Hot Air'chive'

The ramblings of an avgeek

A global view

As always, a gentle reminder that what follow are strictly my opinions – subjective, personal, focussed and quite possibly wrong!

In August 1989, those with long memories will recall that I met my husband, Ian. That same month, Baltia Airlines (or USGlobal Airlines as it rebranded in 2017), was established as a start-up carrier to operate scheduled transatlantic flights. The services were to depart from New York JFK to various destinations in the former Soviet Union. Jumping forward to 2025, the carrier has the distinction of being the oldest US start-up airline and, as I write this, has still to operate any flights! Over the years, it has placed deposits and purchased several elderly Boeing 747-200s, all of which have been subsequently scrapped. It has also changed strategies – moving from long haul flying from JFK to operating regional routes from Stewart Airport in New York to once again looking at transatlantic flights to now western European hubs from its new home. Over those same years it has faced numerous problems with obtaining, and retaining route licences, and in convincing regulators of the strength of investment raised.

Baltia Airlines is not unique in the world of start-up airlines but it is the most extreme example, particularly as it has so far failed to operate a single flight. Other carriers, often with a niche selling point, have started or indeed planned to start operations but have had limited success and failed very quickly. From a British point of view – Silverjet, the all-business class carrier operating from London Luton, which operated for a short period of time between 2007 and 2008, FlyAtlantic which was to fly from Belfast to the US and Hans Airways who were looking to start flights from the UK and India – are all cases in point.

The reason for this history lesson featuring an airline which has failed to make any flights in 36 years is a simple one. When British ‘virtual carrier’ Global Airlines was set up in 2019 and announced plans to operate Airbus A380s on transatlantic routes from London, I freely admit that I referenced the Baltia Airlines saga and said words to the effect that “I’ll believe it when I see it.’ Last week, with the operation of single return flights from Glasgow and Manchester to JFK, I admit to having to eat my words.

The fact that these flights took place at all is a huge achievement, and one I did not believe I would see. Like many other commentators, I scoffed once again in 2023 when the airline’s CEO, James Asquith – more on him to follow – announced that Global had purchased its first Airbus A380 – the first airline to do so for a number of years. The A380 – an aircraft which had previously flown for China Southern as B-6140, was originally delivered to the Chinese carrier in February 2013 and was withdrawn from use along with its four sisterships in December 2022. It was officially transferred to the operating certificate of HiFly Malta and was appropriately registered 9H-GLOBL.

James Asquith, Global’s CEO, made his name as the founder of online travel business Holiday Swap, which, very simply, enables people to stay in each other’s homes for free – it is seen as very much a competitor to Airbnb. His other claim to fame is as the youngest person to visit all 196 sovereign nations. He is also young – being just 36 years old. Alongside Asquith is the carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer, Richard Stephenson, former Communications Director with the UK CAA.

I think in some ways my reluctance to believe that Global would ever fly was partly due to the airline’s own advertising and clearly stated strategy. In its own words, Global set out to redefine transatlantic air travel – returning it to a ‘golden age’ of comfort and style. Early advertising pointed to a future fleet of Airbus A380s with elegant and remodelled cabins offering first, business and economy classes. The refurbished cabins would offer a brand-new approach to luxury, comfort and onboard experience. This experience would also include state of the art entertainment and inflight connectivity. The three cabins were originally envisaged as five, including a ‘Gamer class’ to attract those keen to game for the duration of the flight, presumably taking breaks for meals. The airline also announced partnerships with Laurent Perrier and Rova Caviar, offering the latter in both first and business classes. The nascent airline set standards very high and expectations on the same level. The key, when services commenced was whether those expectations and promises could be met.

The Airbus A380 is an expensive aircraft to operate and is now no longer in production. This means that only ‘pre-loved’ aircraft are available to Global. The former China Southern aircraft saw nine years of intensive flying and would require a comparatively huge investment to bring it to the standards that Global envisage for it. Global has a second A380 – 9H-MIP, an older, early former Singapore Airlines example, operated again by HiFly Malta and currently stored at Lourdes/Tarbes.

The airline’s initial stated goal was to launch flights from London Gatwick to both New York JFK and Los Angeles. Earlier this year it announced that its first flights would instead be single return flights from Glasgow and Manchester to JFK with the first departure from the former on the 15th May, with an operation from the latter on the 21st. In each case, the aircraft remained on the ground at JFK before the daytime return flights on the 19th and 25th May respectively. Tickets went on sale but, as the flights would be operated on Global’s behalf by HiFly Malta, they were only available through an online travel agency and not through the airline’s own website. Herein lies the problem. Global does not have an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and has no route licences. These flights, using Global’s aircraft, were operated as effectively one-off charters by HiFly on Global's behalf.

Fares were offered in all three classes and a number of well-known YouTubers were ‘invited to buy seats’ on the first flight, from Glasgow. The likes of Josh Cahill, Noel Philips, Patrick Shea, ‘Worldwide Dom’ and ‘Swiss001’ among others held tickets across the classes. The Global strategists may have been regretting this ‘invitation to purchase’ seats by the end of the first flight because the reaction, posted in a number of trip report videos after the event underlined Josh’s stated aim to ‘hold airlines accountable’ and were, to varying degrees, pretty damning. Josh is quoted as saying that Global ‘over promised and under delivered.’

This gaggle of vloggers made up a decent proportion of the passenger complement on the first flight as there was a total of fewer than 100 on board. The subsequent flights suffered similarly low passenger tallies. The Youtuber complaints are very well documented and can be summed up as service failures, a cabin which still reflected its Chinese origins and previous wear and tear, no inflight entertainment, no working power outlets and a general air of disappointment and promises not fulfilled. This appeared a world away from the vaunted redefinition of air travel. Of course, inflight reviews are subjective but the reality was almost universally ‘sobering’. Reaction from other passengers who have reported both in the press and social media echoed the general summary of those vloggers.

Amidst the negativity I will return to the positive achievement that the flights actually took place. As a photographer I would have been among the hordes who lined the viewing areas at both Glasgow and Manchester to capture the departures, arrivals and positioning flights. An A380 wearing a new livery – even more so than Emirates' raft of special colours – this A380 struck a chord. The airline’s initial publicity (and indeed an aircraft model displayed on board, albeit with two missing engines) depicted an artist impression of an A380 in a coherent stylish scheme with red sweeping from the tail onto the fuselage. The livery adorning the aircraft operating these flights was again a disappointment – an overall white fuselage with the company logo on a red tail. I suppose we should be thankful that it was painted at all – it is sad however that investment in the exterior of the aircraft appeared half hearted and perhaps matched the interior. What the external and internal refurbishment brought to my mind were echoes, for fans of Fawlty Towers, of Mr O’Reilly’s famous ‘lick o’paint, lick o’paint’.

We cannot forget that these flights were not operated by Global but on their behalf by HiFly. It is easy to put some blame for shortcomings onto that carrier. Clearly these flights did not offer what was intended when Global was founded and set out its mission.  Unfortunately, the promise did not live up to expectations – for many of those who paid hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of pounds for their tickets. Global Airlines promised a great deal but they have perhaps heightened a wariness and scepticism for their ability to deliver in the future.

Having completed the two transatlantic trips, 9H-GLOBL according to Fr24, ferried to Dresden on the 26th May. This German facility undertakes works and maintenance on Airbus A380s for Qantas among others. It remains to be seen what happens next. Global Airlines has announced no further flights, routes nor indeed plans. The airline’s website hopefully promises that ‘our new website is landing soon.’ This old cynic will keep an interested eye on the future and I sincerely hope that it gains its AOC, route licences and delivers that redefinition of air travel. If Baltia Airlines teaches us one thing – it is that hope stays alive and who knows what the future will bring…

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With more flying colours

In the weeks since the first part of this blog appeared, comparing an airline’s current livery to the new Korean Air scheme has clearly become ‘a thing.’ “At least it is better than Korean…” “It shows imagination, which is more than can be said for the new Korean colours…” and so on. The furore just proves that how an airline paints its aircraft matters. Its influence ripples like a stone hitting water – to use an attempt at poetic imagery – from the narrow enthusiast community, wider to airline staff, wider still to passengers and yet wider to shareholders and the outside world. My loyal readers will probably agree that I have done the new Korean livery ‘to death’. Indeed, I have. But I hope you also agree that it served its purpose – to show the influence such fundamental change can have.

In the second part of this blog, I will look at a few experiments which have caught the imagination of enthusiasts, photographers and even politicians, over the years. I will also look at some of the more recent perceived success stories and what they tell us about the future of airline identities. Before heading off into a niche world very important to me, I realise everyone will have an opinion and that there will always be a ‘marmite’ slant – one man’s incredulity is another’s wet dream. Everything is subjective but I hope there is enough that we can agree on.

As a budding enthusiast, back in the late 1970s and 80s, there were some unmistakable highlights that were both instantly recognisable and ‘must see.’ Sadly, for this European spotter, they were both American.  Dallas – Forth Worth based Braniff International had already turned heads (and maybe stomachs) in the 1970s with special schemes on a DC-8 and Boeing 727 designed by Alexander Calder. In 1978 an orange Boeing 747 – which became known as ‘The Big Orange’ or ‘The Great Pumpkin’ commenced flights between the airline’s base and London Gatwick. Although I did not start taking photographs of aircraft for another six years, its impact was very real. I loved seeing this distinctive aircraft flying over the UK when out and about and that was the key. It was unmistakable and like nothing else around at the time.

The second carrier, low-cost People Express Airlines (PE), began flights, again to London Gatwick, in May 1983. They bucked the familiar trend of cheatlines on white or silver fuselages. Their aircraft, including the Boeing 747s used on the transatlantic flights from Newark, featured a once again distinctive earth tone fuselage with red stripes and a stylised double face on the tail. When the airline was merged into Continental Airlines in 1987, we photographers were then treated to a number of years where we were able to shoot examples of the former PE aircraft, in their original distinctive scheme, with the new owner’s titles, while awaiting a trip to the paint shop.

This proves a rule that hybrid schemes, over the years, have often provided that frisson of excitement for the avgeek community. Arguably, some of these ‘mashups’ were more successful than the originals. One example that sticks in my mind is a Boeing 737-800 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA). During WEF 2013, helped by a gloriously sunny but frigid day, I photographed UR-PSF in Zurich wearing the striking blue and yellow colour scheme of AeroSvit, its previous operator, with the titles and tail logo of UIA. Arguably, this ‘collaboration of colour’ worked better than the original AeroSvit identity and got those camera shutters moving.

One factor which I’m sure freezes the blood of airline branding specialists everywhere, is the involvement of politicians. Politicians at times feel the need to opine and ‘play to the crowd’. Perhaps the most memorable example of this posturing was seen in the UK at the Conservative Party conference in 1997. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously covered the tail of a model of a British Airways aircraft wearing one of the ‘World Tails’ designs. The idea was to feature unique decals celebrating the global nature of the airline’s business. In a characteristic response, Mrs Thatcher exclaimed that “We fly the British flag, not these awful things.” This intervention clearly speeded up the change to the current ‘Chatham Dockyard’ scheme based on the Union Flag.

British Airways was not alone. Over the years, a number of airlines have reverted to previous identities after politicians have expressed their displeasure. The reasoning, in pretty much all cases, was that the new livery did not sufficiently showcase what might be described as a ‘national identity’ – setting aside any aesthetic improvements or design values. Air India’s short-lived 1989 livery revision – featuring a ‘Eurowhite’ fuselage along with a golden sun on a red sash on the tail – was only painted on ten aircraft before the clock was turned back. The precursor to the new livery, the ‘Flying Swan’ scheme was not introduced until 2007.

Similarly, TAAG Angola Airlines unveiled a new scheme on its first Boeing 737-700, due for delivery in 2006. The livery did not meet government approval, and the aircraft was delivered in the existing scheme. In 2020, a DHC-8-400 was rolled out in a revised modernised scheme, only to be delivered in the original. It is only now, with the delivery of Airbus A220s and Boeing 787-9s that the airline can finally boast an updated identity.

In recent years ‘Eurowhite’ has become something of a dirty word, an insult usually followed by ‘they could have done so much more.’ The consensus among avgeeks and, I hope, the wider public, is that a white fuselage, with limited colour, is boring and, dare I say, unimaginative.

With apologies to Dante and his “Inferno”, before we all abandon hope, whether entering or not, there is a lot of colour to be found and its popularity augurs well for the future. We all know that paint weighs, and that more paint weighs more. The cost of fuel, impacting an airline’s bottom line, is a huge determining factor. You reduce the weight of an aeroplane and you reduce the costs. Setting aside the benefits of lightweight solutions, some airlines have continued to ‘paint’ their aircraft and buck the trend towards Eurowhite.

To illustrate my point, I will provide several examples which, in their own ways, underline the importance of brand and the thinking behind it. ITA Airways, which launched in October 2021, is the successor to Italian national airline Alitalia and has adopted a striking identity. Its aircraft wear a scheme which some observers have rightly labelled ‘dazzling’. The livery features a blue overall fuselage, white engines and the Italian flag on the rudder. What makes this livery a winner for me, as a photographer, is that it looks stunning in different light conditions and oozes the style, class and sophistication for which the Italians are rightly famed. The lingering death of its predecessor was a painful episode for the country. The rebirth, in the form of ITA, called for a strong national identity and in that it was supremely successful.

Another change of livery which has perhaps generated more Marmite than any in recent years (until Korean Air came along, ed…), is that of German scheduled leisure carrier Condor. The new livery, with five colour variants, was introduced in early 2024 under the tagline ‘passion is our compass!’ The idea behind the aircraft’s fuselage covered in stripes was designed to echo the look of deckchairs representing its many routes to leisure destinations. The five colours, and scheme each have their own name and clear identity – Sunshine (yellow), Sea (blue), Island (green), Passion (red) and Beach (beige). The intention, made clear in the airline’s publicity is to promote the airline’s niche and to ensure that you will not be able to miss its aircraft on the ramp or indeed while flying above you at 40,000 feet.

The last of the three innovative schemes I will point to is one that is unlikely to be seen in European skies for a while. Russian airline and former OneWorld member S7 airlines, introduced its current name and a truly striking new identity in 2005. Out went the former Sibir Airlines name and a traditional livery harking back to the days of its history as the Siberian division of the national behemoth Aeroflot. The 2005 livery featured the airline’s new name derived from its IATA code and a vivid (or lurid) overall two-tone green fuselage with silhouetted figures along the fuselage. In recent years, this livery has been revised but, I am pleased to say that the colour has remained.

I am no seer – anyone who knows my history of backing losers will know that. My forecast for where airline liveries will go have to be taken more as an expression of wishes. I sincerely hope that a review in ten years’ time will see the replacement of several current schemes which show a lack of imagination and indeed colour. If someone could kindly make this suggestion to the boards of China Southern, China Eastern, Turkmenistan Airlines and Air France, I will be eternally grateful.

Looking through my archive built up over the last 40 years, I can point to some liveries and special schemes which have really generated interest and brand awareness. New Zealand was definitely fortunate to feature many of the locations used in filming ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and ‘The Hobbit’. The national airline quite rightly exploited that good fortune and painted Boeing 777-300s in themed schemes, which remain some of my favourites. It has to be hoped that such imagination and aversion to ‘Eurowhite’ will not be lost on airline branding agencies in the years to come.

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Corporate aircraft registries - the 2025 numbers 

 For the last 13 years, as part of my work with one of my clients, I have produced an annual review of the numbers of aircraft with a collection of registers specialising in corporate jets. This data was then published in a monthly newsletter. Having moved on from that client I have continued the tradition, have compiled the data again, and publish it here under my own name. This year I have also taken the opportunity to look back at the figures from 2015 to illustrate the success of certain jurisdictions and the buoyancy of the sector post-Covid.

As a starting point, allow me to provide a little information about these registers and their recent development. The eight registries for which I compile data are a mix of what could be described as ‘offshore’ and ‘onshore.’ Traditionally, the popular offshore registries have been located in the Caribbean – Cayman and Aruba, and in the mid-Atlantic, Bermuda. In recent years, they have been joined by a number of countries and territories keen to attract corporate aircraft and the financial benefits such business can build in the wider economy. Each of these registries has had to demonstrate a unique selling point (USP) to attract owners and operators.

In 2007, the UK Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man established a register clearly aimed at high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). The Isle of Man Aircraft Registry (IOMAR) caters solely for private operation – commercial use of its aircraft is not permitted. Aircraft can only be utilised on a private or corporate basis. In many ways, the IOMAR ‘broke the mould’ and established standards of customer service, flexibility and ease of process, which others have tried to follow. The early years following the launch saw swathes of aircraft joining the register.

