Toulouse: who are the “spotters”, these airplane fans stationed near the landing strips?
By Maxence Dourlen
Published on
UN good cameraa VHF radio and one stool : here is the perfect paraphernalia of the plane spotters “, this fan of planes regularly posted near the airstrips.
This is particularly the case at theairport of Toulouse-Blagnac where several people meet regularly to share this fever around aviation. A true passion, spotting simply consists of observing planes, gathering information or simply taking pictures of them.
Different types of spotters
A term used since World War II, spotting was a way of observing the sky to spot enemy aircraft. A kind of identification intended for the greatest number. Since then, several kinds of spotters have emerged. In England, the activity consists in observing the planes with binoculars before taking notes relating to the registrations or serial numbers.
Elsewhere, aviation enthusiasts favor photography. This is particularly the case in Toulouse, “a very interesting airport because of its heavy air traffic”, specifies Nuno Seletti, alias ” Icarus watchman “. A resident of Blagnac, the 21-year-old young man embarked on this adventure in 2017. “Toulouse is my “base” even if I spotted in other airports like Marseille or Châteauroux to observe the famous Antonov An-225, the biggest plane in the world! »
“I took two days off with three friends to go to Châteauroux on leave, just to see this extraordinary plane! We left at 4 am so as not to miss his arrival, the kilometers are not a problem. »
A daily passion
Spotter since 1983, Yannick Delamare, known asEurospot, dedicate at least an hour a day to this passion. “I never stop,” he jokes before listing the various trips he has organized to observe planes. “Istanbul, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Russia… This weekend, I’m going to London to bring back some new stuff and observe jumbo jets. Every year, I make a little obligatory visit to Barcelona too! »
“Every morning, I take notes in a calendar before my breakfast and watch Flight Radar so I don’t miss anything. Then I go to my own Facebook group to see what’s going on before asking colleagues at Airbus. There really is special monitoring! »
“When I’m on vacation, I can spend a whole day watching planes,” adds Icare spotter. “If a plane is rare, you can wait several hours, but on average I would say that I spend between two and four hours there per week. »
“I was offered a trip to Los Angeles so I could see the planes there. For a week, I would take pictures on the ground and even aerial if I have the opportunity. »
A real community
The interest of this passion does not only reside in the fact of photographing planes. Spotting is also a way of gathering between aviation lovers. “I met my best friend on a spotting forum”, welcomes Clément Alloing, a 37-year-old from Toulouse. “It’s really sharing and encounters,” adds Yannick Delamare. At the end of March, the 56-year-old spotter was even approached by a Portuguese man who came to Toulouse especially to observe an A320neo bearing the image of Donald Duck, a legendary Disney character. “We give each other advice, it’s really fraternal. »
“We regularly share our pictures on social networks, the different information we get on a plane etc. It’s a real community, rejoices Nuno Seletti. In addition, we make friends, we spend time together, we exchange advice…”.
Few structures in France
Although there is an association in Toulouse, “Spot’air”, and it is something privileged for access to the slopes, spotters do not always receive the best welcome. “In France, the structures are not there, saddens Yannick Delamare. Here, safety comes first. In other cities like Zurich or Manchester, there are the necessary structures to fulfill our passion. This is also the case in Belgium or Germany. »
“Sometimes the police don’t like us to stand in certain places…”
Despite everything, mentalities seem to appear lately around spotters. One of them even confides that the Air Transport Gendarmerie (GTA) finally approached them in order to work out some information in relation to their observations. A good reason to keep your head in the clouds (and on the tarmac) a little more!
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