Saturday March 14, 2009
Plane-spotters get a rush from seeing aircraft
By THO XIN YI
AS an aircraft soared into the blue skies above the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, Simon Cheong cheered. “I came here all the way from Malacca just to catch this newly-delivered AirAsia A340!”
Cheong is one of a few plane-spotters, or aviation enthusiasts as they prefer to be called, rejoiced at the sight of the aircraft with white nose and red fuselage.
They hurried forward, aiming their SLR cameras at the big vehicle and clicked away furiously.
These plane-spotters get an adrenaline rush just by viewing and taking photos of the aircraft.
This bunch of fun-loving people enjoy giving nicknames to the planes too.
Dugong, Jellyfish, Mad Dog, Red Belly, and even Kon Lou Mien (noodles tossed in soy sauce) were the names they had come up with, each referring to the aircraft’s design, shape, paint scheme or airline code.
Throwing just a casual glance at a faraway aircraft, they could identify instantly the exact model and airline.
Just like the real thing: After shooting the real planes under the hot sun, these aviation enthusiasts go indoors to take photos of the smaller versions of the aircraft. “You can differentiate them through their serial numbers, wings, or number and position of engines, for example,” Ong Keat Siong, 30, said.
And some even claimed to have the fascinating ability to discern the aircraft by their noises.
“Each has a distinctive noise because of its engine,” Syed Ridhwan Al-Yahya, 24, said.
It was high noon but the glaring sun that hung right on top of their heads was the last thing they were worried about.
Wiping sweat away from his forehead with his sleeve, Ong said: “We don’t think of filling our stomachs, too. The only essentials during plane-spotting are water and sunblock.”
Exchanging ideas on aviation and photography was what they do animatedly in between incoming or outgoing flights.
But their laughter and chats were often broken off abruptly whenever an aircraft was spotted. Not many people understand their niche hobby. They were often asked why they spent so much money and time just to look at planes, instead of doing something more productive.
“It’s just like a shopping day for girls — they go home with shopping bags and we, with loads of photos of aircraft to share with other enthusiasts,” Syed Ridhwan said.
Some of them, like Chaity as he is referred to among the hobbyists, even remember the flight schedules by heart.
“We always do research before coming to look out for certain aircraft. Sometimes, we can be here from 7am to 7pm,” said the project manager.
One particular flight that he was waiting for was piloted by a fellow enthusiast.
Same hobby: (From left) Aviation enthusiasts Cheong, Chua, Ong, Syed Ridhwan Al-Yahya and Lai enjoying a day out spotting planes. When his domestic flight touched down at about 2pm, Cheong and Ong waved enthusiastically and minutes later, the pilot called.
“He asked who was jumping up and down like a monkey,” Cheong, 35, said with a laugh.
Their friendship, dated back to around 2005, fostered through the days of plane-spotting together.
The other enthusiasts include students, bankers, engineers, marketing and sales executives, who share a common passion for aviation.
When they are not spotting planes or enjoying a bite together during less congested air traffic, they share photographs, trips reports and model collections.
Cheong and Ong became the centre of attention when they laid out their treasured collection at the viewing area in KLIA.
Little toddlers exclaimed: “Aeroplanes!” while their parents whipped out cameras to take photos of the aircraft models, which are normally 400 or 500 times smaller than the actual ones.
Cheong had difficulty choosing his favourite, but when pressed further, picked Qantas’ Yananyi Dreaming with Aboriginal design, Singapore Airlines’ Tropical with colourful patterns and British Airways’ Rendezvous with Chinese calligraphy on its tailfin.
Ong said he sourced his 80-plus model collection from all over the world since he was 17.
“Besides eBay, one can also get the models at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur and Atria Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya,” he said.
Their passion in aviation led them to condemn terrorism strongly.
“Nowadays, we can’t take photos as freely as we used to, because everything has its security concern.
“But honestly, I love aviation too much to risk it against any harm,” Tony Chow, 24, said.
The airline employee based in Brisbane, Australia, is keeping his fingers crossed that one day, the enthusiasts can be recognised by the authority here.
“In Britain, aviation enthusiasts work closely with the police and airport authority, looking out for and reporting suspicious activities around the airport and all the while doing what they love most — plane-spotting,” Chow said.
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