Aircraft reg's. Why do you collect them??

[wokka]

I've wondered what the pleasure was in taking down serials. I don't have any feelings either way, each to their own etc etc. But the way I see it is its more hardcore than my hobby of photographing aircraft. I could quite happily have just 10 photo's of planes if they were the best shots I had taken but serial collecting has no stages of pleasure. You would have to gain an astronomical number of serials to feel gratification in what you have achieved? I could take 200 shots in one day and have only a handful to satisfy me whereas every serial would have to be jotted down to gain the same level of achievement. Collecting serials is for the hardcore player in my opinion.

That's probably not the reason why people collect them, but its certainly the reason why I don't

Says the man with a "Veg growing blog"!

I looked down the forum to see the different types of hobbies we have, and its remarkable how we all do it differently but at the end of the day it comes down to AIRCRAFT.

RichC have you had an answer yet? The reason is surely that for the individual who does it, it makes them happy! I dont know about Mark though. You want to aim your banter at Flaps. He's characterised 3 different groups and you're not included in any of them! Do you take your radio everywhere in case someone starts talking to someone?

[RichC]

Well, i think i've had my answer but has Pete has his? I must apologise for hijacking his original question

As for taking my radio, i try and take my radio and camera everywhere if i am out (and allowed). Last summer when we took the girl out for a picnic, i laid down on the blanket listening to my radio! I got told off

'tis a good thread, it is nice to know what others think of the hobby.

[wokka]

yes, my apologies to Pete. But you see what I mean, the radio thing could be seen as very err, different.

Interestingly we seem to have kept this limited to Mil because we are a mil site. But I have watched civvy number crunchers roll up at Farnborough while I sit waiting to watch something loud climb out and they will be frantically shuffling about trying to get a reg of something that you can only see a cockpit of. but then do they wonder what I'm doing sitting in the car barely moving my eyeballs as the next King Air buzzes past? zzzzzzzzzzz

[flat cap]

Perhaps the whole thing could be covered with a family tree kind of affair, with 'enthusiast' at the top and then everything else branching off it?

It could be worse though......


http://www.pylons.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Arthur Tee]

I think (perhaps) you (or we) need to look at the title of this thread - take a step back then ask these two questions...

Do you collect the numbers of aircraft?

OR

Do you collect aircraft numbers?

They are two very different things!

Just take a look at ZJ157, ZJ301, ZJ490, ZJ575, ZJ695, ZK006, ZK100 and ZK201 but to name a few...

Arthur

[Dave Smith]

I swapped my anorak for a selection of Gillets and a Barbour years ago

[HighlandSniper]

Having read this entire thread I'll put my cards on the table ... ... ...

I collected both civil and military serials/Registrations in my teens back in the seventies when we had a proper air force and the RN had real carriers, but quickly tired of it. Since then, my interest in aviation (especially military) has continued and I take photos on an opportunity basis, but not to the level of skill/obsessiveness of many on FC.

Whilst I don't have a particular problem with any of the various branches/interests described here, I won't claim to understand them. I simply can't understand why spotters knock monitors and vice versa.

Of the various areas of interest, I find the concept of radio monitoring the oddest. I can understand why a guy sitting at the fence at RAF Witterminghamouth would want to have a radio to allow him to anticipate arrivals/departures etc., I'm rather puzzled by the interest in listening to RT comms from/to aircraft that you can't/won't see, but each to his own as they say.

RichC - stop knocking the spotters - your hobby is at least as geeky as collecting numbers
Ducks, runs, dives for cover ... ... ... "INCOMING"

[PeteHemsley]

Well, i think i've had my answer but has Pete has his? I must apologise for hijacking his original question

i think i have, Rich. its simply just a hobby that never ends. i think all the lads and lasses on here, regardless of what they enjoy are a fantastic bunch.

you wont get answers unless you ask the questions

pedro

[HighlandSniper]

We've got to face facts - photos, serials, radios, models, the ladies all think we're saddos whichever floats your boat

It's mostly a bloke thing, but like all bloke things there are a few lasses who's brains are wired properly.