In 2010, there were 15 aircraft on the Maltese register. The full EU-member state that year enacted legislation to actively expand the register and attract corporate jet owners and operators along with commercial airlines keen to establish a base away from their home jurisdiction. Incentives and advantages have seen Malta come to specialise in the establishment of Air Operator Certificates (AOCs). There are currently more than 30 such operators specialising in the commercial operation of corporate jets. These include large industry players including Comlux, Hyperion, TAG and VistaJet; the latter with a fleet of nearly 100 aircraft.

One of the world’s smallest republics, San Marino, close to Rimini and completely encircled by Italy also had an existing aircraft registry – hosting just two small corporate jets in 2012. That year, the government sought to attract wealthy clients and business by opening up the register. It came to an agreement with The Aviation Registry Group (ARG) to establish and run a registry on its behalf. ARG had a proven track record as they already ran the well-established and successful Aruba registry on behalf of that government. Since re-launch the registry has seen spectacular growth and built a solid reputation for customer service and flexibility of acceptance of technical and crew standards.

In late 2012, the two UK Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and Jersey, announced plans to establish a joint Channel Islands Aircraft Register (CIAR) to be based in Guernsey. After protracted negotiations these plans failed and Guernsey announced that it would press ahead with its own register – the CIAR branded as 2-REG. In a move, easily predicted by those familiar with relations between the two neighbouring islands, Jersey announced its intention to also go it alone.

The CIAR officially launched in December 2013, with Jersey’s own following a year later. Guernsey’s register has seen steady growth over the years, and its business model, a public-private partnership with SGI, has provided a ready market and has allowed it to diversify into the registration of commercial aircraft between leases - a niche also exploited by others on this list.

Sadly, the Jersey authorities came to regret the decision to launch their own register as it proved an abject failure. While the CIAR prospered and registered both corporate jets and dormant airliners, the Jersey Aircraft Register (JAR) did not generate business, lacked a clear selling point, suffered several attempted ‘relaunches’ and was finally closed down at the end of 2022. Amid widespread acrimony it was confirmed that the overall cost of the JAR was £1.168 million against income of just £27,406.

In 2015, the Republic of Ireland, set up a new register aimed at attracting corporate aircraft for either private or commercial use. The ‘EJ-‘ register was launched by the government with support partner International Aviation Services (IASC) Shannon. The first aircraft, an Embraer Lineage joined in 2018 and a limited number of aircraft have followed. In addition to the new dedicated register, corporate aircraft continue to join the established EI- register.

Analysis of the following figures is of course subjective but there are clear trends. 2022 and 2023 saw numerous de-registrations and movements in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The dust has now settled and there are signals visible from the data. The traditional offshore registries – Bermuda, Aruba and Cayman have remained stable, with only Aruba showing growth.

In Europe, the San Marino registry has demonstrated striking, substantial and sustained growth. This is clearly due to its effective marketing, customer service and wide acceptance of technical standards. It has also benefited from the re-registration of aircraft from other jurisdictions on the list, clearly showing its attraction to owners and operators willing (and able) to move.

The number of aircraft registered in Malta also continues to grow, along with the number of approved AOCs. Malta’s position as a full member of the EU, coupled with incentives and competitive operating costs and customer service has clearly paid dividends. In addition, registrants in both Malta and San Marino have, in increasing numbers, taken advantage of the personalisation opportunities afforded by the change in permitted registration format. Malta now boasts 9H-EROES (Global 6000) and 9H-CARLO (PC-24) while San Marino offers T7-TURTL (Praetor 500) and T7-G550 (G550, unsurprisingly) among a whole host of others.

The Isle of Man has seen a small fall in the number of aircraft under registration – the IOMAR continues to attract new clients despite the challenges of Brexit and the UK’s exit from the European regulator EASA and customs area. The IOMAR is also known for effective marketing, a proactive approach, innovation and ease of registration process.

(The data that follows has been compiled from both official and unofficial sources and compares figures from February 2024 and February 2025, or latest available.)

The change in ten years is striking. The ‘new kids on the block’ have clearly taken business away from some established registries. The lucrative market for private operation of aircraft has also clearly been spread around over the course of time. The decision by the governments of Malta, San Marino and Guernsey, to launch, or relaunch, aircraft registries aimed at the corporate market, has clearly been vindicated.

It remains generally true that 95% of aircraft remain registered in the home jurisdiction of the aircraft’s owner. For those able to look elsewhere, there is now a ready and established alternative marketplace.

(Data for all years back to 2011 is available. Please contact me HERE for further details)

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With flying colours...

I have a lot of friends on Facebook and a large proportion of them are aviation photographers, enthusiasts or industry players. Recently, the power of the medium was pushed into sharp relief by the reaction to something as innocent as the rebranding and new livery of Korean Air (KAL). The unveiling of the new colours caused something of a storm and unusually the reaction, from this very unscientific sample, was almost universally negative. Keyboard emotions were running high and indeed running away with themselves. It got me thinking about the world of airline colourschemes and how we react to them and how that reaction matters.

As an aviation photographer, of commercial airliners in particular, I keep an eye out for new liveries, special one-off colours or just minor adjustments to what may be familiar schemes. I like photographing airliners in different light conditions and appreciate the care and thought which has gone into the development of an airline’s identity. It is for that reason that I shared the collective cries verging on disbelief of many of my colleagues when KAL made the ‘big reveal.’ Billed before the unveiling as “a stunning new livery, blending modern design with its iconic style,” a straw poll among fellow avgeeks found a distinct sense of disappointment. Among the more charitable reactions were “an opportunity missed,” through “it might look okay in good light” to “KLM wants their livery back!”

The former Korean Air livery had a very special place in my heart – yes, I know that sounds pompous and effected, but it really did. The ‘Powder Blue livery’ which has just been replaced, was introduced in 1984. I was in Frankfurt on my first overseas spotting trip that year and I got to photograph Boeing 747-200 HL7443 in the new colours and it made a lasting impression on me. The livery it replaced was very 1970s and did not stand out in a crowd. The 1984 livery, used four colours and was regarded as very bold at the time. While many airlines were opting for a lack of colour or ‘Eurowhite’ as it came to be known, Korean coloured most of the fuselage baby blue with accents of silver grey and a new ‘Taegeuk’ or Yin-Yang logo based on the colours of the national flag on the tail. It was striking and innovative and has stood the test of time.

There was therefore much anticipation and indeed excited chatter when KAL announced that it was to unveil a new design prior to the carrier’s integration with its competitor Asiana later this year. Those of us expecting a repeat of 1984’s innovation were, at first glance, left distinctly underwhelmed. The four colours have been replaced with just two – a largely metallic blue fuselage along with a darker shade of the primary colour. The titles have been shortened to just ‘Korean’; the font has been changed and the iconic tail logo remains but is now in monochrome.

In the aftermath of the KAL reveal, a number of Facebook posts appeared with avgeeks’ own alternatives to the new livery. Most of these reworked the 1984 scheme including nods to various aspects of Korean art, history and culture. These impressions were unsurprisingly different to the 2025 scheme and all of them incorporated more colour. There is an argument for saying that these enthusiasts have got far too much time on their hands but it simply shows the strength of feeling brought on by this significant change.

I have yet to photograph the new KAL livery (otherwise I would already have had a shot for sale in my Picfair store - https://briantrichards.picfair.com/ - unashamed plug – ed.). I am aware that a Boeing 777-300 in the new scheme has already visited Heathrow in sunshine and, some of the reactions by the photographers there on the day, have been more charitable. The overwhelming feeling however is that this jury is heading for a majority verdict. I look forward to delivering my own.
Of course, one photographer’s dream scheme, is another’s nightmare. Our reactions are subjective and of course, some of us just hate change. As an airline photographer, in simple terms, I judge a livery in part on whether I say to myself, based on an FR24 forecast arrival, “yes, that is worth staying for – I want a shot of that scheme.”  That eagerness may of course be simply down to a glaring gap in my archive and nothing to do with my subjective opinion on the aesthetic merits of the livery.

My final reaction to the KAL scheme is one of reassurance – being a ‘blue’ scheme, at least I won’t need to worry about a problem that has often caused me issues over my 40 years of taking photographs. I am red/green colourblind and my inability to recognise these colours in isolation (along with the odd element in brown), has always ‘coloured’ my reaction to aircraft liveries. There have been several examples of schemes which I have simply not ‘rated’ because I have not understood the relevance of a colour palette I cannot fathom, or indeed see.

Turning from airlines who, of course in my personal opinion, get it wrong, no doubt you are asking for an example of a carrier that has absolutely got it right. I don’t believe I am alone in my admiration and love for what I would call simply ‘the best scheme out there’. Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) introduced a new livery and logo in 2013 to replace a distinctly mediocre and staid scheme. Like the new KAL scheme, the AZAL livery is blue. Described as ‘vibrant’ rather than metallic, the shade symbolises the Caspian Sea. The dark blue is enhanced with a light blue cheatline along the fuselage and shades of the colour on the tail.

The AZAL livery now adorns the 30+ members of the fleet along with the government’s fleet of bizjets and VVIP airliners, the latter includes examples of the Boeing 777-200, Boeing 767-300 and Airbus A340-600. This livery, among a host of other schemes which are predominantly white and more and more nondescript, stands out. If you put an Airbus A320 of AZAL next an example in the distinctly dull and predominantly white scheme of China Eastern Airlines, I know which I would prefer to photograph every time.

The AZAL scheme stands out because of the way it looks, in different lighting conditions. Going deeper, I can appreciate that it ‘reflects the country’s rich history and culture. As one branding expert explains – it “is a blend of tradition and modernity, showcasing the country’s heritage while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic.“ It is easy to get carried away and veer off towards hyperbole but as a ‘man of the world’ I can appreciate a scheme that tells me something of the country from whence it comes.

Some airlines of course take this idea of showcasing their homeland to a different level. Carriers, like Brussels Airlines, have become masters in rolling out special schemes, highlighting particular aspects of their culture, art and history. Current and past Brussels examples have included Airbuses adorned with Magritte, TinTin and the Red Devils,  the national soccer team. The latest, unveiled this week, is designed to promote the Atomium in Brussels. At one stage, there were so many special schemes in the fleet, it was becoming a bit of a feat to find one in the standard, new, livery.

Alongside special schemes which keep the photographers and brand agencies busy, some airlines maintain the tradition of showcasing their history by painting aircraft in ‘retro schemes’ – an old livery on a state-of-the-art aircraft. Over the years, so many have done it. Iberia, British Airways, KLM, Aer Lingus, TAP Air Portugal, Air France, SAS, Aeroflot Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa have all attempted to recreate past glories, some with more success and levels of accuracy than others.
One airline has recently developed this to the next level. Saudi national carrier Saudia received so much positive feedback for its own retro scheme that it has reimagined and reworked that livery as the new airline’s new identity which is being rolled out fleetwide. This radical rethink and embrace for something from the past perhaps reflect a willingness to take former designs and perhaps follow through the old adage that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

In the second part of this blog opining on the world of airline schemes, I give some thought to some historical experiments which caught the imagination of the avgeek community. Some worked, some clearly divided opinion. I will also seek to dust off my crystal ball and try and identify trends for the future. I just hope that colour and passion is to the fore – something which photographers of airliners can agree we look for in all our subjects.

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MSC or WEF - The verdict

Regular readers of this blog will know that I made the difficult decision this year to change the venue for my favourite winter outing – taking photos of aircraft in sub-zero temperatures. Since 2005, I have visited Zurich a total of 17 times during WEF week – the AGM of the World Economic Forum held in Davos-Klosters. The appeal is magnetic – a combination of interesting government aircraft and corporate jets mixed with a good number of fellow enthusiasts and airport authorities who really understand the appeal of the event to the average avgeek.

This year, I decided to eschew my trip to Switzerland in frigid January and replace it with a visit to Munich in equally frosty February. For years, my ‘bucket list’ has included a trip to the capital of Bavaria during the MSC – the annual Münchner Sicherheitkonferenz. According to the blurb, “The Munich Security Conference is the world’s leading forum for debating international security policy. It is a venue for diplomatic initiatives to address the world’s most pressing security concerns.” Attendees to the three-day event, held at the exclusive Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, arrive in an assortment of government aircraft and corporate jets. MSC 2025, was no exception and this is the appeal and the reason for the trip.

I normally start planning my winter sojourn in July of the previous year and, being in the throes of refocussing my business, decided that it was definitely an either or – Munich, or Zurich – not both. Having high level discussions with my usual ‘travelling posse,’ we took a boardroom level decision to head to Bavaria and give Switzerland a wide berth in 2025. This was aided in no small part by slight disappointment with WEF 2024 – with an unscientific assessment of fewer aircraft of quality than previous years.

Once the decision was made, my husband Ian was forced to do some research. He had never really been aware of the MSC until my wittering about this entry on my ‘bucket list’ in July 2024. As luck would have it, the 2025 MSC, the 61st annual event, would certainly dominate the headlines throughout the three days in mid-February. The newly elected US Vice President, JD Vance, stunned the assembled leaders into silence with an unequivocally clear admonishment and an undertaking that international relations and US diplomacy were set on a profoundly different course under the new Trump administration.

Watching the weather and arrivals at Zurich airport during this year’s WEF was very much like slowing on a motorway to look at a car accident – you don’t want to look, but you cannot resist. The big question was of course, did we do the right thing? There was a small part of me that could not avoid a serious case of schadenfreude when I saw that fog was forecast for the first couple of days of WEF week. Similarly, I was silently relieved when I saw ‘wet Wednesday’. Happily, for those who had invested in a trip to Zurich, the weather improved dramatically for Thursday and Friday, with the latter seeing abundant sunshine.

In contrast to WEF 2024, government visitors for this year’s event included a number of aircraft that I would have given my back teeth to photograph and which had eluded me over the years. The brand-new Azerbaijan Government BBJ777, which turned up at MSC 2024 on one of its first missions, arrived in Zurich, albeit in less-than-ideal light. Similarly, I would have got ‘tired and emotional’ when presented with both the Israeli Government 767-300 and the stunning Argentinian 757. The BBJ3 of the DRC (registered in San Marino), the Botswana Government Global Express and the Indonesian Air Force Falcon 8X would also have scored highly.

In terms of corporate jets, I heard reports from several friends who missed us this year, that the number of aircraft was similar to 2024 but that the age of aircraft had reduced. Newer aircraft, means more variety and more recent frames means a more successful trip for the inveterate ‘number cruncher’. The overall, again totally unscientific, verdict on this year, was an improvement on 2024 in terms of quality, despite weather conditions which were at times ‘more challenging.’
So, with WEF 2025 in the rearview mirror, it was time to meet my travelling companions in Munich. Three Brits and an Atlanta-based photographer made up the group. Sadly, missing our usual Puerto Rican, equally Atlanta-based stalwart, we undertook to enjoy the trip nonetheless.

At the beginning of February, the BBC was forecasting freezing temperatures but total sunshine for the three days of the MSC. Sadly, over the two weeks prior to the trip, those forecasts changed dramatically. What we actually enjoyed (or was that ‘endured’) was three days of almost wall to wall thick cloud, with just a few hours of sunshine over the course of the weekend. We also faced a considerable number of snow showers and wind blowing from the East rather than the more attractive West.

Part of the attraction of a trip to the WEF is familiarity – it feels like going to a second home. With Munich, there was far more uncertainty and a requisite degree of research before departure. I had last been spotting in Munich in 2013 and with the passing of the years and a failing memory, work was called for.

Our intention, before the trip, was to explore the ‘spotter mounds’ and find the best vantage points taking into account the wind direction and weather conditions. It was clear from photos during the MSC that local photographers favoured the ‘southern mound’ and the fence further west along runway 08R. While we used the mound to good advantage on Saturday morning, using those rare clear skies, it was clear that photo opportunities would be more challenging than Zurich. Most of the locals were equipped with ladders which the authorities permitted to rest against the perimeter fence. This provided clearance over the wire and of course unobstructed shots closer to both the touchdown and departure spots on the runway. Anyone who knows me however, will conclude that the combination of 61 advanced years, a less than perfect sense of balance and the freezing temperatures makes the use of a ladder a recipe for disaster and worse, indignity.

As a result, the intrepid foursome, spent much of our time shooting and logging from the partly covered observation deck in Terminal 2. For me, with an aversion to shooting through glass, this proved an issue and meant that my camera got comparatively little exercise. As my followers will know, I am also an inveterate registration collector, so at least I was kept busy and out of trouble.

