Plane Spotting – For geeks: it never gets old.

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I don’t know what it is about watching planes take-off and land. I can sit in a park for hours and watch plane after plane land and never tire of just sitting and waiting for the next one.

Call me an airline “geek” or “nerd” but there’s something to be said for plane spotting. A lot of folks, especially here in LA, like to meditate to clear their mind and center themselves. The sound of a plane flying overhead does it for me.

It’s funny too, you would think that working in an airplane full time the last thing I’d want to do is watch more planes and sit around and airport (albeit outside) but surprisingly it’s quite fun.

And, a lot of people think so too. The website NYC Aviation is built for the idea of plane spotting and also offers their readers spotting guides for the local New York City airports and also airports around the country. Finding the perfect location to get the perfect view is key.

I recently went out to lunch with my friend Danny near LAX and sat on the grass eating our lunch watching the planes fly overhead while we caught up in between flights. Around us were many other people taking photos of the planes, and just hanging out relaxing in the park. There was also this little boy about 7 years old with all of his mini-airlines stationed on top of a rock. Everytime a plane would land he’d take one of them and have his plane land right along side the real one.

I remember being that age and always looking to the sky or wanting to get a closer look myself. Growing up in New York City, we’d frequently go to IKEA in Elizabeth, NJ to shop, and they used to allow outside dining for their restaurant. Out on the balcony were those oversized binoculars that you had to insert a quarter in to use, but they were pointed right at the runways of Newark Liberty International. I could have stayed their for hours.

Anyway, if you have’t done it before.. I suggest you do. It’s fun, relaxing, and still awe inspiring when you realize that a piece of machinery that size makes it to the air.

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