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LIVE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
ONLINE FLIGHT TRACKERS
AVIATION LINKS
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I have always been interested, or rather fascinated, by flight. All kinds of flight from the reality of America's space program to science fiction (the "Star Trek" universe) to everyday commercial flight. I can remember watching the very first Space Shuttle launch on tv in 1981 as well as having saved ticket stubs & boarding passes from some flights as a child with my parents. Over the years I've gained a pretty decent "basic" knowledge of how planes fly, different types of planes, and the business of aviation in general. I enjoy watching planes, photographing planes, learning about planes, attending air shows, flying as a passenger...and I'm sure I would enjoy piloting an airplane as well. I have taken an introductory and not ruled out the possibility of taking more flying lessons. I've put together a Planespotting Guide to share my knowledge and help you identify over 20 different types of aircraft commonly seen at U.S. airports and where some good places are to watch them. Click the plane on the left to get started. Airplane viewing, or planespotting as it's called, is actually more common than a lot of people realize. The origin of "planespotting" traces back to World War II when British citizens were asked to be on the lookout for German aircraft and to notify the Royal Air Force - this helped England defeat the Germans. There are far more spotters and enthusiasts in Europe than anywhere else, but even here in the United States on a typical weekend afternoon in many cities you can find dozens of people watching from viewing areas as jets of all sizes come and go from all over. Some of the best airports I have found include Miami and Ft. Lauderdale in Florida; Houston; and the Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington where there is actually a park located on the banks of the Potomac River just under the approach. Unfortunately, many of these viewing areas are being closed off and spotters chased away since 9/11/01. That this can help keep passengers and planes safer is far from the truth. A terrorist does not need a park next to a fence beside a runway in order to fire a weapon that can reach a plane. In fact, all aircraft flying under 10,000 feet are vulnerable to the kinds of weapons used in attacks in other countries and this pretty much includes any aircraft on approach or departure in a 10-mile radius around an airport. In England recently, the local police are actually enlisting the help of spotters around the Manchester Airport to report suspicious activity. People watching planes can be an asset to homeland security - we need to enlighten our government leaders. One thing I have found that is really, really neat is live online Air Traffic Control! Thanks to modern internet technology the public is actually able to listen in on ground, approach, and departure frequencies at some of the busiest airports in America and around the world. I have provided some links to the left to some of my favorite sites where you can listen to streaming live audio online. In addition to listening to Air Traffic Control, you can also track any flight in North America online, for free! I have provided some links to the left that will allow you to find flights operating between two airports, or find any flight by flight number, and track its position, altitude, and speed during the whole flight! As you can see from this page and the entire flying section of my site, its amazing what kind of detailed information you can find on the web for free! Not to be overlooked is the scenery itself when traveling by jet. Seeing the world we live in from a totally different perspective is an incredible experience. I always try to take a daylight flight and whenever I book a flight, I take into account not only the schedule and time but what type of plane I'll be flying on. To get the best view, If you're going to be on a 757, pick something in rows 29 - 32; in a 737 jet try to get row 19 - 24, and in an MD80 type of jet if you're sitting around row 16 - 19 you'll be in front of the wing and very quiet, and don't take the very last row in the back of an MD80 or DC9 because there is no window at all. Of course if you are flying Business or First Class then any window seat will get you a great view on most planes! A few years ago I began bringing a camera stocked with film along for the ride, and once I actually carried a small video camera onboard. Some of my photos have been accepted for posting on the leading aviation website, airliners.net. Visit my Photography page to see some of my favorite shots and links to my online photos. On the left I have provided some more of my favorite aviation-related links. Enjoy! |