This year’s MSC provided an interesting set of aircraft but many of the aircraft which had caused a stir in Zurich, failed to appear in Munich a month later, as they have tended to do over the years. Only the DRC BBJ3 made a repeat visit, with the hoped for Azeri BBJ777 failing to appear. All of us were pleased to catch up with the rare Kuwait Government A340-500 9K-GBB but beyond that, the pickings, at least on the government front, were more limited than we expected. One thing to note however is that the US Air Force seemed to send a very high proportion of their VIP fleet, and associated heavy lifters, to Munich to accompany Messrs Vance, Rubio and Hegseth.

There were a reasonable number of corporate jets but nothing compared to the WEF. The ‘number crunchers’ among us did however leave happy as the Munich based and visiting airliners produced much better variety than those logged in Zurich. What I will not dwell on however is my last Lufthansa A350 which spent the whole of the MSC in Guangzhou on maintenance.

As always, it is the laughter and the camaraderie that makes these trips, in less-than-ideal conditions, both memorable and entertaining. Munich was no different. From a ‘cost of conviviality’ point of view, the contrast with Zurich was stark. Hotel accommodation, in the Premier Inn Munich Airport Ost, was excellent and reasonably priced. Eating and drinking were so much cheaper than the Swiss alternatives. It has to be said that being able to enjoy a litre of dark beer for just €7.40 in the airport’s own brewhouse put the just affordable Zurich airport food court into the shade.

The bottom line, while MSC 2025 was worth doing, we were hampered by a lack of quality traffic and poor weather. Having watched YouTube videos of previous aircraft movements during the MSC, it is clear that we were unlucky – expectations were quite justifiably high, but the reality did not live up to the billing. It was an enjoyable short trip but on balance I think, God willing, that the travelling troupe and I will be back in Zurich for WEF 2026. Zurich provides more than ample opportunities to view and photograph interesting traffic without the need to travel with a trusty, let alone rusty, ladder!

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What's in a number...

As an avid ‘collector’ of aircraft registrations growing up in the 1970s and 1980s life was quite simple. The only things you needed to remember was that the national prefix for the Soviet Union, CCCP- was really SSSR-, because of the Cyrillic alphabet, and that Oman was (and still is) A4O and not A40… ‘oscar, not zero’.  For those living under a flightpath you also had to be aware that aircraft registered in some countries – in particular Germany and the USA - do not display the number under the wing, to universal annoyance when looking skyward.

If I were starting on that path today, it would be a very different proposition. There are so many new things to remember and so many rule books which seem to have torn apart over the last few years. Once you are in the know, there are obvious reasons for the recent changes to international aircraft registration formats but it is now an awful lot more confusing for the unsuspecting ‘spotter’.

As luck would have it, while recently dining with friends, I was asked to explain the concept of aircraft registrations. Is it like registering a car? In very basic terms, yes. Under the Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation, signed in 1944, an aircraft has to be registered with a national civil aviation authority and display a unique registration number which denotes the country of registration. Each country’s authority lays down the procedures required to register an aircraft. An aircraft can only be under the registration of one authority at a time. The format of the registration number is laid down by the registering authority. Each country has a registration prefix identifying the jurisdiction under which it is listed. 

Now we’ve laid down the basics, we need to add a little meat to the bones. Firstly, as I mentioned, a registration number should be unique and carried by just one aircraft at a time. There have been instances over the years where the same registration number has been used on several aircraft at the same time. There is no easy way to say this, but this is a definite no-no. The reasons for doing so are often related to attempts to confuse authorities and usually involve the transportation of cargoes which their owners would rather remain away from prying eyes. Thankfully, examples of such activity are rare but essentially the act of doing so is like forging a passport – something one doesn’t really do!

As I also mentioned, national civil aviation authorities have a large degree of flexibility and discretion when it comes to how registrations look and how they can be used. Some, like Spain, will not allow registrations to be re-used. The next aircraft to be registered, does so in sequence and there is little lee-way for customisation or ‘individual expression.’ Similarly, some registries, like the USA, will permit registrations to be re-used. As aircraft are de-registered, for whatever reason, the number can be re-used on another airframe. This allows owners to ‘hang on’ to unique marks that have a particular ’hold’ or sentimental attachment for them. A good example of this is the popularity in the US of registrations which include multiples of the number eight. It is very likely that such registrations are much sought after by Chinese who believe that the number brings luck, prosperity and success - the more eights, the better.

The list of international aircraft prefixes was agreed in 1928 and, since 1947, it has been administered by ICAO – the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Naturally, as national borders have changed and new civil aviation authorities have been set up, so this list has been amended. A good example of this is ‘M’ – the prefix used by aircraft registered in the Isle of Man since 2007. The Manx authorities must have thought Christmas had come early when they were allocated this single, appropriate letter. Prior to 1928, ‘M’ was used by aircraft registered in Spain, but this was changed to the ‘EC’ currently used. As you can well imagine, the combination of the letter ‘M’ and four letters allows for a significant amount of easy personalisation. As a large proportion of the very popular and growing list of Manx registered aircraft are corporate jets, the attraction of ‘M-YTOY’ or indeed ‘M-RBIG’ or ‘M-IAMI’ is obvious.

It is fair to say that it is this personalisation which has caused much of the confusion and exasperation to which I alluded in my opening paragraphs. There are two examples above others which serve to illustrate this muddying of the waters. Both Malta and San Marino had existing aircraft registries which, at the beginning of the 2010s, were opened up to a wider audience. The governments of both countries sought to attract business and boost their economies through aircraft registration and the inward investment they hope it brings with it. Both states have been very successful – exploiting niche markets and providing unique selling points. Malta, a full member of the EU, has proved very attractive to companies looking to establish commercial operations using Maltese registered aircraft – both airline and corporate AOC holders.

San Marino, has also proved very attractive to corporate aircraft owners establishing a ready reputation for proactive customer service, competitive costs and ease of process and acceptance of technical and crew standards. The country has also entered into agreements with other states, a good example being Lebanon, to oversee registration and administration of aircraft in those territories.

In the last few years, both national aircraft authorities have gone one step further. Both have relaxed the acceptable format for registrations. This sounds fairly innocuous but has caused no end of bewilderment among those of us who spend much of our lives watching, photographing and recording aircraft. One of my photographer friends just yesterday posted a photo of an Airbus ACJ Two Twenty belonging to Maltese corporate operator Comlux on Facebook. Until a few years ago, Maltese aircraft were registered ‘9H-xxx’. Since the ‘liberalisation’ of the format, registrations can now read up to ‘9H-xxxxx’ with the latter encompassing numbers, letters, or a combination of both. In response to the registration of the ACJ Two Twenty as ‘9H-168OO’ my friend commented that “Those Maltese registrations are getting crazy.” For those of us set in our ways, indeed they are.

Similarly, photographing aircraft in Munich last weekend, during the annual Munich Security Conference, I noted San Marino Global 5000, ‘T7-ROYAL’. My response was framed in similar terms to my slightly exasperated colleague. Like Malta, San Marino, will also now permit the use of up to five numbers and/or letters after the national ‘T7-‘ prefix. Again, this is a move away from the long-accepted and recognised ‘T7-xxx’.

Although baffling, there is a sound argument in favour of this change. As I have already mentioned, it is comparatively easy to come up with pithy four letter registrations to follow ‘M-‘. Trying to do the same with three letters after either ‘T7-‘ or ‘9H-‘ provides more challenges, even to those masters in Scrabble. I suppose, ‘9H-OLE’ would appeal to a golfer out there but further possibilities are distinctly limited. Each of these two registries, charges a premium to allocate personalised registration numbers. In simple terms, widening the acceptable form is seen as a good way to attract further registration and wider business.

The widening of the acceptable format by these two registries has certainly resulted in some unusual marks. Some, such as ‘9H-EROES’, a Global 6000, and ‘T7-ALEX1’, and ‘T7-ALEX3’, a Global 5000 and Global Express respectively, provide clues to the owner’s thinking. Others, are less obvious and hold a significance that is not immediately apparent, even to ‘Alex’! ‘9H-168OO’ is a case in point – answers on a postcard please!

The final development which has caused unnecessary angst among us afficionados is the fact that some countries, in particular China and Australia are running out of available registrations using the traditional format and have widened the acceptable variables. Aircraft registered in China for example, up until a few years ago, followed the format ‘B-xxxx’ with the ‘xxxx’ being numbers. That has now been opened up to a mixture of both letters and numbers. China Southern Airlines' fleet of Boeing 787-9s now includes both ‘B-1297’ and ‘B-20EP’. Similarly, Australia has left ‘VH-xxx’ (three letters) behind and will now permit the use of  numbers. Virgin Australia’s fleet of Boeing 737-800s, including ‘VH-IWY’ has now been joined by 737-8s including ‘VH-8IG’.

As many of my long-suffering friends will testify, I can bore for England on aircraft registration and indeed registries. I have spent many years working with registries and seeing them develop and change. From the point of view of understanding, it is clear that there is a lot more now to ‘get one’s head around.’ That said, change happens and is often positive. My enthusiast friends need to embrace that change, enjoy it and realise that there is yet more to come.

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Back to BACEics?

For the uninitiated, I will explain the title of this blog from the get-go. For more than a decade I have spent a considerable amount of my time as a consultant specialising in corporate and business aviation. Through regular comment and newsletters, I have focussed on the sector and its big showpiece events which have regularly produced a succession of manufacturer announcements and provided a real focus for business aviation – NBAA-BACE, EBACE, ABACE, LABACE. Although the wording differs slightly, the ‘BACE’ part generally refers to ‘Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition’. With Covid, these events changed and continue to do so. The recent announcement that Europe’s largest corporate aviation event – EBACE, held in Geneva in May this year – will not feature a static display of aircraft, for the first time in 24 years, has put in stark focus questions over the future format and scale of these high profile shows.

Back in November 2023, following that year’s Las Vegas NBAA-BACE – the world’s largest corporate aviation event – I wrote an opinion piece for my client’s newsletter. Provocatively entitled “What is the future of large scale bizav events?,” the article sought to look into a crystal ball. I quote – “Perhaps alarm bells should have started ringing when I reported that Gulfstream Aerospace was not going to exhibit or have any substantial presence at this year’s NBAA-BACE. In fact, this year’s static display was a shadow of former years, and the published opinions of seasoned observers only serve to amplify those warnings. There may no longer be unanimous sector support for such large events.” Since writing these words, there have been further examples of manufacturers (or OEMs as I will call them from now on) eschewing the set piece events.

After Gulfstream Aerospace missed the NBAA-BACE 2023, it was joined by Bombardier, another of the ‘big five’ corporate aviation OEMs in missing EBACE 2024. Gulfstream again missed NBAA-BACE 2024 and were joined by Textron Aviation who backtracked and maintained a presence in the static aircraft park but not in the exhibition hall after earlier announcing their complete withdrawal.

To me, the OEMs, and in particular ‘the big five’ (Gulfstream, Bombardier, Embraer, Textron and Dassault) have always been at the heart of the ‘BACE’ events. Any diminution of that does indeed start alarm bells ringing. Over the years, these and other manufacturers have used these large-scale events as the perfect opportunity to capture the headlines. Whether it be the announcement of new models, or indeed family of models, or upgrades to a dependable workhorse – it has invariably been the OEMs who have ‘stolen the show’.

I dread to think how much OEMs have invested in these events – the highest profile and most grandiose chalets in the exhibition halls do not come cheap. The investment required in bringing a clutch of aircraft for display – particularly when considering the costs of insurance, personnel and security – is huge. In the past however, the argument has always been that these costs are completely justified and a simple ‘must have’ because the manufacturers must be seen, and seen big.

Returning to my crystal ball in 2023, I pointed out that the way OEMs sell aircraft is changing. Gulfstream’s justification for being absent from the last two NBAA-BACE events has been a shift of their sales strategy to ‘smaller, more customer-focused events.’ Perhaps this reflects a realisation that clients, or indeed their representatives are less likely to visit large scale events clutching their cheque books. Deals are far more likely to be initiated away from the show chalets. I said back in 2023 that “the continuing support of OEMs will be a key indicator for the future.” I believe even more strongly that this is a valid argument. Some shows, such as MEBAA in Dubai and LABACE in Brazil have continued with strong representation from OEMs, including Gulfstream. What we can deduce perhaps is that these shows take place in particular markets where the manufacturers want to focus their finite resources and feel that these shows’ advantages outweigh any disadvantages.

In my opinion piece I also quoted a comment on the side-lines of that year’s NBAA-BACE which noted that “The biggest winner from the NBAA show is the NBAA. The show has become just a big networking and job fair.” Networking has always been a huge part of these events – the number of receptions, parties and dinners is a clear indication of the importance of ‘pressing the flesh’. Again however, the cost of such hospitality and its value has to be questioned – not the least when the events take place in cities such as Geneva and Las Vegas – places definitely not in the bargain basement category.

During Covid, as with so many aspects of life and business, the big corporate aviation events ‘went virtual’. The internet-based sessions highlighted the urgent themes and watchwords of the sector – sustainability, net-zero, and indeed the future of business aviation in a world more uncertain than normal. What these virtual shows pushed into focus, by their very nature was the organiser’s agenda, tailored to a captive, locked-down and remote audience.

The pandemic gave private aviation a huge bounce as many people, including a sizeable contingent who had never considered it before, decided to use these aircraft and airport facilities to avoid interacting with their fellow, potentially infected, passengers. Orders for new aircraft, a dynamic pre-owned market and the increased popularity of fractional ownership, programme operators and charters, all grew exponentially in the early 2020s.

Industry leaders, heads of lobby groups and pretty much everyone in the business aviation sector is aware of the need to justify its very existence. It is an oft-quoted statistic but aviation accounts for just 2% of global carbon emissions and that business aviation accounts for just 2% of this figure. This has not however stopped business aviation from becoming a ready target for environmental protesters – many of whom, if one were being cynical, would suggest more the ‘politics of envy’ rather than deeply held principles. Corporate jets and the people who use them are an easy target. The industry has to do far more than spout the justifying phrase – ‘no plane, no gain.’ The days of such platitudes are over. Business aviation needs to go ‘that extra mile’ – to demonstrate the value of the sector and show that it is doing more than its fair share in terms of sustainability in the race towards net-zero.

Perhaps one of the reasons, the EBAA, the now sole organisers of EBACE in Geneva, have decided to remove the static display from this year’s event is that such a valuable display of aircraft in one small place is just ‘asking for trouble.’ Over the last few years, protesters have managed to breach airport security in a number of locations and resorted to damage of aircraft and assets. In 2023, more than 100 protesters managed to get into the EBACE static park, disrupting the show and forcing commercial flights at Geneva airport to enter holding patterns or divert. Security was ‘stepped up’ in 2024 but the cost of this additional security and of course insurance must surely have played heavily in the decision by the EBAA, now without their NBAA co-hosts, to remove the display.

The message from the EBAA in advance of this year’s EBACE is a very positive one.  They have promised a new look and new priorities for the show. This year’s event will now incorporate the long-established Air Ops conference and will offer more discussion sessions and educational workshops alongside ‘unparalleled networking opportunities.’ According to the EBAA, the focus of the event will be more European – a move away from the influence of the US NBAA and will provide more focussed interaction between all parts of the industry – from service providers to regulators.

It is very clear that organisers of ‘BACE’ events have to adjust and reflect the post-Covid reality. Business aviation, faced with the new pressures of protest, the need to justify its own existence, demonstrate its sustainable credentials amid an unstable global economy still needs showcases. The part that OEMs take in these events going forward remains a big unknown. It is the OEMs who have contributed in no small measure to the success and headlines generated by these events in the past.

My prediction, two years on, is that some of these events, particularly in Europe and the US will not survive in their current form – despite the best of organiser intentions. Events will be smaller and others will eschew the static display in the face of sheer cost and potential protest. Smaller events will perhaps require leaner, cheaper venues and indeed locations. A return to the BACEics in five years’ time will probably see a very different selection of events, perhaps in very different places.

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I collect; therefore, I am...

“Promise me, don’t come back with any more models – please!” I have heard these words, from long-suffering ‘him indoors’ for as long as I can remember. Whenever I mention a trip to the next aircraft enthusiast fair – this is the oh so predictable response. Glossing over the increasingly desperate pleading, even I now have to take a step back and look at my appetite for collecting anything related to commercial aviation and justify its continued existence.

Let’s start at that red line, as it were. I confess that I rarely made Airfix models as a spotty youth. For a couple of very good reasons – my fingers were far too big to deal with pieces most fiddly and, veering towards clumsiness, I could not be relied upon to keep the potent glue away from the highly polished surface of my mum’s dining table.