[blakey]

Well ive seen me name mentioned so i guess i'll have a say and get this run away thread locked

Collecting reg's: personally i cant see anything wrong with that apart from those that spot and aircraft at +30,000 feet and then ask what its reg/callsign etc was, now thats just cheating and a lazy way of collecting numbers but im still not going to knock thosethat do it

Listening to the old radio/scanner: I do have a scanner but the only things i can understand on them are Coningsby approach and tower, anything else goes over my head and im not willing to learn the jargon so i wont knock those that listen either

Now the old photographers: and i class myself as a very amateur amateur photographer, but they do baffle me when im at the fence and i still cant get my head round it sometimes but each to their own.....

heres just an example, ive been stood on the mound at Coningsby taking photos when lets say inbound is ZJ801 hes come in for a touch n go and asks to go around maybe 4 more times and each time a touch n go, ok has he's done this ive took a sequence of pics and so have the others on the mound with me, but the next time he comes round im standing there watching it, but the other lads are still blasting away on the old DSLR's and they do this until it lands, Now if someone can tell the difference between the first approach and the last (that needed documenting with a photo) maybe i'll understand what thats all about.

And And And they do the same with KING AIRS, now thats just weird, its a King Air for god sake

In fact if its a Typhoon that is based at Coningsby i wont even turn my camera on sometimes, because i know it will be the same photo i have in my album from 2-3yrs ago (unless it has a new number/code on it) but i dont do numbers so that wont bother me either.

No,even though im 10 mins away from the end of the runway, unless its something different coming in i wont go to Coningsby anymore apart from like the other night when i was passing after a job

No these days you will find me on the banks of the River Haven waiting for vessels coming to/from the Port of Boston

[Blue Diamond]

Well ive seen me name mentioned so i guess i'll have a say and get this run away thread locked

Collecting reg's: personally i cant see anything wrong with that apart from those that spot and aircraft at +30,000 feet and then ask what its reg/callsign etc was, now thats just cheating and a lazy way of collecting numbers but im still not going to knock thosethat do it

Listening to the old radio/scanner: I do have a scanner but the only things i can understand on them are Coningsby approach and tower, anything else goes over my head and im not willing to learn the jargon so i wont knock those that listen either

Now the old photographers: and i class myself as a very amateur amateur photographer, but they do baffle me when im at the fence and i still cant get my head round it sometimes but each to their own.....

heres just an example, ive been stood on the mound at Coningsby taking photos when lets say inbound is ZJ801 hes come in for a touch n go and asks to go around maybe 4 more times and each time a touch n go, ok has he's done this ive took a sequence of pics and so have the others on the mound with me, but the next time he comes round im standing there watching it, but the other lads are still blasting away on the old DSLR's and they do this until it lands, Now if someone can tell the difference between the first approach and the last (that needed documenting with a photo) maybe i'll understand what thats all about.

And And And they do the same with KING AIRS, now thats just weird, its a King Air for god sake

In fact if its a Typhoon that is based at Coningsby i wont even turn my camera on sometimes, because i know it will be the same photo i have in my album from 2-3yrs ago (unless it has a new number/code on it) but i dont do numbers so that wont bother me either.

No,even though im 10 mins away from the end of the runway, unless its something different coming in i wont go to Coningsby anymore apart from like the other night when i was passing after a job

No these days you will find me on the banks of the River Haven waiting for vessels coming to/from the Port of Boston

IMHO digital has made a lot of us photographers lazy/profligate and blaze away in the hope that one shot will be the master shot. I can understand this approach with fast moving aircraft in good light as you never quite know where the perfect angle will be but I've seen people blasting away in crap light and I do wonder why but it's their camera and memory card so good luck to them.
Now to add my own bit of weirdness, I do digital sound recordings of aircraft. Mostly classic civvy and piston powered warbirds but the occasional piece of military heavy metal gets added to the collection. Does mean being stuck out in the middle of a field well away from clicking shutters and the tannoy but the results are worth it and it's something to do when the light is naff.

[RichC]

I enjoy taking photos whilst out and about, got my first DSLR in 2006.
But i have noticed something too. And it is only with those who frequent the "loop".
If i am near a helicopter hovering, taking pics. I hear next to me several other photographers (usually from the loop on an outing to SPTA) with their 6fps capability firing away 30-40 shots in a few seconds of one helicopter hovering.

I am there taking one or two photos and if i see something different happening (change of light, swing the fuselage around etc) i will take more. I always take a few shots in around 30 seconds just incase one or two are blurry due to the slow shutter speeds which is sensible if you don't have Image Stabilising or a tripod.

But after taking my second or third shot, they are at it again, another 30-40 shots firing away like a machine gun. So within 5mins, these fiesty photogs have taken 50-60 photos of one helicopter hovering in the same location with the same background and nothing different. Then the funniest thing is when something juicy happens or something more interesting, they are on the floor hurrying to change their memory cards because they run out so quickly......

