Imagine standing at the edge of a runway, with the deafening roar of four massive Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines as an Airbus A380 hurtles towards you at 300kmph. As it soars overhead, you catch a glimpse of the airliner’s livery; in many ways, its uniform—branding its identity, detailing its make, and sometimes commemorating an event. There may be just over 250 such planes in the world, but this one, that you glimpsed, is special.
Those who thrive on such encounters are part of a passionate subculture known as plane spotting. The hobby offers a chance to glimpse your favourite machines in action, often with fellow aviation enthusiasts.
“I have seen some of my friends go giddy with joy like school kids. I love watching fighter [jets] like the Su-30MKI take off. The thunder of the jets and the afterburner is just amazing — words cannot describe the feeling,” says Venkat Mangudi, 51, from Bengaluru.
Mangudi has been snapping aircraft since his childhood, when he watched yellow gliders land at the city’s Jakkur aerodrome. For him, plane spotting is a great way to spend time outdoors — a realm he also explores to pursue nature photography.
“Every time I see natural subjects, I end up appreciating how much we have designed our machines based on nature. I cannot help but imagine how far behind we would be if Man had not observed nature keenly enough to replicate it,” he says.
THE PERFECT SHOT
Plane spotters often upload their work on websites like Jetphotos, the world’s largest aviation photo database. Thousands of photos land on its pages every day, but countless others are rejected. The livery must be clear, the registration number visible, and the plane must be central to the overall composition. There should be few, if any, signs of overt editing.
Though he follows them, 21-year-old Aiyaz Sayyed, a mechanical engineer in Mumbai, says it can be time-consuming to try and match all these guidelines. Even so, plane spotting is a form of therapy for him, bringing him closer to what he loves.
Plane spotting is not just for aviation forums — after one of his Instagram reels of a Boeing 777 over a crowded Mumbai street garnered over six million views, Sayyed was invited onboard a Vistara Airline’s flight to mark their eighth anniversary — with a route drawing a perfect eight over the Arabian Sea.
The hobby is not without risks. Defence airports are off limits, and shooting at commercial airports can be prohibitive — possible, albeit with many permissions. Spotters are usually allowed to click from vantage points outside the airport, dubbed “landside”.
Even so, one may still be apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), mandated to guard India’s airports. Explaining that your intentions are benign and stemming from sheer aviation geekdom could help you get away with a warning (one of Sayyed’s reels pokes fun at the tendency to laugh awkwardly when caught). But Sayyed emphasises that one should never mess with the officers. “Always respect them and their duty,” he adds.
PLANES TO LOOK OUT FOR
While many planes have their own unique attributes, some are worth making the extra effort to catch a glimpse of. Here are some notable planes worth spotting:
AIRBUS A330-743L BELUGAXL
One of the largest planes in the world, the Beluga stands out with its eponymous whale-shaped design. Designed to carry massive cargo, the behemoth measures 63.1 metres in length, 18.9 metres in height, and can carry a payload of up to 44 tonnes (up to seven elephants).
BOEING 747 “JUMBO JET”
The “Queen of the Skies”, this large airliner has been a mainstay for many airlines since its debut in 1969. Though hundreds still fly, the last of its type left the production line in 2022, and the model is expected to be phased out by the end of the decade.
AIR ASIA’S AIRBUS A320- 216 VT-APJ
In 2015, Air Asia named its sixth aircraft after Dr A P J Abdul Kalam in honour of his 84th birthday. While the registration number pays tribute to the late President, the plane’s livery is a colourful promo for the Rajnikant-starrer, Kabali.
This article was first published in the June 2023 issue of the Happiest Health magazine. To read more such stories subscribe to the magazine, please click here.