In later years, I discovered the sheer relief of being able to buy fully painted, ‘ready to go’ high quality plastic and even die-cast models which came in just a few pieces – no glue required. The arrival of ‘snap-fit’ models in authentic airline liveries, both ancient and modern, proved too much of a temptation. Unlike some of my eminently sensible and serious contemporary collectors who have spent fortunes on glass cabinets to store their burgeoning model fleets, mine have always been positioned in pride of place, on any free shelf space. Not only do they have an annoying habit of collecting dust but an even more aggravating tendency of falling to the floor when trying to remove said dust. They then of course are removed from their perch until I can attempt to do some DIY.

It is my habit of coveting any potential free space for my model collection that has led to the very clear invocation that ‘enough is enough’. So, my regular attendance at enthusiast fairs in both the UK and further afield is now limited to buying anything but models. Sadly, the closure of that ‘avenue of pleasure’ immediately removes my interest from often more than 50% of the stalls at these events. That said, I still marvel at the attendance of the serious international enthusiasts who often travel home laden with tens of boxes containing sought after additions to their ever-growing collections. It does make me wonder however how they manage to keep their significant others happy in the face of such substantial retail therapy.

With acquisition of models out of the question, what continues to draw me to enthusiast events? I’ll use the Gatwick Aviation Enthusiast Fair as an example. One of Europe’s largest events of its kind, this annual show takes place in late March or early April at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley, a few miles from Gatwick. It plays host to a whole host of vendors aside from those aimed at model collectors. There are publishers and authors keen to promote specialist titles, equally specialist booksellers offering new and second-hand tomes, aviation enthusiast societies and magazine publishers. In addition, there are a large number of independent sellers offering everything from slides to airline memorabilia. The range of ephemera linked to aviation runs the gamut from airline crockery, safety cards and stickers to first day covers, swizzle sticks, keychains and ‘motion sickness’ bags!

With these sellers keen to ensure that I leave with ‘what I didn’t know I didn’t want’, they usually readily succeed. Throughout my active ‘career’ as an avgeek, I have always collected books and magazines and that compulsion has not diminished over the years. The challenge now, particularly when it comes to magazines, is the trend for long-standing titles to cease publication as they come up against financial pressures and a slowing of demand in the face of competition from online sources of information. Sudden cancellation of a particular magazine now makes it vital for the collector to have a complete collection of that title. One of the best periodicals, the German “Skyliner” magazine has just announced that it has been forced to close after 144 issues of the highest quality. Thankfully my collection is complete but I have used these fairs as a ready hunting ground for other titles.

One of the earliest magazines I started to collect was “World Airline Fleets Monthly”. This initially A5 magazine featured topical news stories, photographs and updates to the latest edition of the “World Airline Fleets” annual registration book. I discovered this title in January 1978, when it had reached edition number nine. In the years before eBay, I used enthusiast fairs as a ready channel on the hunt for the missing eight issues. Eventually, in 1999 I stumbled upon a binder containing the first 12 issues, in good condition, at the Gatwick Enthusiast event. You would think that I had found the Holy Grail – my excitement and eagerness was scary to behold.

I continue to pick up magazines and books at these fairs (and indeed in the wider real world) and sometimes stop and ask myself, when will I get the chance to read them? For me, as a specialist collector, or was that hoarder, that really is not the point. I could use the rather pretentious argument that I retain in the remote hope that I will need to refer to information contained to assist in a paid ongoing research project. To be fair, that has happened, but not nearly as frequently as I could suggest. What I do is collect and retain because I want to.

My friend and fellow avgeek, the brilliant Charles Kennedy, is a regular attendee at many of the enthusiast fairs. Charles promotes his own work and books published by the specialist house he works with (Astral Horizon Press). Charles knows that I will buy whatever he publishes. Some of my purchases over the years have verged towards the esoteric and, on first impression, appear straight from the obscure byways of avgeekery. It was with more than a little scepticism that I found myself providing a ready home to “Tickets Please” and “More Tickets Please”. These two glossy titles by the equally brilliant Sebastian Schmitz, feature informative essays by Charles and Sebastian and provide a pictorial record of airline tickets from the early years of commercial aviation. That these books have a well-deserved place in my specialist collection, shows how such collecting and exploring can still surprise and inform. In fact, writing this blog has encouraged me to look at these two volumes again – I suggest my fellow avgeeks, and a wider public, do the same (Astral Horizon Press).

A few years ago, the well-known historian Tony Merton-Jones, the editor of “Propliner Magazine” took the difficult decision to cease publication of the regular mag, but replace it with a weighty “Propliner Annual”. I first met Tony at one of the Gatwick shows many years ago and, like a starstruck teenager, gushed my enthusiasm for the magazine and the piston driven aircraft on which it reported. Once again, I had started collecting the magazine from its first edition in January 1979 and had done so ever since.

Back in the mid-1980s I was short of cash, and sold my first twenty editions of “Propliner” to help to alleviate that problem. It was necessary, but it was something I had always deeply regretted. Ian was aware of this and of how important the magazine was to me. Not long into our relationship, he surprised me by finding a collection of the magazine, from number one to number 41, and set off to Peterborough, in secret, to buy them for me. I would go so far as to say that that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Not only did it cement our relationship, not that any were needed, but it also makes my “Propliner” collection one of my most-treasured possessions.

To paraphrase a familiar confession, ‘my name is Brian T Richards and I am an avid collector’. In an earlier blog I discussed my role as an unashamed ‘dinosaur’ – continuing to use annual registration fleet books, where many had moved to online databases. The same could be said about my book collection – I could, in many cases, buy electronic versions of the specialist titles I acquire, but where is the fun in that? I like the way books look, their smell and their weight. That is not going to change. I have recently re-written my will and have made an express wish that my extensive collection of aviation books and magazines, are passed to the Air Britain Trust, on my demise. While I have no plans to go anywhere just yet, and I have so many books to read, it is reassuring that my collection  will live on and might just benefit generations of avgeeks to come.

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Taking a view - Part 2

“You can't do that here. It has been illegal to photograph aircraft since 9-11”. I quote a Hawaiian police officer's instruction to me to ‘cease and desist’ back in February 2011. The order came after I had been happily snapping away for six hours on a public road close to Honolulu Airport. During the course of my stay some of his colleagues had waved and one had stopped to ask me if I were getting some good shots and chat about camera settings. Herein lies the problem. Clearly, one long arm of the law does not know what the other is doing.

It would be easy to put the quoted officer in the 'I'm on a power trip camp' and dismiss him as a rogue. Sadly, it is not as easy as that. He is not alone and this is not a unique example of hearing the devastating events of 9-11 used to justify prohibition of something which remains legal. Since 2001, I have encountered the same attitudes from a number of both police and private security officers in the US and closer to home. I am sure that their intentions are completely genuine but using the very risk of terrorism in all its forms to justify a blinkered mindset is just wrong. In these situations, the standard advice is to be polite, stow your equipment and walk away. I did all those things, just thankful that I had encountered him at the end of the photo session rather than at the beginning.

In the immediate aftermath of 9-11, allowing public access to airports to view and photograph aircraft was quite understandably the last thing authorities wanted to do. Viewing decks were closed, never to reopen. As the immediate post 9-11 panic subsided however, many airport operators used financial pressures, lack of security personnel and the need to expand passenger facilities as ‘convenient’ justification for the continued closure of viewing facilities. This trend has been reaffirmed by airports around the globe, post-Covid.

Authorities now also face the growing threat from environmental protesters who have recently targeted airports and particularly private aviation facilities including FBOs. The risk from individuals determined to breach perimeters and cause disruption and intentional damage to aircraft is very real. Again, faced with these potential threats, some ‘powers that be’ have responded by locking down and making lives very difficult for anyone pointing a camera at an aircraft. In this febrile atmosphere it is quite understandable to view someone standing next to a perimeter fence as a potential threat which has to be investigated.

The ‘golden era’ of observation decks with which I had grown up is now but a distant memory.  However, the message from this blast of Hot Air has to be a positive one. Aviation enthusiasts and photographers have to be realistic but also grateful that not all “avenues of pleasure” as Basil Fawlty described them, have been closed off to us.

Perhaps the key in many cases is what might be termed an ‘enlightened attitude’ to existing side by side. Take for example the view taken by some airport operators and forces of law and order which have introduced security schemes. Enthusiasts – photographers or ‘number crunchers’ - are very familiar with the way airports work, what ‘looks right’ and what ‘looks wrong.’ We can be used as a useful source of intelligence for authorities keen to maintain security – a ready set of additional unpaid ‘eyes and ears’ – it is in our own interests to ensure that we continue to get close to the action. The success of such schemes in the UK and elsewhere is testament to a willingness to work together.

To avoid unnecessary ‘run-ins’ with on the ball security staff, some airport operators insist that enthusiasts apply in advance, or in person on the day for a pass indicating that ID checks have been carried out and that the individual has ‘a valid reason’ for picking up a camera or using optics to read aircraft registrations. This is a trend that is by no means universal but one that clearly has advantages for both sides – avoiding wasting time of security personnel and giving the avgeek a sense of security and allowing a hassle-free day.

It would be wrong to say that post 9-11 there are no observation decks left. Many remain, with all the facilities we have come to know and love. Many however now include an ‘airport-style’ security check and some, like Hamburg, have replaced open decks with glass-fronted areas where you must pray for regular appearances by a competent window cleaner.
Japanese airports have always had a very pro-enthusiast approach and most airports have at least one superb deck, often glass-fronted but with holes for camera lenses. Osaka Kansai even retains the KIX Observation Sky Hall viewing deck spread over several levels. One of my favourite decks, back in the western hemisphere, echoes this refreshing attitude. The Aeroparque terrace at San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín Airport, in Puerto Rico, also allows unfettered runway views from the second floor of a dedicated building.

Even in the US, all is not lost. Some high profile airports, such as Fort Lauderdale, Chicago Executive, West Palm Beach and Dallas Fort Worth have dedicated viewing parks, many with live ATC played through speakers. Miami too, boasting some of the most interesting airline traffic from Latin America, has ‘The Holes’. This area of fencing close to runways 08 and 12 features, unsurprisingly, a set of holes for cameras, sanctioned by the authorities. Standing too close to the fences elsewhere will likely result in ‘collars being felt.’ The Holes are an exercise in containment. In collaboration with a high-profile group of spotters, the airport operator also co-operates in facilitating annual FLAP supervised ramp tours.

Bucking the trend but perhaps exemplifying the attitude of ‘enlightened tolerance’ are the operators of Zurich Airport. Zurich’s expansive landside terrace covers the roof of Pier B, is accessed by a rigorous security check and is subject to regular police patrols. Its popularity with everyone from families to enthusiasts and photographers is testament to an airport who have got it right. In addition, the airport offers regular ramp bus tours and several specifically designed observation areas under runway approaches. With this strategy, the airport knows where people are and satisfies the quite obvious demand. As discussed elsewhere, the authorities go one step further in January during the WEF in Davos and permit ramp tours and extended deck opening hours to cater for the legion of enthusiasts keen to capture exotic movements.

The sad fact is that some airport operators – with London Heathrow a prime example – do not want us around. There is no will to include public access landside viewing facilities and that is a fact that will probably not change. This is justified by the need for security and the fact that such facilities apparently do not make profits. Anyone who has spent a summer’s day joining the crowds of photographers and families just ‘watching the planes’ at Myrtle Avenue, under the approach to 27L will know however that there is still a ready demand despite official reticence and a suspicion that they might be ‘missing a trick.’
Like Myrtle Avenue, alternatives are readily sought and we have to be realistic enough to seek them out. The fact that various Heathrow hotels, such as the Renaissance and Premier Inn at Terminal 4 have recognised that market and charge premiums for ‘runway views’ is testament to that fact.

The bottom line is that ‘all is not lost’. Enthusiasts and photographers will continue to want access to airports and airport perimeters. The days of unfettered and unregulated permission are pretty much gone. That said, we can still work around the necessary restrictions put in place and can still exercise what remains for many of us a huge part of our lives that we could not readily set aside. It has to be a ‘game of give and take’ – we must be flexible and realistic with our expectations of what can be done, and the authorities also have to realise that we are a significant constituency who will not go away but who can be of use in the fight against terror in all its forms if treated correctly and with understanding.

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Taking a view - Part 1

Ever since entering, to mangle a phrase, ‘the twilight world of the aerosexual’ in 1976, I have spent more time than I care to remember on airport observation decks. Viewing areas, observation terraces and even ‘waving galleries’ – each amount to pretty much the same thing – a facility for watching aircraft at airports. The events of September 11th 2001 changed many things. One of the many, was understandable scrutiny from authorities on public access to airports. Many facilities were closed, never to reopen, but the subsequent years have seen some positive signs and a dawning understanding of the fascination with aircraft and often a more nuanced approach to such interests.

To say I ‘cut my avgeek teeth’ on the different levels of The Queen’s Building (QB) viewing deck at London Heathrow is an understatement. You will hopefully have read in earlier blogs that I started logging registrations, a peculiarly British obsession, in 1976. My home was located in southwest London with aircraft using either of the main westerly runways (the then 28L/28R, ignoring runway 23 used rarely) clearly visible and with registrations readable with my sparkling new binoculars. Nothing however could beat the experience of a day at Heathrow on the QB.

Nearly 50 years ago I did not worry about the angle of the sun and was blind to the idea that an aircraft could be ‘hideously backlit’, something which later experience would cause me nightmares and obsessive behaviour. The terraces on the QB were exactly that –extending across the roof of Terminal 2 along with aptly named roof gardens – and provided close or more distant views at varying heights. There was ample seating space for when the excitement became too much, a café and a small shop selling everything the enthusiast could wish for – from pens to airline fleet books. At weekends only, if I recall, there was a live commentary identifying, at times with questionable accuracy, the arriving and departing aircraft and their origin/destination. Back in my teenage years this commentator role is one I would have loved as a worthwhile career. Remember too that this was way before flight tracking apps had even been dreamt of. We really never knew what was on approach – it was always exciting to imagine what was next and to try and identify it from silhouette or indeed amount of engine smoke.

The pattern of my usual day on the QB would begin with a lift from home from my long-suffering dad. I would time it usually to arrive just as the first tickets were issued. Clutching my binoculars, notebook, marked copy of Ian Allan’s “Civil Aircraft Markings”, sandwich box and flask of coffee, I was all set. I did a quick scoot to ‘read off’ the aircraft parked on the stands in front and to the sides of the QB – for Terminals 1 and 2 – and then found a spot, high enough to be able to monitor both landing and departing traffic.

Back then, and to an extent now, I was a shy spotter and would generally enjoy a solo day, rarely interacting with my fellow enthusiasts. At around 4pm if a Sunday, as pre-arranged, both my parents would be waiting for me outside Terminal 2. I would usually be enthusiastic regaling them with details of the day’s highlights. Looking back on those post-terrace chats, I think that they were definitely ‘going through the motions’ in showing interest. I think they were just glad to have had a peaceful day, certain they knew where I was. The excitement was not over – we normally drove to the northside of the airfield, close to the Renaissance Hotel to see two things – the regular Japan Airlines DC-8 arriving from Tokyo, followed by the Pakistan International 707 or DC-10. Without the benefit of FR24 we had to hope that we were not too late.

An attitude not confined to spotters using the QB or indeed other viewing areas then and now, was that other users could be a pain in the rear. I can still hear the collective groan from gathered enthusiasts when a school party or worse, two school parties, turned up on the terraces for an educational day ‘watching the planes.’ Such grief magnified when the curious students crowded the areas closest to the action and got in the way, not knowing what they were supposed to be looking at. The same opprobrium would also be meted out to families or others using the terraces to wave off their departing loved ones. They also tended to get in the way and of course ask the most stupid questions!

Over the years, as I focussed more on photography, the attractions of the QB began to diminish. In fact, the available terraces themselves continued to diminish as the demands for expanded terminal space grew exponentially. By the end, the QB became a shadow of its former self – restricted to a few windswept terraces and a malodorous smoke-filled glass room effectively closed to anyone not a member of a small clique of regular spotters. The Queens Building was demolished in 2009 to make way for the new Terminal 2 – The Queen’s Terminal.

