]

Aircraft spotting along with train spotting and even ship spotting are popular hobbies for not just middle aged blokes but chaps of all ages. The UK publishers Ian Allen produce a book annually which was, in my day the spotter's bible. It is called 'Civil Aircraft Markings', known as 'CAM' by spotters and lists the registrations of every civil aircraft on the current UK and Ireland civil register at the time of publication. It also lists the fleets of those airlines that regularly visit the UK. When any particular aircraft is seen, the relevant entry is underlined. In later years the same publisher has produced 'Military Aircraft Markings' which again does what it says on the tin.

Always having lived near Heathrow I spotted for a number of years and still have my CAMs from the early sixties. In those days the books were filled with Daks, Connies, Britannias, Vikings, Viscounts, Ambassadors, Tiger Moths, Proctors etc., etc. The foreign section included Air France Breguet Deux Ponts, Aeroflot TU104s, Malev Ilyushin 18s and Swissair Convair 440s to name a few. Modern spotters don't know what they are missing.

The hobby is very educational and instils an interest in flying in general and very
importantly, support for recreational flying and the aerodromes that support this. General Aviation needs all the support it can get what with the threats to many airfields by government and loathsome property developers who want to cover them in houses or retail parks. The earth doesn't need more houses, it needs less people. I digress.

It amuses me how many people look down on spotters of all kinds and consider them as rather sad individuals. In England they call them 'Anoraks' because apparently they all wear this particular type of coat and carry a bag containing sandwiches, thermos flask and binoculars. This is rubbish of course. Never had an Anorak in my life. Perhaps they should look at those people that get up at 5am in the morning, travel to a piece of land and proceed to use a bag of sticks to manoeuvre a small white sphere into an assortment of tin cans placed about 500 yds., apart, whilst wearing ludicrous attire. Now that is weird.

[Doug Robertson]

Love it, my laugh of the day!!!