Plane Spotting 101

What is plane spotting?

Plane spotting is watching aircraft and keeping track of the ones you've seen. Some spotters photograph them, some log every registration, and some just like a coffee by the runway fence on a Sunday. There's no wrong way to do it.

On The Plane Spotter Network you can find good places to watch, meet other spotters, and, with the SpotterGO app, collect the planes you've seen as cards in your logbook.

What you need

• Your eyes and a phone. That's enough to start. SpotterGO tells you what's overhead from live flight data.
• Binoculars (optional). Even cheap ones help you read the airline and registration.
• A camera with a zoom (optional). Most spotters start with a phone and upgrade later.
• Warm layers, water and a snack. Spots near runways are often open and windy.

Finding a good spot

• Look at the spots directory or the map. Every spot says what you'll see from it (for example "23L approach") and when the light is best.
• Check the wind. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the wind decides which end of the runway is busy. If the spot covers the approach to runway 23, it's best when the wind blows from roughly 230°.
• Runway numbers are compass directions. Runway 05 points about 050° (north-east) and the other end, 23, points about 230°. L and R mean left and right on parallel runways.
• Keep the sun behind you for photos. A spot that's great in the morning can be all glare in the afternoon.
• Small airfields count. Aero clubs, topdressing strips and heliports have their own regulars. All 3,600-odd NZ airfields are on the map.

Spot colours: green, blue, black

Like ski runs and disc golf tees, every spot has a colour so you know what you're in for:

• Green · Family-friendly: easy access, facilities nearby, good with kids.
• Blue · Standard: a good spot, fewer facilities.
• Black · Keen spotters: a walk, a long lens or odd hours, and no facilities.

Telling planes apart

Every flight has three names, and spotters use all of them:

• Callsign: the flight, like ANZ457 (Air New Zealand 457). It changes every flight.
• Registration: the plane's own "number plate", like ZK-OXB. NZ-registered aircraft start with ZK-. It stays with the airframe for years.
• Type: the model, like A320 (Airbus A320) or B789 (Boeing 787-9).

Quick tells: count the engines, look at the wingtips (bent-up "sharklets" or "winglets"), the tail shape, and whether the engines hang under the wings or sit at the back. Turboprops like the ATR 72 have propellers and fly lower and slower, so they're great for beginners.

To learn the types and airlines you'll see here, and how rare each one is, see the aircraft & airline guide.

How catching works in SpotterGO

1. Open the camera view and point it at the sky. Planes in range get a bracket and a label from live flight data (ADS-B signals the planes broadcast themselves).
2. Find the real plane, line it up in the bracket, and catch it.
3. It goes into your logbook. Each type becomes a card that levels up the more you catch it.

Spotting safely and respectfully

• Stay on public land or where you have permission. Never climb or go through airport fences, and don't block gates, roads or driveways.
• Be friendly with airport staff and police. If you're asked what you're doing, show them. Spotters are often the first to report something odd.
• No drones near airfields. In New Zealand you need permission to fly within 4 km of an aerodrome.
• Never point lasers or bright lights at aircraft. It's dangerous and illegal.
• Kids: under-16s at meetups come with a parent or caregiver. Green spots are the best place to start.
• Respect privacy: no faces or number plates in spot photos, and don't share people's home addresses.

Words you'll hear

ADS-B

The position signal most aircraft broadcast. Free community feeds collect it, and SpotterGO uses it to label planes.

Approach

The final path a plane flies in to land. Great for spotting: low, slow and predictable.

Go-around

A landing that's called off; the plane climbs away and comes round again.

Heavy

A big wide-body jet, like a 777 or 787.

Livery

A plane's paint scheme. Special liveries are prized catches.

Rego

Kiwi shorthand for registration (ZK-…).

Squawk

The four-digit code a plane's transponder sends. 7700 means emergency.

Topdresser

A farm aircraft spreading fertiliser. Very NZ, and fun to catch.