Back in the day, although I generally limited myself to the pleasures of the QB at Heathrow, occasionally I would venture further afield. Usually, during the week, and during the school and college holidays, I took the Green Line coach to Gatwick – now that is exotic. Gatwick also boasted a roof deck looking west across the field and down the main departure pier. Like Heathrow, it had a shop, a café and a terrace on one level which could be frigid in winter and baking in summer. The attraction of Gatwick was a new world of traffic – so different to Heathrow. From British Caledonian with its 707s, BAC 1-11s and DC-10s, Dan Air with its Comet 4 and Boeing 727s, through to Spantax Convair 990s, CP Air DC-8s and a whole host of others. A day out to Gatwick made, what my mum would have called, ‘a nice change.’

In the early days of my burgeoning obsession, there was one other deck that eclipsed all others. After my first visit in 1984 the expansive deck covering the roof of Terminal 1 in Frankfurt became my ‘happy place’. It had everything – it covered what seemed like the whole roof, it allowed you to get very close to aircraft parked on stand or taxiing in front, it also allowed you to monitor the movements at the Rhein-Main US Air Force base on the other side of the runways. Walking on to that terrace as a rookie made me feel like the proverbial ‘kid in a sweetshop’ – and because of the delights offered by the terrace, I also had money to spend!

Trying to anticipate the next arrival in Frankfurt was made much more difficult because of the sheer variety of what could turn up. The next smoky approach could belong to an ancient 707 or DC-8 freighter, a Soviet Tupolev or Ilyushin or indeed a USAF Starlifter or Hercules. Funnily enough we British spotters tended to stick together when abroad and actually talked and helped each other, perhaps because we had made the major effort of venturing somewhere exotic overseas to watch aircraft.

In its heyday the old viewing terrace at Frankfurt airport was ranked as the country’s second most popular tourist attraction after Neuschwanstein. Certainly, the legions of visitors either waving off family or friends or simply watching aircraft added to our difficulties in being in the right place at the right time for that shot. The incredibly annoying ‘noddy train’ which used to take visitors on a tour of the terraces did little to help our collective tolerance levels.

These, for me, were the halcyon days – the old terraces which have long gone. I, along with so many of my contemporaries were lucky to have experienced them. Without the Queen’s Building or the terrace at Frankfurt, my avgeek career and level of enthusiasm may have turned out very differently.

In the second half of this blog, I look at the situation now and at how we avgeeks have adapted to a very different world.

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High Flight

One aircraft, or indeed one particular flight, can be hugely significant and have an impact far wider than the simple act of getting from A to B. Flight itself can have an enormous effect and reflect expectation and hopes for the future. This earth shattering, if obvious, conclusion was once again brought into stark relief by a single flight which operated late last month

At just after 11am on 28th November, Airbus A330-841 OY-GKN named ‘Tuukkaq’ of Air Greenland left Copenhagen on flight GRL781. Its destination, Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland and this would, at first glance, appear to be an obvious route. Appearances can be deceptive. Over the last couple of years, Nuuk’s small airport has undergone a transformation with a new terminal and, crucially, an extended runway. Until the 27th November, travellers to the island’s capital had to fly to the remote former US Air Force base at Kangerlussuaq and then take a connecting flight on a smaller Dash 8 to Nuuk.

With the runway extension, direct flights to Copenhagen by the national carrier’s sole widebody aircraft are now possible. Nuuk, with its population of just under 20,000 people can now travel with a lot less hassle. By the same token, direct flights to by far the most populous settlement on Greenland open up the potential for a growing tourist market. As a consequence of the runway extension, United Airlines has already announced plans to launch direct flights to the mainland USA. It is certain that others will follow.

The first flight to Nuuk received widespread publicity in the news media. It was also widely followed on social media and soon after take-off quickly became the number one tracked flight on FlightRadar 24. Its importance was underlined by the presence on board of YouTube avgeeks including the ubiquitous Josh Cahill and Worldwide Dom, doing their best to satisfy their growing legions of subscribers.

Getting back to my original theme, what struck me watching the footage of Tuukkaq’s first scheduled landing in Nuuk was the sheer proportion of the local population who turned out in frigid conditions to welcome a momentous flight which will change their lives for ever. Estimates put the number at more than 10,000 people lining the high ground surrounding the airport’s runway and ramp. In media interviews both before, during and after the inaugural flight, the airline’s CEO, Jacob Nitter Sørensen, emphasised the seismic effect this would have on Greenland’s economy, its people and an oft-expressed desire for eventual independence from Denmark.

The Air Greenland flight is a good example of a flight with an inflated impact, but there are a whole host of others. Over the years, I have been fortunate to witness new services, pilot retirements, and final flights of iconic aircraft. Each of these occasions, whether greeted by a traditional water cannon salute from an airport fire department or by speeches before or after boarding, have been significant occasions far bigger than one particular aircraft.

The flights of other aircraft have taken on a significance or social media ‘footprint’ far greater than initial bare bones of information would suggest. Like it or loathe it, the volume of worldwide tracking on FR24 is a good indication that something is ‘up’ with a particular flight. Another recent example is the almost immediate growing speculation around a Gambian registered Embraer Legacy which left Damascus for Dubai around the time of the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The court of opinion now seems to agree that he was not aboard that aircraft but the impact at the time was substantial and very real.

I have already written about my involvement in advance publicity and press commentary around Spanish airline Iberia’s inaugural flight from Madrid to Gibraltar on 16th December 2006. Although, with hindsight, this flight was less ‘historic’ than had been originally hoped, and was comparatively short-lived, the expectation around it and the importance attached to it were very real. One of the most photographed elements before boarding in Madrid was the departure board showing, for the very first time, ‘IB3160 Gibraltar’. The seemingly mundane became extraordinary.

One final example of a flight taking on a huge momentum of its own was the arrival at RAF Northolt of C-17 ZZ177 on 14th September 2022. The aircraft had left Edinburgh Airport earlier carrying the coffin of HM Queen Elizabeth II, who had passed away at Balmoral Castle six days earlier. This flight became the most tracked in history. According to FR24, just under five million people tracked the aircraft on its flight south. Setting aside the social media for one second, the sight of the huge aircraft bringing the late Queen home and emerging from the murk and drizzle will stay with me forever.

The impact of individual flights and particular aircraft links very neatly with the other intention of this blog - to gain yet wider appreciation for my favourite poem. I am no expert in English literature, as my A Level result in the subject in 1981 will bear witness. I do however know what I like and what resonates on all sorts of levels with me.

'High Flight’ is well-known, being the official poem of both the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Air Force. It is popular with both aviators and with astronauts and was read, in part, by President Ronald Reagan following the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986.

It is, by its very nature, popular at funerals – indeed I read it at the funeral of my father-in-law John Le Breton in 2013. John was not an aviator or indeed aviation enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination. I read it, because it had a deep resonance for me – expressing eloquently the power of flight and the inspiration that that can provide.

The sonnet ‘High Flight’ was written in 1941 by Anglo-American RCAF Spitfire pilot John Gillespie Magee Jr. It was completed three months before he was killed in an accidental mid-air collision over southern England. He was just 19 years of age.

 Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Some of my long-suffering readers may struggle with the relevance of these words to the arrival of a single inaugural flight to which I return now. To me, the meaning and relevance is clear. Aircraft can have an impact and bring energy and excitement, anticipation and sheer poignancy with a reach far beyond the mundane. Aircraft can both signal and bring change and things ‘you have not dreamed of’.

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Pura Vida - Costa Rica, February 2007

Pura Vida – literally ‘pure life,’ is a phrase that visitors to Costa Rica cannot miss. It is plastered in the arrival area at San José airport, you see it on roadside advertising hoardings and pretty much everywhere else. According to those in the know, it is much more than a phrase to Costa Ricans – it is “a shared identity, a feeling of optimism and a uniquely positive outlook on life.”

I could say that our decision to head to Costa Rica in 2007 was driven by an overwhelming desire to experience this ‘Pura Vida’ – I would however be lying. After three consecutive trips to Sint Maarten, six founding members of the ‘Friends of Delfina’ collectively decided to head to Central America rather than the Caribbean. Patrick and Casey from Michigan, Chris and Bob from New York along with yours truly and my long-suffering other half, Ian, had decided that Costa Rica would be a great alternative venue for our annual board meeting. We would certainly not regret our decision to immerse ourselves in La Pura Vida.

There was of course a wish list – sunshine, tropical beaches, good day and nightlife and plenty of opportunities for the avgeek of the group to get his adrenaline rush. The Europeans, along with the guys from Michigan planned to spend one night in the capital San José before heading to a resort on the country’s Pacific Coast, close to the stunning Manuel Antonio National Park. We were to become quorate once the New Yorkers had joined us by the sea.

At this stage I need to provide a little back story which has relevance for this trip and, in particular, my enjoyment of its conclusion. On 18th September 2006, the governments of the UK, Spain and Gibraltar signed what became known as The Córdoba Agreement. The agreed measures were aimed at easing life for those living in Gibraltar and on the Spanish side of the border with the British overseas territory. One aspect of that was the introduction, for the first time, of Iberia scheduled flights between Madrid and Gibraltar. In the run up to these flights I wrote a number of articles for the local Gibraltar press and assisted Iberia’s press department. Sadly, the flights did not last long term and the seemingly heady goodwill of Córdoba subsequently dissipated.

On 16th December 2006 I joined a group of passengers – some with higher media profiles than others – on the inaugural flight. Iberia A319 EC-JXJ ‘Ciudad de Baeza’ had the distinction of operating IB3160 on the 52-minute flight. Dignitaries from all three states revelled in the attention of the world’s media on landing, with images of a Spanish airliner with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background being seen around the world.

I checked in for my flight from Málaga to Madrid and onwards to San José just over two months later. I was surprised to be upgraded on the 51-minute flight to the Spanish capital but returned to ‘cattle class’ for the transatlantic leg operated by A340-600 EC-IZX. I assumed the upgrade was an aberration and gave it no further thought. I was the first to arrive at the Colours Oasis Resort located in a quiet corner of the capital’s suburbs. Patrick and Casey soon joined and Ian made four when he flew in from Miami, having been in the Bahamas on business. Sadly, the Michigans were missing luggage which thankfully eventually found its way to them.

When planning this trip there was a question of how we get to our resort on the Pacific coast. Around four hours by car over bumpy roads or 20 minutes by plane – yes, no contest. San José is located in the crater of a long extinct volcano and we had to get over the sides of that crater to get to the coast. We booked seats with local carrier Nature Air whose brightly (or hideously, depending on your point of view) painted DHC-6 Twin Otter would take us to Quepos, La Managua Airport. The other bonus would see us depart from the smaller Tobias Bolanos Airport located closer to the city, and our hotel.

Knowing by now that arriving at an airport early is a sure-fire way to keep me happy, and quiet, we turned up at the airport way ahead of our scheduled late morning departure the day after arrival in Costa Rica. We checked in, had the indignity of having ourselves weighed alongside our luggage and then made a swift exit to the bar for another cold Imperial. After just a few minutes we were approached by the Nature Air agent who made it clear that, as we were travelling together and were so early, the airline had laid on an extra flight just for us. It was departing imminently.

Beers downed and excitement rising, we were ushered out on to the ramp to be met by the dawning realisation that we would now be travelling on a much smaller BN-2 Islander – TI-AYU, which first flew in 1970. Ian, who had achieved his PPL in a previous life was allowed to take the co-pilot seat while the remaining three of us were squashed in behind. I should point out at this stage that one of us (I promise not to tell them Casey…) does not like small aircraft. He was not keen on the 18 seat Twin Otter, the prospect of a trip over the mountains in a considerably smaller Islander turned his complexion greyer than his thinning hair! After strapping in, we taxied out. The wind was blowing both strong and variable and our wings were ‘waggling’ even before take-off.

The avgeek in me could not contain my excitement in taking my first ever flight in an Islander. My American colleagues were less thrilled. The flight was a very bumpy 21 minutes that surpassed my expectations and far exceeded our friends’ worst nightmares. The asphalt landing strip and tiny ‘terminal’ all too soon came into view marked out from the surrounding tropical landscape. After landing we all exited the aircraft, some more elegantly and slowly than others. Casey’s skin was confusingly at the same time both green and grey and his whole body was shaking. Uttering those immortal words ‘get me a goddamed beer now’ he lurched off to the bar leaving his travelling companions to collect the luggage.

Eventually, the shaking stopped, equilibrium returned and we managed to settle ourselves into the wonderful Hotel Villa Roca with its stunning views towards the sea and jungle from the infinity pool. The next ten days, having finally been joined by the New Yorkers, were spent doing what we had come to the coast to do. Apart from a Toucan-filled guided tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park, our days were mainly spent by the pool and on our own part of the beach at Playa Playitas.
Our beach days took on a routine of their own – from buying the world’s best and freshest ceviche and plenty of beers from regular vendors to swimming in the crystal-clear waters and watching the Howler and White-Faced Monkeys in the trees above us.  As a group of six we also turned people watching into an art form – not difficult on a clothing optional beach. One fellow tourist, who we christened ‘goat man’, was fortunate that clothes were indeed optional because he would never have been able to wear shorts in respectable company and get away with it…

All good things come to an end and we six found ourselves on the same flight back to Tobias Bolanos. Thankfully for Casey, we joined other weary passengers on a fully laden larger Twin Otter back over the mountains. While the New Yorkers were heading home, the European  couple were breaking the journey for a few days in San José. The intrepid Michigans however were heading north on another Twin Otter to Arenal to enjoy some r&r in the shadow of the volcano of the same name. What I had neglected to tell them however, and it must just have uncharacteristically slipped my mind, was that their Twin Otter would actually be landing on a grass strip and that the flight would be another bumpy experience for them to savour. Let’s just say that I was less than popular as a result…

Our last few days in SanJosé were spent getting to know the capital and they also allowed me to indulge my passion for aircraft. Having done some requisite avgeek research before the trip I knew that San José’s main airport – Juan Santamaría – had much to offer. A whole host of local and international carriers was joined in the mix by the major maintenance and overhaul facilities of COOPESA whose ramps, filled with goodies, were located adjacent to the main terminal. I had made contact with a local photographer in advance of the trip.

A couple of days into our San José break, Daniel arranged to meet me at restaurant La Candela on the opposite side of the runway from the terminal. This sadly long-gone eatery featured an extended balcony on the first floor which was higher than the perimeter fence and provided unobstructed views over the runway and also provided very cold local Imperial beers. My knowledgeable contact was a friend of the owner and had arranged for us to gain access to the terrace before the general public. Treated to views of traffic ranging from Air Panama Fokker F27s to TACA A320s, American Airlines A300s and USAF C17s, I was a very happy boy at the end of a great day’s spotting.

With Ian going back to Nassau to finish his business meetings, I checked in for my Iberia flight to Madrid with an en route stop in Panama City. Clutching my boarding pass for 55A, I heard my name called over the gate tannoy. I was handed a new seat assignment – an upgrade to business class and seat 2A on EC-INO, A340-600 named ‘Gaudí’. This would be a very comfortable trip back to Europe and, lacking airline loyalty status, I can only assume that my work ahead of the Iberia inaugural had indeed been recognised. My Vida, for those two flights at least, would be very Pura! Costa Rica and its people had not disappointed.

Naturally, my portfolio contains a number of shots from the trip to Costa Rica in February 2007. Please contact me HERE for further details.

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Go North young men! - Iceland, January 1990

In November 1990 Ian, my partner of just 14 months, and I were supposed to be spending a few days sailing on a felucca down the Nile. It would be stretching the bounds of credulity to say that several world leaders stepped in and stopped us from doing so but it equated to the same thing. We had booked our Egyptian trip, to include a visit to Saint Catherine’s monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai and then our aforementioned traditional wooden sailing boat (for those who didn’t know).

We had booked the trip early in the year, and just a few months into our relationship! In August, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and triggered what came to be known as the First Gulf War. With half the world’s politicians threatening military action, a posse of our mothers put their collective stockinged feet down and told us that we were not going anywhere near the Middle East and that we had to cancel the trip. Not wanting to recreate our own Death on the Nile we acquiesced and our lovely travel agent Ricky at ManAround agreed. The question then was where do we go at short notice that is safe and out of harm’s way. The answer was obvious – Iceland, but in November?

Cynics among my loyal readership may question whether this really was an obvious alternative. We were however committed but, in all honesty, had not perhaps thought it through. In November Iceland had about six or seven hours of daylight and it was cold – not just cold, mind-numbingly cold. Comparing conditions to our well-documented  trip to Alaska in 2015 (check out Baked Alaska? Hardly in Hot 'Air'chive), it was positively balmy but our benchmarks were set so much lower 25 years earlier. There was however one positive – the Icelandic government had finally legalised the sale of beer on 1st March 1989.

