""It's a deeply knowledgeable community similar to "people who drink wine and know where the wine comes from just by tasting it," Peter says. "You hear a plane, and you're able to tell which engines they are-and by the engines, you know, oh, it's this model of plane. And if it's this model of plane, then you know it's arriving at this time, and it's this airline.""
""You get all these views of these incredible planes taking off from the runway and you have the Manhattan skyline behind you," says Brandon Cross, a plane spotter from Miami who turned to the hobby when he couldn't afford pilot training but still wanted to pursue a passion for aviation. "I mean, it's iconic.""
""It's the Super Bowl of plane spotting," says Rae Kaczmarek, a 21-year-old student from Colorado who is spending the semester interning for LA Flights."
Plane spotting attracts a deeply knowledgeable community that can identify engines, aircraft models, arrival times, and airlines by sound and sight. Spotters use vantage points such as chain-link fence perimeters, hillsides, and observation decks; some locations require trespassing while others are friendly to enthusiasts. The TWA Hotel rooftop at JFK offers an observation deck and heated infinity pool overlooking runways and the Manhattan skyline, drawing international enthusiasts. Spotters record and photograph unique tail numbers to document rare or special-edition aircraft. Major events like the United Nations General Assembly bring many heads of state and their special planes, increasing sightings.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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