We was having a discussion about it on our last trip up there and it baffles us! Those who regularly take photos of helicopters stand back with these fast jet picture takers machine gunning the helicopters to death with their DSLR's! Most have expensive IS lenses and their shots will come out great anyway.

I suppose each "Category" of the hobby have their own geeky thing. Yes i agree, monitoring is geeky..
My friends in the Marines, Air Force and Army think its geeky but the funny thing is, they are always wanting to know what i am listening to and enjoy it when they do too and think its cool being able to hear what i can monitor.
Those of us who think other people are geeks are geeks ourselve as we are frequenting this forum

I must be even more geeky as i remember setting up all these forum boards for you all to enjoy and argue with me about geeks

[HighlandSniper]

Those are the guys who have to replace their cameras because of knackered shutters while yours is still going strong. I totally agree with you, I just don't see the need of taking quite so many images - perhaps they just like the whirring of the motor drive. I've had DSLRs since 2000, and certainly found I took more photos then I did with film, but I certainly haven't got Motordrive Fever as typified by so many users.

[michael1970]

Oh Pete what have you done, seems our discussion in Wales got you thinking.
Well I see both sides I think.
Number collectors - To some I have watched as in Shawbury last week they just want a number why? They clearly have no interest in the aircraft as they just ran from tail to tail as quick as they could to fill up their books. Then sat on the bus looking and counting them. Just seems pointless its a number. Must be cheaper to stand at the side of the road and collect car reg's, colours and makes and go somewhere like the A1 and you could fill your book in a day god just think how many you could get in a week. Plus Travel Lodges have many sites located near main roads so you could take advantage of their cheap offers from the comfort of your room.

I agree with the photographer thing too. I have stood there taking a picture only to hear what sounds like a machine gun clicking away next to me again why. 3 shots fine but until the buffer is full again madness. And taking pictures of an aircraft over and over again why. Or these ones that take the pic when its 10 miles away what for.

Dont class myself as a geek I have an interest which has taken me around the country to places I would never have seen. I have met some great people and I have no patches hats or anything which deems me as a SPOTTER

[RichC]

We get the spotters asking what difference is it between writing down callsigns or frequencies and listening to the radio to writing down serials.
The fact is, i can do things with my information, what can you do with serials in a logbook?
If i find a frequency and a callsign using it, i can monitor it and discern what type it is from the callsign and transmission, hear what is going on, that frequency then might help me get a good photo as it acts as a heads up hearing the pilot say where he /she is going, next waypoint and so on and routing. So really, it helps no end to getting several things at once.

So what achievement do you get by writing down a serial and then going home?

[POL]

So what achievement do you get by writing down a serial and then going home?

I know which aircraft are based where, and with which squadron, or is that useless information?

[RichC]

But i know that from a callsign or frequency they might use (depending what type of frequencies).
I didn't say what you get is useless but what do you do with the loggings? Apart from know where things are based. ?

With your loggings, they can be incorrect quite quickly.
For example, the Royal Marines and Army swap around airframes like there is no tomorrow with their Lynx and the Navy Lynx swap nose cones and panels meaning different serials from different ships. Was told and shown this when there once.
Was watching an 847NAS Lynx doing its stuff on a RM exercise and the cab they were using said ARMY on the boom with an Army serial. The same went when i saw an Army Lynx on SPTA using an Army callsign based at Wallop and it said MARINES on the tailboom!!

[GOOSE]

Not sure about others but I judge my aircraft spotting year by how many different aircraft I see that year that I've not seen before.

Last year 1545 went in the book, of those 564 were new to me.

My best year was 1995, the year I was lucky enough to visit AMARC (as was). That year 6206 went in the book of which 5090 were new.

I'm rather sad and like the statistics thing. If I didn't record which aircraft I saw I wouldn't be able to tell you that so far in my hobby I've noted the serials of 46,650 aircraft, of those 23,753 I'd seen for the first time! Now that is sad!

A particularly good day can be remember when looking back quite easily.

Unfortunate since approx 1999 all the figures include Civilian machines too, there's just not enough Mil around anymore

[Mike]

This is a great thread,thanks to Pete for starting it.

[RichC]

You liking Statistics? No way

That is a lot of aircraft Goose, and yes you are correct, military airframes are dwindling and the ones replacing the mothballed/scrapped ones are being replaced in not so many numbers either so it's not like there are more and more to see, there's almost certainly less to see and record everywhere. As less multi-mission aircraft are needed to take over more of the single mission aircraft etc.