Over the course of seven days I was to make a total of 11 flights (Ian, as we shall see, missed out on three). The trip began at the now long-demolished Heathrow Terminal One and we checked in for one of the very few non-British Airways flights to operate from the creakingly old facility. We boarded Icelandair Boeing 737-400 TF-FIB operating FI451. The aircraft, named ‘Eydis’ had only been delivered to the national airline a few months earlier and took us to Keflavik International Airport in just over two hours 40 minutes. The country’s principal gateway was built by the US Air Force, opened in 1942 and is located some 50km southwest of the capital. As an aside, our 737 ended its flying career in October 2008 by being damaged beyond repair while flying for AdamAir in Indonesia after skidding off the runway on landing at Batam – Batu Besar.

When it came to the choice of hotel in Reykjavik, there was only one possible option for the self-respecting avgeek and his oh so understanding sidekick. The Hotel Loftleidir (Loftleiðir) located next to the downtown, largely domestic, Reykjavik Airport (RKV), had been built in 1964 by Icelandair to cater for the large increase in transatlantic passengers opting for an Icelandic stopover, an option it had begun to offer the previous year. Now renamed the Berjaya Reykjavik Natura, it remains one of the country’s largest hotels with some 220 rooms. What struck us most on first entering this hotel was not only the overwhelming high temperature but also the even more overwhelming smell of sulphur. The hotel’s heating system and hot water was all geothermal and it was quite a novel experience to take a shower and replace the smell of shower gel with the unmistakeable whiff of bad eggs.

Our room had a great view of the airport’s ramp and we were soon to discover the importance of Iceland, and Reykjavik in particular, as a staging point for aircraft heading across the Atlantic but without the range, or indeed inclination, to make the crossing in one hop. Late on our first night we heard the unmistakeable sound of two Twin Wasp radial engines which literally shook our insulating window frames. The sound belonged to a venerable DHC-4 Caribou wearing a crudely stencilled American registration and the remnants of its paint scheme worn during its service with the Spanish Air Force. It was heading to the US on delivery to a new owner.
A couple of days later saw a rather more modern aircraft landing at RKV on delivery to the USA. British Aerospace ATP, N855AW of Air Wisconsin staged through wearing its new American registration and the full colours of United Express for whom it was to offer commuter services under franchise to the US major carrier.

Our first day was spent, like many of our fellow travellers on a booked guided trip to three of the country’s biggest tourist attractions. Iceland’s most famous waterfalls at Gulfoss, the site of the ancient Icelandic parliament at Thingvellir (Þingvellir), and of course the hot spring at Geysir in the Haudatalur Valley. The latter is of course cue for the obvious lines about two gay men looking for Icelandic geezers - geysers ed…!

For our second full day adventure, we had decided to head north to the country’s second city, Akureyri (AEY). Icelandair Fokker F27-200 TF-FLN took us across the country in 45 minutes. Our flight was early in the morning and we had booked a return which would give us about eight hours to wander. Getting off the aircraft and walking out of the terminal soon changed our minds. It was freezing with a biting wind and, in 1990, there was comparatively little to see and do in Akureyri, and even less open in November. We headed back inside the terminal and chanced upon something which would fill a few hours.

There is only one small part of Iceland located inside the Arctic Circle. That place is the equally small island of Grimsey located a short 20 minute flight to the end of the fjord and then turn to one o’clock. Northern Airlines or the more exotic Flugfelag Nordurlands operated a scheduled flight to Grimsey (GRY) and we booked a return which would give us about 30 minutes to explore. Our Piper Navajo Chieftain TF-JMG had just we two passengers on the outbound flight. Having spotted seals in the fjord as we taxied out, the pilot did a long slow pass around the island to give these two lucky tourists additional value for their Krone.

Grimsey’s airport was a lava rock gravel strip with a tiny ‘terminal’ and a way post showing the distance to Reykjavik, Copenhagen, London and New York. We took the obligatory photos and then clambered back on board our Navajo to be joined by a rather bemused islander as we headed back to Akureyri to catch another Icelandair Fokker.

The following morning, Ian caught a resigned glimpse into his future as I suggested a walk around the airport fence to see what was on the ground. Of course, he agreed – how could he not. The morning was productive as I was able to shoot small aircraft operating for Eagle Air, Ernir Air and the real prize - an original HP Jetstream – TF-ODM of Odin Air.  Perhaps a little tired of aircraft and keen to head off to sample some now legalised local beer, Ian suggested I might like to undertake a local flight. Hence, I found myself one of a handful of passengers flying with Eagle Air (Arnarflug) on their Dornier Do228-201 TF-VLI. The aircraft served with the airline for just 21 months and subsequently found work in Portugal, Argentina and Kenya, where it is believed to remain active.

The Dornier took us to two remote gravel airfields – Holt/Flateyri (FLI) and Bildudalur (BIU). The two settlements are just 38km or 11 Dornier minutes apart. The longest of our sectors was 42 minutes from RKV to the former and it gave me a really good insight into the lifeline that small carriers provide to Iceland’s wilder and more remote areas. Needless to say, the friendly local passengers were bemused and indeed amused to think that a tourist would want to visit their little bit of wilderness just for the fun of it!

Our final Icelandic adventure saw us boarding yet another Icelandair Fokker (TF-FLS), this time for a 20 minute flight to Vestmannaeyar Airport (VEY) to the southwest of the capital. The airport is situated on Heimaey, the only inhabited member of the volcanic Westman Islands. The island is dominated by two volcanoes and the main settlement still showed the devastation caused by a major eruption in 1973. We took a guided tour of the island in a pink Trabant – of course we did - and managed to avoid eating puffin in one of Heimaey’s few cafes.

Our return to RKV, on Fokker TF-FLM, presented me with one final opportunity to get a tick in my logbook. Despite RKV and monitoring seemingly every movement at RKV, there remained one example of the five-strong F27 fleet which had eluded me. After enquiries, the lovely but equally bemused desk staff allowed me to pop my head into the Icelandair hangar to see TF-FLO which had been undergoing maintenance since our arrival. Mission accomplished.

Iceland in 1990 was still relatively undiscovered by mass tourism and the host of low-cost airlines. We were very fortunate, early in our relationship, to visit somewhere out of the ordinary which was to set the pattern for so many trips, most with a decided avgeek slant, which have followed over the years. We were also lucky to experience flights on aircraft now sadly but a memory.

Naturally, my portfolio contains a number of shots from the trip to Iceland trip in November 1990. Please contact me HERE for further details.

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The hills are alive - Salzburg, January 2011

What follows are memories of a weekend trip to glorious Salzburg in January 2011. I have every confidence that my regular readers, seeing the title of this piece, will resign themselves to a whole host of cringeworthy references to The Sound of Music. That is probably well anticipated and I am not about to disappoint my audience – at least not in the opening paragraph. One of my favourite things is not to climb every mountain but to use the peaks as a backdrop to this lonely goatherd’s shots. Ok, the last one was a bit of a stretch but at least I do have caprine connections at home in Somerset, helping to look after Frankie, Queenie and Opal….

Previous readers of Hot Air will know that I can normally be found in Zurich at the end of January taking photos of aircraft bringing delegates to the annual general meeting of the WEF held in Davos. 2011 however saw me go for a ‘win double’. While still heading to Zurich as planned, I also promised myself another tick on the bucket list. High on that list had always been a trip to Salzburg in the Austrian Alps to catch the influx of aircraft from the former Soviet Union at the end of the first week of January.The reason this specific week is the timing of the Orthodox Christmas. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar which has Christmas Day 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar adopted elsewhere. On that basis, Orthodox Christmas Day is celebrated on January 7th.

Many alpine resorts saw an annual influx of Russian and east European flights around the Orthodox Christmas but it is Salzburg which saw the largest number of arrivals. I will admit now that leaving my first trip until 2011 meant that I very nearly ‘missed the boat.’ The end of the 2000s saw the end of the regular influx of ageing Soviet airliners bringing Christmas revellers to the snow. By 2011, the visits of Tupolev TU-134s and Tu-154s were but smoky memories. That said however, as we shall see, I was still fortunate to grab a closeup slice of airliner action, not easily caught elsewhere.

In 2011 I was splitting my time between Gibraltar and Malaga and, like most dedicated spotting trips, this was planned precisely to provide as much shooting time as possible. On Orthodox Christmas Eve, (6th January of course) Ryanair took me from Malaga to London Stansted where I spent the night – in a room with runway views, naturally. On Christmas morning, the Irish low-cost giant got me to Salzburg in just under 90 minutes.

Salzburg Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Airport in 2011 ticked a lot of boxes for the avgeek – and still does. A rooftop external terrace open from 6am, walkable locations closer to the taxiways, spectacular alpine backdrops, a hotel within trudging distance and a host of likeminded freezing colleagues.

I had allowed myself two and a half full days – the two days being the busiest – Saturday and Sunday. The weather played ball – no snow, occasional sunshine, particularly on the Sunday, but frigid temperatures. The latter is etched in the mind, particularly during pre-dawn hours standing on the airport roof terrace awaiting the first, inevitably delayed arrivals.
The pattern of flights over the two busy days was a familiar one. A bank of Russian and Ukrainian flights arrived in the dark. These were followed by a number of low-cost carrier flights along with ‘legacy carrier’ services to Frankfurt and Vienna. A number of Scandinavian charters followed during the morning. A further bank of Russian flights was scheduled for later in the day – often seeing the return of the same airframe. The airport also saw a large number of private jets, many coming from points in Russia but bearing a host of offshore and onshore registrations.

So, what were the highlights? Although Saturday was busy, the range of traffic was eclipsed by Sunday 9th. In terms of ‘Soviet metal’, the day saw two Aeroflot Ilyushin IL-96 (RA-96007, RA-96008) along with a sole Yakovlev YAK-42 of Rusjet (RA-42411). The lack of any Tupolev models showed starkly how times had changed.

With these three notable exceptions, Russian carriers were using Western built, and registered, equipment. Aeroflot used A320 VQ-BAX to supplement its Ilyushins, Nordavia sent 737-300 VP-BKT along with 737-500s VP-BRE and VP-BRK. Transaero used 737-300 EI-CXN, 737-400 EI-CZK and 777-200ER EI-UNU. In addition, Rossiya eschewed TU-154s for A319 VQ-BIT and A320 VP-BDY. These were joined by Ural Airlines A320 VQ-BCY, SkyExpress 737-500 VQ-BHA and Tatarstan Airlines 737-500 VQ-BBO. In terms of Ukraine, Ukraine International used 737-400 UR-GAX and 737-800 UR-PSC and AeroSvit 737-400 UR-VVP. Ukraine also provided Dornier 328-300 UR-WOG on a private flight from Kiev.

So long, farewell… Although Salzburg continues to see busy ski seasons, having bounced back after the privations of Covid, it is unlikely that Russian and Belarussian visitors will return in the foreseeable future. The reasons are obvious and need no rehash here. I count myself very lucky however to have witnessed at least one Orthodox Christmas in the Austrian Alps. Lucky, but also kicking myself that I had not planned a trip sooner…what might have been!

Naturally, my portfolio contains a large number of shots from the Salzburg trip in 2011. Please contact me HERE for further details.

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Baked Alaska? Hardly...

Like many avgeeks, a trip to Alaska had held a prime spot on my bucket list for many years. In March 2015 I got the opportunity to tick it off. The ‘domestic board meeting’ had had to make a decision between ‘somewhere in the Far East’ or Alaska. For me, as chairman, this was a simple decision with just one obvious winner. The only slight concern was travelling to Alaska in March – would it be chilly? We were soon to discover that chilly was the understatement to end all understatements but that just added to the adventure – I can say that now from the warmth of my office chair.

With no direct flights to Anchorage from the UK, we had to get to Alaska’s commercial hub by a pretty circuitous route. A British Airways 777-200 would take us to Seattle, from where we would head south (yes, I know, wrong direction) to Portland, Oregon on an Alaska (Horizon) Q400. In Portland we boarded Alaska Airline 737-700 N607AS, at the time in special Portland Timbers colours, for the three hours 30 minutes flight north. We turned up at Heathrow, with four large matching yellow Tripp suitcases, only to be greeted by the BA check-in agent who exclaimed – “I see Debenhams’ have got a sale on…” You can’t beat a dose of British banter at the start of a journey which is bound to play havoc with your unsuspecting body clock.

Although I did not immediately appreciate it in the early hours of the morning as we finally arrived in Anchorage, I can say without reservation that Alaska is the most beautiful place that I have ever been. In March 2015, it was also the coldest – a trophy it still doggedly clings to. We were very lucky – over the course of 13 days we had constant sunshine with no wind. There was however a thick covering of snow and a daytime temperature which hovered between -15 and -20 degrees Celsius (5 to -4 Fahrenheit, for those who prefer ‘old money’). Night time temperatures took balmy (or was that ‘barmy’) to a whole new level with the mercury dropping to around -35 Celsius (-31 F). Our Alaska trip will be long remembered for the first time we had to plug the rental car to the mains overnight just to ensure it would start in the frigid air.

Taking photographs of aircraft in these conditions presents its own unique set of challenges. Camera batteries do not like the cold and I got through them alarmingly quickly. Also not liking the cold were my extremities – anything remotely exposed to the freezing air. Having to remove frozen gloves to press a camera shutter was exquisite torture. More fundamentally, standing around for hours on end played havoc with the lower limbs and indeed with the blocks of ice, also known as my long-suffering feet attached to their ends! Quite simply these conditions meant wearing more layers than a Ryanair passenger trying to get away with wearing extra clothes to avoid baggage charges. I looked, and felt, like a Michelin man. I lost count of the number of times during those al fresco sessions that I questioned my sanity and lamented the amount of ‘suffering for my art.’

Climate aside, one hazard I had not anticipated, and one you are unlikely to experience at Myrtle Avenue or on P6 at Zurich airport, took me by surprise on my third day of shooting at Anchorage. My favourite afternoon spot, on the top of a woodland ridge, was disturbed by what I can only describe as heavy breathing behind me. Reluctantly turning to discover the source, I was confronted by a moose who was, I believe, simply passing through. Although we were to see many during our Alaskan trip this first encounter was my closest. The result was a pretty definite anticlimax as the animal took one look at me, seemed to say “oh, another crazy planespotter” and moved on to a more attractive glade. I am just glad that he had not heard of my newly discovered liking for reindeer sausage with my breakfast omelette!

For an avgeek, Anchorage has a lot to recommend it. A huge number of wide-bodied freighter aircraft transit from Asia to North America and Europe. There is also a large amount of local commercial airline traffic within the state and to the ‘lower 48’ (as the Alaskans describe it), and pretty much anything else. Anchorage sees a number of aircraft staging on delivery along with a substantial number of corporate jets, again using Anchorage to refuel en route. Anchorage airport is also next to the Lake Hood Seaplane Base – the largest of its type in the world. In the Summer it plays host to legions of light aircraft heading deep into the Alaskan bush, the Winter sees more limited action by their ski equipped equivalents operating from the frozen lake surface or the Lake Hood gravel strip.

The first few days in Anchorage also served to whet my appetite for what was to come. Several times a day, Anchorage played host to vintage piston powered Douglas DC-6 aircraft belonging to Fairbanks based Everts Air Cargo. Everts, along with its sister company Everts Air Fuel, specialises in delivering cargo and, not surprisingly fuel, to remote areas of the state. Its rugged fleet of aging aircraft remains well-suited to the terrain and challenging operating conditions.

Before leaving the UK I had emailed Everts to try to arrange a tour of their facilities. Sadly, I had heard nothing. We had gone ahead and booked a five day trip to Fairbanks during the middle of our Alaskan trip, covering the 360 miles in just under an hour on an Alaska (Horizon) Q400. Although there was more than enough for us to do, I also promised myself that I would turn up at Everts offices at Fairbanks airport ‘on spec’ and hope for the best.

The very bottom line is that I need not have worried. Walking into reception the next morning, a beautiful clear day without a cloud in the sky, I introduced myself. The helpful receptionist said – “oh yes, we’ve been expecting you, I guess you would like the tour!” While waiting for someone to guide me, she added that “I will have to charge you for the tour I’m afraid – that will be 10 dollars…” With what I hoped would be an unforgettable hour or so, I eagerly handed over the cash. I neglected to tell her of course that I would have readily paid ten times that amount for the privilege.

Having donned a high-vis jacket, I was escorted on to the company ramp. If ever there was a schoolboy in a sweetshop moment – this was it. Within five minutes I had clambered up the steps and was standing in the cockpit of N54514 – a Curtiss C-46D, which first flew in 1945 with the US Air Force. From 1955 it flew with the JASDF, hence its name ‘Maid in Japan’. The C-46 was parked next to several active Douglas DC-6s along with a pristine Everts Air Fuel C-46F N1822M ‘Salmon Ella’. Sadly this aircraft was to be written off following an engine failure on take-off just over three years later at nearby Manley Hot Springs.

Before heading back into the hangar I readily accepted my guide’s invitation to head into the Everts storage area. This open ‘boneyard’ contained a whole host of DC-6 aircraft, some more intact than others, along with other airframes including two more modern Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias and a DC-9-41 in full DHL colours. The undisputed highlight for me however was being given the chance to climb inside N8504Z, a C-119L Flying Boxcar. The fact that I had to trek through snow several feet deep to reach it, made the experience all the more memorable.

Having completed the tour, I returned to reception to retrieve my camera bag and buy the must-have Everts jacket and shirt. While paying the receptionist she introduced me to a chap who happened to be walking through. Rob Everts is President and CEO of the family-owned company and invited me into his office. We spent the next 30 minutes talking aircraft and it provided me with a real insight into the company and its operations using elderly but ideally matched aircraft. In no time, it was time to head back out into the cold. I will be forever grateful to Rob and the Everts team for really making this avgeek’s dreams come true. When he picked me up, Ian was surprised that I could not stop smiling. To me, it was no surprise at all.

When we checked in to our hotel in Fairbanks we were asked if we wished to be woken to see the Northern Lights. We naturally agreed. Fairbanks is apparently one of the best places to see this wonder of the night sky because of its location and lack of light pollution. Sure enough, at 1.30am of our first night, we got that call. We duly layered up and headed outside into the very sub-zero night. Luckily we did not need to trudge far in the snow and got the requisite shots from a camera already questioning why I was asking it to work in these frigid conditions. After a few minutes of ‘ooohing and aaaaahing’ we headed back inside. 24 hours later, the call came again. This time we did not venture out – once was memorable, twice would have been a snowdrift too far. Ironically, reading the UK newspapers that week, we noted that the Northern Lights had in fact been clearly seen in Manchester and the Isle of Man due to unusually favourable conditions.

I have a smaller wish-list of places to which I would love to return. Alaska tops that list by a mile. The only caveat being that now getting beyond the age of 60 I would schedule a return at a more ‘sympathetic’ time of year. For an avgeek, there are few places that provide more opportunities to get up close and personal with a huge variety of aircraft large and small, young and old. The icing on the cake is that you get to see them at work in one of the most spectacular places on the planet.

Naturally, my portfolio contains a huge number of shots from the Alaskan trip and covers aircraft in both Anchorage and Fairbanks. Please contact me HERE for further details.

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Another round of Screwdrivers

The feedback I received after my first gasp of Hot Air covering some recollections of SXM – Sint Maarten – seemed to focus on one thing, and one thing only. My admission that I would begin each day of aviation photography at 10am with a Screwdriver and carry on through the day, was met, in equal measure by disbelief, censure and perhaps a little envy! This second set of anecdotes from an avgeek ‘on tour’ in the Caribbean will unashamedly feature more of the same. It does however have a more serious purpose in showing how we sometimes ‘suffer for our art’ and indeed suffer some of the people we encounter!

My eminently patient partner (now husband) Ian and I made five trips to Sint Maarten over the years. The timing of our first visit, in 2004, was a bit of a mistake for a number of very valid reasons. SXM in August is quiet – who, in their right minds goes to the Caribbean when the weather is at its most humid, at most risk from hurricanes and when the rain seems almost biblical. From my point of view, and perhaps most importantly, because nearby St Barts is seriously out of season, the number of business jets can be counted on one hand. Compare and contrast with February when the ramps at SXM are full to bursting with executive jets resting while their passengers take the sun.

SXM had always been on my ‘bucket list’ as an aspiring aviation photographer – our decision to finally make the trip marked the 15th anniversary of the day we first met. It did not start well. We travelled from Heathrow to Paris Charles de Gaulle to connect with the direct Air France Airbus A340-300 flight to SXM. We had been allocated the aisle and adjacent seat in a block of four at the rear of the aircraft – the first, and last time we headed to the Caribbean without at least one window seat. After pushback, in other words even before take-off, the child sitting next to Ian had thrown up, with the mother, on the aisle exclaiming that “c’est rien” – Ian’s reaction was predictable and involved words to the effect of “it is certainly not rien madame!” This was going to be a long eight hours.

We had booked to stay at an intimate resort called the Delfina Hotel in Cupecoy, a short drive from the airport, and sadly now long closed. Some of the people we met at the Delfina, have stayed lifelong friends – Patrick and Casey from Michigan, Bob and Chris from New York, Ugo from Bologna and Bernd from Zurich – can all be counted within that happy band of The Friends of Delfina (according to our Facebook page). The Delfina was run by oh so idiosyncratic Germans Boris and Michael – the former calling everyone ‘sveetheart…’ Happy Hour at the Delfina simply meant, according to the owners, that you should be happy drinking rather than any hint of a two for one deal...

The Friends of Delfina soon became well aware of my obsession with this special airport and would routinely join Ian when he came to collect me from the famed Sunset Beach Bar (SBB) at the end of the ‘working day.’ As you have probably guessed, sampling my first Screwdriver at 10am meant that by 4pm I really did not care how good my photos were!

It is something of a cliché to say that alcohol makes you lose inhibitions but, in the case of my days at the SBB, that is absolutely true. Perched on a stool, by the speaker broadcasting the ATC, scouring the approach over the beach and nursing a Screwdriver, I became the guy to talk to. Over the years I lost count of the number of visiting bizjet air crew who would make a beeline for the bar while their passengers were enjoying the ‘fleshpots’ of St Barts. We chatted about all things aviation and I am lucky enough to have stayed in touch with many of them.

Away from the relaxed chats with kindred spirits I also had my fair share of more basic interactions with customers at the SBB. The favourite line from many seemed to be “what are you doing?” Sitting with a large camera, pointing it periodically at arriving aircraft, I have to admit it is a bit difficult to fathom…As a polite Brit, of course I took the time to explain that I was taking photographs of aircraft – or in other words, the art of ‘stating the bleeding obvious’. I recall late on one particular day however that my tolerance levels were low and, after the requisite number of Screwdrivers, responding with “just sitting here looking pretty”. That seemed to do the trick, I was not bothered again – for that day, at least!

I can honestly say that sitting on my stool at the SBB was never dull. Perhaps the best example of this is my encounter with someone I will call ‘CreepyMcCreepFace’. This gentleman had turned up at the bar at around 11am with a large video camera. He had already been noticed pointing his camera for far too long in the direction of several female sunbathers taking advantage of the ‘topless women drink for free’ slogan. He then sidled over to me and asked me if I would describe arriving aircraft as a commentary over the video he was taking. I had taken an instant dislike so responded with “I normally charge for that sort of thing”. He took the hint and crept away.

The night before, the bar had been painted green, as it was every year, in honour of the forthcoming Heineken Regatta. The whole place was festooned with umbrellas and bunting promoting the Dutch lager. Unfortunately, the staff had not yet placed the ‘wet paint’ signs along the bar as Creepy headed for a drink. I should explain that he was not exactly dressed for the beach and sported a long sleeve white shirt and business trousers. The white shirt, and particularly the elbows did not stay white for long as he leant both arms on the not yet dry bar… Cue his swift exit and time for my next Screwdriver.

Over the years I have been fortunate to meet a number of great photographers doing just what I was – recording the arrivals over Maho Beach. One conversation in particular was to have a profound influence on my life. I first got to meet the late great Denis F McBriarty in 2005 while enjoying another Screwdriver. We hit it off immediately and it was Denis who suggested that I try uploading my shots to JetPhotos (JP). We shared our frustrations of uploading to ‘another’ site and the rest, as they say, is history. 18 years later my screened collection on JP continues to act as a window to my style and record of my travels around the world.

SXM will always hold a special place in my heart, as will the Sunset Beach Bar and Maho. One day I hope to return and sample perhaps one or two more Screwdrivers. We must suffer for our art!

Over the years, I have made five lengthy visits to SXM and my archive has a lot of shots from those trips. Please contact me HERE for further details.

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RTL in SXM

Picture the scene. In February 2005 I was sitting minding my own business, enjoying my second Screwdriver of the morning at the Sunset Beach Bar on Maho Beach, Sint Maarten. This was my second visit to ‘SXM’ – the IATA code for Princess Juliana Airport situated on this island in the Caribbean, split between the Netherlands and France. SXM is located on ‘the Dutch side’, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. There is a smaller airport at Grand Case on ‘the French side’ which is an ‘overseas collectivity’ of France and part of the EU. This unusual arrangement dates back to the Treaty of Concordia of 1648.

Now, back to the bar. The Sunset Beach Bar, still going strong, is located at the southern end of ‘the world famous’ Maho Beach. This semi-circle of sand has earned this title because of its neighbour – the airport. It lies at the very end of runway 09 at SXM and affords everyone the opportunity to get more than ‘up close and personal’ with aircraft landing and taking off. All landing traffic uses runway 09 because of terrain but departures, particularly wide-body aircraft, often use the reciprocal.

SXM’s traffic is at its busiest in the northern hemisphere winter when ‘snowbirds’ seeking the sun flock to the Caribbean beaches. Princess Juliana airport is also particularly popular with executive jets as the rich and famous use it as the closest major hub to the playground of St Barthélemy (St Barts). It is not unusual to see SXM’s ramps crammed with bizjets of all sizes from all over the world. It is this winning combination of location, weather and traffic which draws tourists, and aviation enthusiasts like me, to Maho.

Finally, back to 2005 and I am still supping my Screwdriver…My then partner (now husband) Ian and I had made our first visit to SXM six months earlier. Like this trip, we flew from London to Paris and then on with Air France on the then daily Airbus A340-300. After a day or so I quickly found my rhythm and pattern of daily activity. Ian would drop me at the bar just after it opened, at 10am, I would grab a decent spot and hunker down with my first Screwdriver of the day (spot the recurring theme…) I struck up a great rapport with the then owner and his staff and they quickly got used to the ‘crazy English guy’ who would sit and take photos of aircraft all day until his ‘friend’ came to collect him.

Maho Beach is quiet in the mornings until the coaches and taxis start bringing passengers from the cruise terminal in the capital Phillipsburg. The beach, bar and paths next to the runway fence are usually full to bursting by lunchtime as spectators await the arrival of the first flights from North America. The highlight is usually the arrival of one or two wide-body flights from Europe – from Paris with Air France or KLM from Amsterdam. Now, those widebodies tend to be predominantly Airbus A330-200s but in 2005 it was Air France A340-300s and KLM 747-400s which wowed the crowds.

Back in 2005 the airport perimeter fences were lower and less reinforced than they are now. It was a rite of passage to grab the fence behind departing aircraft, feel the jet blast and hold on for all you were worth.  This fence hanging was undertaken despite the ominous official signs warning that “Danger – jet blast of arriving and departing aircraft can cause severe physical harm resulting in extreme bodily harm and/or death.” Sadly, a tourist lost their life in 2017, as they were blown over by the jet blast of a departing aircraft. Since then, the fences have been further strengthened and fence hanging has been made more difficult. Jet blast still however regularly results in loss of belongings blown into the sea. There are only so many precautions that can be taken and it is a fact of life that neither the beach nor runway can be relocated. The thrill remains but you have to be sensible.

In 2005 I wasn’t sensible and it was this, fuelled by those Screwdrivers, which handed me a few minutes of fame. Unbeknownst to me, a film crew from Germany’s RTL TV channel were in Sint Maarten producing a piece for their Explosiv magazine show. Their angle was to profile people who came to the island to watch and take photographs of aircraft on Maho Beach. As luck would have it, they ended up chatting to the owner of the Beach Bar. He told them about the said ‘crazy English guy’ who spends all day in one spot taking photographs (and drinking Screwdrivers).

It was comparatively early in the day and I was happy to chat to them, letting them film me while I explained the bar’s surf board notice of arrivals and departures for the day. However, I let them make their own minds up about the ‘topless women drink for free’ sign… I gave them a rundown on my passion for aircraft, exotic locations and why I had come to love Maho so much. It was then that I made a mistake. I explained the popularity of fence hanging behind the large jets and they asked if I would be happy to be filmed doing it. I readily agreed, perhaps too readily. They promised to come back and film me doing so for the KLM 747 departure later in the afternoon. In the meantime, they scooted off to interview the female KLM co-pilot of the 747 and get her impressions of operating from this unique airport.

The time duly came and, fortified by one or two further Screwdrivers paid for by German TV, I duly held on to the fence behind the 747 departing for Curacao and Amsterdam, putting aside any rational thoughts about the risk. While he certainly wasn’t keen on the fence hanging, even Ian got interviewed by my new friends for his earnest opinion of what I got up to while he was spending the day sunning himself on another beach.

Back in Europe, thankfully unscathed, I was sent a copy of the final Explosiv piece and it ended up on YouTube where it can still be viewed (HERE in fact). Although in German, my English audio remains. All I would say is that RTL must have used a ‘camp stunt double' because no-one who knows me would believe that I could be so flamboyantly enthusiastic and almost gushing after a serious jet blasting. Theatricality aside, this was an experience I will never forget and to this day, the taste of a Screwdriver mixes in my mind with a hint of jet fumes and sand…

As a postscript, and I will leave this here without comment, I was chatting to a friendly German photographer on the viewing deck at Dusseldorf in 2016. He said – “Ah, you are Brian Richards, the spotter from Sint Maarten, I have you on my computer.” As you can imagine, the first part flattered me, while the second flustered me. Thankfully, my dubious past was not about to catch up with me. He simply meant that he had a copy of the RTL piece on his laptop. For that, I am very grateful and remain mightily relieved!

Stay tuned for the next gasp of Hot Air which will deliver up another round of Screwdrivers and anecdotes from SXM.

Over the years, I have made five lengthy visits to SXM and my archive has a lot of shots from those trips. Please contact me HERE for further details.

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The enduring power of the WEF

Anyone reading this who thinks they have stumbled upon another wild conspiracy theory about controlling the world order is in for a huge disappointment. The subject of this ‘gasp of hot air’ is my love of what is often described as ‘doing the WEF’.

Allow me to explain. The annual general meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been held in the Swiss alpine resort of Davos-Klosters since 1971. The WEF is a non-profit organisation which focusses on promoting co-operation between both the public and private sectors. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that ‘anybody who is anybody’ has at one stage or another attended the annual five-day meeting. Heads of state and government, business leaders, academics, stars of stage and screen and half the world’s media all gather together to “attend sessions designed to spark fruitful discussions around the most pressing issues of the day” as the WEF publicity puts it.

Many of these high-profile delegates travel by air. While commercial airline flights to Zurich, the closest major airport to Davos, transport many visitors, there is a huge group who use private jets and government aircraft. It is this category which continues to draw a large number of photographers and enthusiasts to Zurich during the WEF, which is normally held in the third week of January.

Limited parking at Zurich Airport means that many private, government or corporate aircraft land, deposit their passengers and then relocate to other airports before returning once the business has been completed. Over the years, favoured spots have included Dubendorf, Geneva, Basel, Friedrichshafen, Altenrhein and Munich. WEF visitors have also ventured as far as Nice, Milan, Turin and even Barcelona. In recent years, the number of visiting aircraft in Zurich has fallen as a number of the smaller airports have introduced customs facilities which negates a stop in Zurich and allows for point-to-point operation.

Delegates to the WEF also have a clear pecking order when it comes to travelling to Davos, Europe’s highest town. World leaders are provided with helicopter transfers from Zurich using ski-equipped Pumas of the Swiss Air Force. Others use the services of a multitude of helicopter charter operators to cover the 20-minute flight into the mountains. For lesser mortals, and if the weather does not allow the helicopters to fly, ground transfers from limousines to the more mundane are the order of the day.

I made my first trip to Zurich to photograph WEF traffic in 2005. Being a WEF virgin I did not factor the best days for arrivals and departures so probably missed a lot of exotic traffic. I did however sign up for my very first ramp tour organised by specialist retailer BuchAir and the Zurich Airport authorities. The format was the same then as it is now. A two-hour guided bus tour of the ramp with access to take close-up shots of aircraft parked on the various stands. Over the years, the number of seats sold on each bus has increased noticeably and sadly the number of available tours has diminished. That said, in recent years a number of night tours have also been scheduled, allowing for night shooting skills to be honed. The spectacle of over 30 photographers, each sporting a tripod, trying to navigate their way on an off a bus, in the dark, in often frigid conditions is all part of the fun of the WEF week.

