Plane-Spotting

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Age 12 I was in the cockpit of a Lockheed L-1011-1(LTU) during landing (and some time before landing, about 10 minutes).
It was highly fascinating to watch all the buttons and lights there and the actions the pilots were doing and the sounds.
When we were landing at DUS, the planes was diving into the clouds, "headfirst" with its "nose", never experience this view in the passenger space, very different.
Since 9/11 no more passengers are allowed in cockpit.

I have been obsessed with planes since I saw one for the first time in Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom. They have fascinated me ever since. I have been into many cockpits over the years from before takeoff/after landing to in maintenance hangars. I was once in an Air France A380 cockpit in 2010 in London Heathrow, it was quite an incredible experience to get into the cockpit of that aircraft! I have also sat in Concordes cockpit (G-BOAC) and a German Wings A319 on a stool with all the instruments stripped out of them in a hangar in Shannon Aerospace in Ireland. I do contrail spotting mostly as I don't live near a busy international airport, check out my YouTube channel with videos from my latest travels to Australia, Malaysia and the Netherlands. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvXwXS ... iuBu_q4Oew

I like plane spotting too. At a outdoor concert, I was able to identify a Boeing 747, and Airbus A380, and a Boeing 737. I can relate to you there.

I saw a recycled C9 in the air yesterday. That's almost like seeing a plesiosaur.

For those in the US:
Happy National Aviation Day!

For those outside the US, please join us in our celebration of National Aviation Day!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinth ... /31974425/

I sometimes plane-spot, but I don't go to airports. When I see a plane going by, I usually go to FlightAware and see what plane passed by. I usually see Horizon Air go by our place about twice a day, and it is quite low as we are about 5 miles from a regional airport.
I have also seen tons of planes at high altitude coming from the east coast heading for Sea-Tac or PDX. But I don't believe I have spotted a plane that was a international flight - most international flights to Europe go to the northeast from the United States, across Nunavut and Greenland.
One of my school buddies went on a flight to Europe (London I think?) and he was on British Airways. The flight went from Seattle, across BC, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, etc. to London. He said it was really cool seeing tundra 35,000 feet below him.

To this date I have NEVER FLOWN!!

Planes often travel directly over my house, so I don't need to go to airports to see them, but I do enjoy watching them.

I always reserve seat 23A, left slightly behind the wing to see the engine working.
On the engine is written: WARNING: STAND CLEAR OF HAZARD AREAS WHILE ENGINE IS RUNNING.

^ IKR *grin* I'm a big fan, it's just a plane lover's dream site!

I used to watch experimental Burt Rutan designs come & go from the Boulder, CO municipal field - more interesting than watching Marine One from the same place; he was testing pusher turboprops like the Beechcraft Starship and Piaggio Avanti.

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