Hot on the vapor trail
They know their aircraft better than many a pilot, belong to a worldwide network and often wait for days just to glimpse a rare plane. We join a group of planespotters in Hamburg
Affenfelsen lookout point, 7am. Some 200 people are standing in the rain at Hamburg Airport, scanning the runways and the sky. Olav Gröning is among them. “My HSV supporter’s heart bleeds but my planespotter’s heart is jumping for joy,” he exclaims. Today, May 12, is the European Cup final between Atletico Madrid and FC Fulham, the team that ousted Hamburg (HSV) from the European Cup semifinal. Soccer fans will soon be arriving on 73 special flights and in aircraft that generally never land in Hamburg. Olav’s father, Helmut Gröning, presses the shutter release 840 times.
Surging forward, their cars parked three deep behind them, the planespotters press against the barriers clutching professional Nikons and Canons. They have traveled to Hamburg from Dusseldorf and Berlin, from Holland and Denmark to stalk and collect pictures of rare planes like modern hunters and gatherers. Some had previously called in sick at the office (“the doctor prescribes a change of scenery”), others are skipping work, playing hooky or simply taking the day off – just to get the perfect shot. Zoom lenses dangle from many a neck and earphones can be spotted in most ears, ready to catch the radio exchange between the pilots and the tower.
- This catolgue of aircraft is a handy reference for spotters in the highly unlikely event that they do not recognize a plane
Spotters have set up two laptop computers in the Coffee To Fly snack bar – where business is booming – at the top of the hill. One of them shows a radar screen, the other is connected to the Internet and tracks flight movements. “He just said ‘bonjour’, there’ll be a French plane landing next,” calls Gröning senior, who, with Olav, runs an online forum for planespotters. “We’ve had three million hits, with questions about photos from as far away as Australia,” Gröning junior adds.
The Grönings are not alone, but they’re members of a like-minded community rather than a club, Helmut Gröning takes pains to explain. “We look at planespotting as a hobby and what counts is enjoying what we do.” Other members of the group include the retired policeman Arthur Schuldt (“You can also collect pictures of manhole covers, there are around 600 different types in Germany”); Günter Riedel and his son Marc, who had to leave Hamm in North-Rhine-Westphalia at one in the morning to get to the airport on time for their planespotting spree; and the retired couple Jutta and Günther Jakob (“We like taking vacations near airports”). She takes photos, he jots down registration numbers, and they archive their material in the winter months.
Planespotting for beginners
What to look for
The more airlines, the better. Planespotters particularly love rare planes such as government aircraft or the six-engine Antonov An-225. Russian aircraft are generally popular because many have been decommissioned. Aircraft with unusual markings, special paint jobs as well as advertising and charter planes with changing designs are very popular, too. As are recent aircraft models like the Airbus A380, which is only operated by five airlines worldwide. Lufthansa has just added the world’s largest airliner to its fleet and the planespotting community is looking forward to other airlines following suit.
The perfect picture
Aircraft type, paint job, serial number, airline and registration should all be visible. The best shots are oblique frontal shots taken in good light.
Prime airport sites in Frankfurt
Take the Zeppelinheim exit off Highway A5, turn left, park and walk the short distance to the passenger bridge that looks out onto runways 25L and 25R. Hamburg: The Affenfelsen site is right by the Coffee To Fly bistro at Holtkoppel 100. The Schlickhügel site is behind the lookout bridge at the Airbus plant in Finkenwerder on Nessdeich. Munich: Hallbergmoos at the end of Amalienstrasse.
The following websites also give directions to the best spots:
