Tbh I showed up at my usual spot near runway 28 at DFW last Saturday and they'd put up a whole construction fence overnight. Ended up finding a gap in the bushes behind a gas station that actually gives a better view of the 777s landing. Has anyone else had to scramble for a new spot after getting blocked out?
Met a fellow spotter at LAX last month who swore by a UV filter for protecting your glass. I slapped one on my 70-200 and went to shoot the 747 departures. Every single shot came back hazy and soft, especially in the afternoon sun. Took it off halfway through and suddenly got crystal clear frames. Has anyone else had trouble with cheap filters messing up their shots on bright days?
He told me I was shooting way too slow a shutter for landing planes and now I actually get sharp pics instead of blurry streaks, anyone else had an old pro call them out and change their whole setup?
I was at LAX last Tuesday trying to spot arrivals after dark and kept mixing up 777s and A330s. My buddy showed me this trick where you count the main landing gear wheels on the side you can see. Most twin aisle planes have 3 sets on each side, so 6 total, but the A330 has 2 sets with a single wheel on the front bogie. That visual shortcut saved me from guessing wrong every time. Has anyone else got a quick visual tell for telling similar models apart at night?
I always used to snap photos of planes as they were coming in for landing, thinking the closer the better. Then last month at PDX, an old timer with a Canon zoom lens walked up and showed me his shot from the same approach. His had the landing gear perfectly angled and the runway texture crisp, while mine looked flat. He explained I should wait until the plane is about 100 feet off the ground, not right at touchdown. That switch in timing made such a difference in my photos. Has anyone else had a moment where a small change in technique transformed their results?
I was at the bay trail near SFO Saturday around 4pm, just watching arrivals. This older guy said the 747 will always be the real queen because it's been around longer and saved air travel. Then his buddy fired back that the A380 is way more impressive to watch land because of its size and how quiet it is. I've only been spotting for about 2 years so I don't have a strong opinion yet. Which one do you guys think puts on a better show when it comes in, the classic hump or the double decker?
I was at the In-N-Out near LAX last Saturday, and some dude with a giant lens told me I was wasting my time by the chain link fence by the parking garage. He said the real action is on the west side of the runway near the employee lot, and I thought he was just being gatekeepy. But I tried it on Sunday, and he was right. The approach angle is way better, and I caught a 787 on final that I would have totally missed from my usual spot. Has anyone else found a hidden spot that totally changes the game?
I used to just sit in my parked car watching landings, but after three hours my back was done. The chair gets me way closer to the action and I can hear the engines better. Anyone else ditch their car for a spot along the perimeter?
I was bored last night and decided to count up all my landing videos from November at LAX. Turned out I caught exactly 503 landings, which is way more than I thought lol. Most of them were 737s and A320s from the In-N-Out spot, but I got a few rare cargo birds too. Has anyone else ever bothered to count how many they've tracked in a month?
I was out at Denver last Saturday watching the usual lineup and this guy next to me with a $3000 lens literally packed up and left because the only big jet coming in was a 787. Meanwhile a retro Delta 737-800 with the widget livery taxied by and he didn't even blink. I get that the A380 is huge and rare but there are so many cool liveries and older frames still flying. I spotted a United 757 with the battleship gray scheme three weeks ago at SFO and nobody else even turned their head. Why does everyone only care about the biggest plane on the runway?
Always thought cargo was boring until I spent 2 hours at Anchorage airport last month watching FedEx MD-11s come in from Asia. Those old tri-jet roars are something else. Anyone else have a favorite cargo route to spot?
I overheard a guy at the spotting deck last Saturday saying he checks Flightradar24 for planes coming in from unusual cities to spot rare airline paint jobs. I gave it a try and caught a one-off Air New Zealand All Blacks livery landing at LAX that I would have missed otherwise. He said he sets alerts for specific tail numbers that get posted in fan groups, so he knows 20 minutes before touchdown. I started doing the same and it's helped me grab photos of a KLM orange pride plane and a retro Delta livery. Do you guys use any specific apps or filters to track down unique aircraft before they hit the runway?
I was out at Phoenix Sky Harbor last Sunday, set up right near the fence by the viewing area. The 747 was on final approach, perfect lighting, and I had my shot framed up. Then some kid ran past and kicked a pile of sand straight into my camera lens. I spent the next ten minutes trying to blow it off with my breath while the plane touched down and taxied away. Has anyone else had their whole spotting day ruined by someone else's chaos at an airport?
Driving out to my usual spot near the end of the south runway at Portland International. Middle of nowhere. Hit a bolt or something and the tire went flat fast. No spare because I took it out to haul gear. Had to call a buddy 40 miles away to come get me with a pump. Missed a British Airways 777 landing. Anyone else had their whole day derailed by a stupid mechanical fail?
Was at Kansas City International last Saturday, settled in at my usual corner near the east end of the terminal. Had my camera and notebook out, ready to catch the 3:45 PM Delta A321 coming in. Some security guard came up and told me I couldn't stand there anymore because 'it's a restricted area for employees only.' I've been going to that same spot for 2 years and never had a problem before. I packed up and walked over to the parking garage roof instead, but the view is way worse with all the light poles in the way. Has anyone else had their go-to spotting spot suddenly taken away without warning?
That means more planes are flying longer instrument approaches for no weather reason, so if you're spotting at a smaller airport, get there earlier because the traffic pattern might be shifting and you'll miss the good stuff has anyone else noticed this change at their local field?
I spent a GOOD 3 hours yesterday cleaning dust off my shots of a 737-800 landing at PDX, thinking it was sensor grime. Turns out I just had a smudge on my 70-300mm that I didn't bother wiping before the session. Anyone else waste way too much time fixing the wrong thing?