So, this Monday I went plane spotting (yeah, that's what I did for Thanks Giving
) just by runway 36 of the airport so I’m writing this guide for those who are also interested in it!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, what is plane spotting? It is the observation, jotting down of the registration number and taking pictures of aircraft.
I’m going to talk about the airplanes registration and its uses later, let’s concentrate on taking pictures for now.
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What to bring:
MUST:
Camera
Aviators (because aren't they awesome?
)RECOMMENDED:
Tripod
Binoculars
Radio scanner (capable of hearing the aviation frequencies)
OPTIONAL ITENS:
Notebook (with pens too)
Portable chair
Snacks
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Before heading out
Prepare your items: Make sure that your electronics (camera, radio, etc) are charged and have enough free space. Also, depending on the day and how much time you want to spend taking pictures bring snacks, drinks, sunscreen, extra clothing and etc.
Check the weather: This is very important and will play a major role for aircraft spotters, you MUST check the wind direction! It’s the wind direction that determines where the planes are going to land. The simplest way is to type “Winnipeg weather” on Google and select the “Wind” tab:
By knowing the wind direction you can figure out which runways the airplanes are going to use. So, in this case they would be using runway 36 and 31 (see airport map).
Another thing that you can do before heading out is obtaining the schedule of arrivals and departures. It’s very helpful to know which airplanes are coming, who’s flying them and when they come. This information is easily accessible on the airport site (waa.ca).
Checklist:
• Batteries charged
• Available space on camera
• Wind direction
• Arrival/Departure schedules
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Selecting a location
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So it is better to move a little to the side where you can get a better view of the plane, its registration number and also the paint scheme.
I went a little bit to the side (see the approach towers on the back) to get a better view.
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Equipment
Using the cameras:
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Shooting mode: RAW
Camera Mode: Tv
Focus: Auto Focus
ISO: either leave it in automatic or put it low (because it’s daytime)
Shutter speed: select a high shutter speed (1/800 worked fine for me)
I also used a GoPro mounted on top of the camera for video recording.
Using the radio scanner:
Although it won’t help you taking pictures it is pretty fun to have the radio tuned in the tower frequency when a plane is just about to land! A radio will give the information of who’s coming, when and most importantly which runway they will use! When I went I didn’t have to worry about setting the camera when a plane was coming to the other runway. Also, a radio gives you that professional look and will also call the attention of those passing by!
You can either scan the radio frequencies when you’re there or have them ready. Frequencies can be found in the Canadian Flight Supplement and for the international airport here in Winnipeg they are:
ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service – they broadcast weather, including the wind!) – 120.2 MHz
Ground – 121.9 MHz
Tower – 118.3 and 125.4 MHz
Arrival – 119.5 MHz
Departure – 119.9 MHz
Military Operations – 121.0 MHz
Using the binoculars:
The binoculars are useful to spot planes from far way and also to watch movements inside the airport (taxiing, parking and etc) because using the camera’s zoom wouldn’t help much.
They also give that professional look
Using the notebook:
The notebook is to be used to jot down the aircraft registration numbers but it is optional because you can take the registration from your pictures.
Checklist
• Is your camera in the correct settings?
• Are you in the correct radio frequency?
• Is the airplane coming to your runway?
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After taking the pictures
So, you saw the planes coming and going and took pictures as well, but it is not over yet. It is time to process and organize the pictures!
Post Processing
Remember what I said about shooting in RAW? We are going to use the RAW files now on Photoshop to enhance the pictures and adjust them to your liking.
TIP: I’ve been successful in increasing the contrast and shadows in the RAW window, I recommend that you try and see if you like. Increasing the values for the shadows is especially helpful to bring the details in the bottom of the plane.
Before and after
Now that your pictures look great you can also organize them in a peculiar way. By using the pictures you can find the registration number of each aircraft. Look for the tail and see what is written in it.
Registration: C-FMZB (all Canadian registered aircraft start with "C-")
Aircraft model: Embraer EMB-190
Airline name: Air Canada
Rollout: 08-07
Delivered: 24-09-07
Construction number: 19000111
Airfield based: Montreal-Dorval, QC, Canada
(I got the data from planefinder.net)
You can also track the plane live on flightaware.com just with its registration number!
Also, another piece of information that you can see from your pictures is registration number of the airline, most of them found top of the tail (close to the front landing gear in some cases). In this example it is 334, so it means that this is the aircraft number 334 in Air Canada’s fleet. Large companies tend to do this as a better way to organize their own fleets.
This was my guide for aircraft spotting, I hope you have enjoyed. Feel free to contact me!