Including my first brief visit, I have clocked up some 17 visits to Zurich during the WEF. My trips have always taken on a familiar pattern – usually arriving a day or so before the event starts and then leaving a day after the WEF finishes to catch the departures. January in Zurich is not warm and most years we have had to contend with snow, rain or even sunshine despite freezing temperatures. One of my preferred locations is the top or penultimate level of car park P6 which allows coverage of movements on runway 28. It is when the strong winds are blowing the snowflakes through the open slats of the car park wall that you seriously question your sanity and ask the simple question – why do I do this? Getting older, that is a question I continue to ask much more regularly. P6, until the recent introduction of new and more difficult parking spots, also afforded my own regular opportunity to dust off my tripod and night shooting skills.

The reasons I keep returning are many – the interesting traffic, the authorities’ clear understanding and tolerance of what we are doing and the number of spots to use including a spacious viewing terrace, areas close to the terminals and at the end of the runways. Perhaps what keeps me coming back most of all is the people – that cliched camaraderie in the face of adversity. You don’t feel quite so cold when you have someone to moan about the cold to. Over the years I have met lifelong friends during the WEF and have been lucky enough to introduce other photographers from around the world to the quite obvious charms of a week in Zurich in January. The WEF has become as much about sitting in the airport food court nursing a few beers and putting the world to rights with likeminded thawing souls than about the exotic aircraft.

Because of Covid there was no WEF in 2021. In 2022, the meeting was held in May – the very idea. I gave this one a miss as it would definitely not have been the same – one cannot moan about frigid temperatures in May! After returning to Zurich in both 2023 and 2024 I have decided to forego my annual trip in 2025 as I will be ticking off a major entry on my bucket list as I head to Munich in mid-February for a few days recording aircraft arriving in connection with the annual Munich Security Conference. I will also be joined by members of our ‘WEF posse’, also looking to ring the changes. Variety is the spice of life but I think it more than likely that the lure of the WEF in 2026 will have me back in Zurich for the week.

My photo archive covering all 17 WEF weeks that I have done is wide-ranging and comprehensive. Contact me HERE for further details.

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You're going where? To fly in what?

Sometimes you just have to try and impress. Chat up lines must be believable. One Friday night in early August 1989 I was standing in a bar in London's West End. The Brief Encounter, situated just a stone's throw from Trafalgar Square, on St Martin's Lane, is sadly now long gone. This particular night I had started a conversation which ultimately proved to be the most important of my life. The man I had started talking to, after our eyes met across a crowded basement bar (yes, you know the drill), ended up being the love of my life. Ian and I are still together after 35 years, having finally married in 2022.

As part of my 'cunning plan' to appear urbane and interesting, I had mentioned that I was 'into aeroplanes' too, after my new found friend started talking about his early days in Jersey and the fact that his parents used to pack him off to 'watch the planes' at Jersey's then bustling airport. Little did I realise that I had stumbled upon one of the founder members of the self-styled Jersey Planespotters Society - membership, just two, Ian and one of his mates. Ian's reaction was perhaps unsurprisingly sceptical. He was obviously talking to someone who would say anything just to get another pint. This was my chance to impress.

I then uttered that immortal line - 'yes, I am actually flying to Denver in a couple of months’ time - only for the weekend – just to fly on a Convair CV-580 to Aspen'. Those words did the trick. Realisation dawned over his face, quicker than a sharp slap, as he suddenly clocked the fact that I was not telling tall tales and that he really had stumbled upon a likeminded soul – someone who knew what a CV-580 was. The rest was ‘plane’ sailing (apologies for that terrible pun). The next couple of hours were lost in a conversation, refreshingly two-sided and focussed almost entirely on our spotting ‘careers.’

Unsurprisingly, we met again, frequently, over the next couple of months and I think it is fair to say that both of us realised that we had met a kindred spirit who actually knew what they claimed to know! So much so that Ian told one of his friends that he had ‘met the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with…’ No pressure there then!

On Thursday 19th October 1989 I turned up at London’s Gatwick airport and checked in for Continental Airlines flight CO035 to Denver, continuing on to Honolulu. I was closely questioned on the brevity of my stay and was met with blank looks when I told the airline official checking documents before check-in about my desire to fly in a twin-turboprop airliner dating from the 1950s.

The flight was operated by Douglas DC-10-30 N14062, which had originally been delivered to Alitalia in 1973. The flight – lasting nine hours five minutes, was uneventful and we landed at Denver’s old airport – Stapleton – which, at the time was creaking at the seams with traffic it could barely handle. It was to be another six years before its successor, Denver International Airport, was to open.

After a full day of sightseeing, I found myself back at Stapleton, checking in for United Airlines flight UA3807 to Aspen, high in the Rockies. The flight was operated by Aspen Airways operating for United Express operating for United Airlines… The net result of the complexities of airline franchise agreements saw me walking out to board magnificent Convair CV-580 N73109. Sadly, the aircraft was wearing the ubiquitous United Express livery rather than the more eclectic Aspen Airways colours. This example was originally delivered to United Airlines in September 1952 as a piston engine CV-340 before being converted to the turboprop -580 in 1969. It was then purchased by Aspen Airways in 1973.

The 56-seat cabin was spacious and distinctly retro but all the more exciting for that. The views over the mountains during the 42-minute flight were spectacular. Our landing into Aspen, one of the most challenging commercial airports in the US because of the length of its runway and adjacent terrain, was as memorable as I had hoped.

I spent the next few hours exploring the small airport terminal and taking photos of the fair number of light and executive aircraft on the field. At lunchtime I reboarded N73109 once again for UA3828 back to Stapleton. This time, I had even less time aboard as we made the return journey in just 35 minutes.

‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get!’ A motto to live by if ever there were one. It certainly worked for me at Stapleton. I explained my passion to a frankly bewildered member of United ground crew, and they gave permission for me to step out on to the ramp and take photos of the three CV-580s awaiting their next journeys. It was but a small thing to surrender my passport to them while let loose. I doubt this would happen in many places today!

The next day I prepared to return to Gatwick and awaited the return of N14062 inbound from Hawaii. What struck me most of all, in the very early days of a relationship, was that I now had an understanding someone with whom I could share the details of my trips to fly on the weird, wonderful…and old! I am so fortunate that that remains the same today as it was then!

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1984 and all that

Ok, I’ll admit it – I was in a bit of a state. 1984 was a momentous year for me – finishing university, trying to ‘find myself’ and working out how I wanted to use the skills I had learned, in the real world. At the beginning of the year, I had also bought my first serious camera and had been experimenting with photographing aircraft from the spectator terraces at both Heathrow and Gatwick. The end of May saw me heading away on my first dedicated solo overseas ‘spotting trip’ – a week in Frankfurt.
On Friday 25th May my long-suffering, but understanding parents dropped me at Heathrow Terminal 2 for Lufthansa flight LH033. The flight was operated by Airbus A300B4-203 D-AIBF – named ‘Kronberg/Taunus’ after the small town to the northwest of Frankfurt. This was only my 13th flight, a landmark that perhaps should have set alarms ringing, and my first flight on any Airbus.

The flight was packed and started normally enough. On take-off from Heathrow however we felt a slight jolt and we did not seem to be climbing at a normal rate. After a few minutes, the pilot informed us, very matter of factly, that ‘two of our tyres had blown on take-off.’ We were told that we would have to make a couple of low passes over the tower at Heathrow so that they could ‘take a look’ at our undercarriage which remained down. The atmosphere on board seemed calm and incredibly quiet. After the manoeuvre the pilot was back on again. We would now burn off fuel to reduce our landing weight and make a planned emergency landing back at Heathrow.

I was in a window seat and had a vey small Japanese gentleman sitting next to me. For the next hour, apart from offering its contents to me, he spent all his time supping from an obviously full hip flask. Our emergency landing of course involved what I term ‘a full head between the knees job’ which I recall was carried out in the same calm, measured way. The landing seemed very smooth and the only hint of something out of the ordinary was the sight of our aircraft being followed by at least four fire engines.

We reached a remote stand and were escorted from the aircraft down steps rather than slides. I do however remember one of the German cabin crew mentioning to another passenger that we should not rush as there was no chance that our undercarriage would collapse. We were returned to the terminal in a fleet of buses and then left in the care of the airline ground crew. The next three hours were characterised by confusion and uncertainty but eventually, we were split into two groups – those who wished to continue their journey to Frankfurt and those who did not. The latter was surprisingly large in number. So much so that those in the former were rebooked in Club Class on a British Airways flight several hours later. So, the day of my first Airbus flight also saw my first flight on a Lockheed L1011 TriStar, and my first in business class, as G-BBAH ‘The Sunsilk Rose’ took us to Germany in just short of 90 minutes.

Frankfurt Airport’s besucherterasse – its viewing terrace, was apparently the second most visited tourist attraction in 1984 (after Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein in Bavaria). To a novice, the terrace was huge, covered much of the roof of the now terminal 1, and had plenty of angles to shoot aircraft on the terminal piers, on the runways and at the distant US Air Force base at Rhein/Main. Walking out on to the terrace for the first time was like being ‘a kid in a sweetshop.’ The difference now was that I had plenty of money – in the form of my new camera!

The subsequent days on the terrace in Frankfurt set a template for each of my trips which I have largely kept to over the intervening 40 years. An early night follows the preparation of my ‘gear’ for the next day and recording my log of sightings for the day now finished. An early start, no breakfast (much to my mum’s enduring chagrin), and rushing to get into pole position as the terrace opened at 8am. I stayed on the terrace until turfed off by the elderly security guard who used to patrol the huge terrace on his little bike. I returned to my hotel after grabbing something to eat before preparing to do it all again.

My next trip to Frankfurt followed just six months later. Before I left the UK I came out to my mum after a huge amount of personal angst. She assured me that she would tell my dad while I was away shooting aeroplanes. That however is a story for another day…

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Back in the USSR...Aeroflot to Soviet Central Asia in 1983

In 1983 I was just 20. After my first holiday without my parents - a sedate coach tour of eight European countries in 12 days in 1981 - my plans called for something decidedly more ambitious. I booked a two-week guided tour with the Soviet state-owned tour agency Intourist which would take in Leningrad (as it then was), three cities in Central Asia (now Uzbekistan) and finally Moscow. This trip was memorable for so many reasons, and provided hours of frustrating entertainment for the budding avgeek.

It was another year before I was to lift a camera at an airport – with the overpowering Cold War suspicion, that was probably just as well. The atmosphere as it got closer to departure became unexpectedly more febrile. I was due to fly out from Gatwick to Leningrad on 10 September. On 1 September KE007 – a scheduled Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 flight from JFK to Seoul - was shot down by a Soviet SU-15 after leaving its intermediate stop in Anchorage. The aircraft was targeted after straying into Russian airspace and being mis-identified as a US spy plane. 269 passengers and crew lost their lives.

In the days after the disaster, the rhetoric reached fever pitch with rumours that Aeroflot would be banned from Western Europe. The Intourist response to the innocent question of what might happen if this ban were to be implemented while we were away was met with a simple – “we have to get you back – your visa will expire.” It was with this vision of being dumped on the East German border that I headed to Gatwick to be waved off by my very nervous mother. I need not have worried at this stage as TU-154B1 CCCP-85236 took a full load of British tourists to Leningrad in just over three hours.

The Soviet Union in 1983 definitely gave off an air of being grim. From the ever-watchful gaze of our tour guide Sveta, to the equally watchful gaze of the elderly ‘babushka’ ensconced on each hotel floor to ensure no misbehaviour, we all felt that we were under constant surveillance. Our arrival at Pulkovo airport for the nearly six-hour trip to Tashkent a couple of days later did nothing to take away that feeling. Security was intrusive and time-consuming and we were watched like hawks. In a familiar pattern on each of the public flights we took, that hawklike look was changed to resentful stares of the Soviet fare-paying passengers who were held back at the bottom of the aircraft’s steps to allow the ‘Westerners’ to board. I hazard to guess that this would not happen now…

Our flight SU5060 was memorable. The aircraft used was an IL-62 (not even an IL-62M to those in the know). CCCP-86688 was originally delivered in 1971 as a personal transport for Chairman Leonid Brezhnev. It was then transferred to the Uzbek directorate of Aeroflot in 1976 and operated commercial services until December 1989. The cabin was ‘old school’ – open luggage racks, food which arrived in brown paper bags and suspiciously brown ‘mineral water’. On asking for a blanket, one of the ladies in our party was told “no – it is being used!” It was taking this and subsequent flights that laid down the golden rule that Aeroflot flight attendants would get wider, hairier and grumpier the further south and east that we travelled.

After a few days in Tashkent, the modern-day capital of Uzbekistan, we headed to Bukhara – a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. We got there in an hour on what seemed like an equally ancient AN-24V CCCP-46387. Equipped with clearly bald tyres and half the world’s population of bluebottles, this was a flight we were all eager to leave. After just one night in Bukhara we found ourselves back at the tiny airport, awaiting another AN-24V (in this case CCCP-46766) which was to take us in one hour 15 minutes to the ancient city of Samarkand.

By this stage, as so often in these trips, I had joined a small ‘group within a group’ who had a similar outlook on life and looked after each other. Imagine the scene as we were sitting in the outdoor airside area at Bukhara airport and one or two of my co-travellers were whispering aircraft registrations to me as I was writing them down as answers to crossword clues in my puzzle magazine bought for the purpose in the UK. I’m sure it would not have taken a particularly bright member of the KGB to work out what I was doing, but it did feel unbelievably naughty! You may have guessed that my fellow tourists were by now well aware of my quest for exotic aircraft registration numbers – not that any really understood why I did it.

While talking about exotic registrations, this was the location for what I might call my ‘cop of the decade’ – ‘cop’ being code for an aircraft not previously seen. While sitting in the garden in front of the small terminal, we heard the unmistakable sound of four Ivchenko turboprops as a bare metal AN-12 freighter pulled up to park in front of us. Wearing a clearly and crudely stencilled registration CCCP-11413 and equally crudely stencilled Aeroflot titles, this aircraft then started loading what appeared to be troops – presumably heading for nearby Afghanistan, then under Soviet occupation. It was this sighting that I breathlessly reported to enthusiast group LAAS International when I got back. It is now shown in databases of Soviet aircraft as the first sighting for this particular airframe…how exciting!!!

A few days passed with tours of the glories of Samarkand and a road trip to nearby Shahrisabz, the birthplace of 14th century emperor Amir Timur, better known as Tamerlane. It was time to head to Moscow Vnukovo on another TU-154 – a -B2 CCCP-85433 of Aeroflot’s Uzbek Directorate. After the four-hour flight we threw ourselves into the touristy bit for three exhausting days and it was soon time to return to the UK.

Needless to say, the West had followed through and had banned Aeroflot flights while we were in Central Asia. Never fear however – help was at hand. Instead of boarding Aeroflot TU-154-B2 CCCP-85414 all the way from Sheremetyevo to Gatwick, we got as far as Prague in the then Czechoslovakia. Intourist had had a ‘cunning plan’ to get us home. On arrival in Prague, we simply changed planes and boarded CSA IL-62M OK-JBI for the one hour 30-minute flight to Gatwick. Another problem solved. I arrived back to some totally bemused parents who had turned up at the airport at the crack of dawn without having been given any idea on which flight I would be arriving or indeed when.

In summary, my first trip to the Soviet Union was simply unforgettable and oh how I wished I could have taken a camera…so many exotic aircraft, such different times!

(Another note to those in the know - you can change CCCP above for SSSR if you prefer!)

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Why do I do it? Photograph aircraft that is...

Looking back on some of the stuff I wrote on my old website, I have to admit that I shudder. It has all the hallmarks of pretentious twaddle. Take this example – “While some enthusiasts delve into the mechanics of flight, I find myself captivated by the intricate tapestry of an aircraft’s livery, airline routes and diverse operating landscapes – an enduring obsession that shapes my worldview.” At the end of the day, I know what I meant. But I have to question – who wrote this rubbish?

Beneath the hyperbole there are some pretty basic truths. The most important is that I like looking at aircraft and as a result I like to photograph them. Aircraft can be sexy, elegant, exotic, awe-inspiring, colourful – the list goes on… In reality, my decision in 1976 to start collecting aircraft numbers and then to start taking a camera to the airport in 1984 were intrinsically linked. I wanted to record what I saw and the camera did that for me.

We each have our own way of spotting – some of my colleagues will only log an aircraft as ‘seen’ if they have a clear photo of the aircraft displaying its registration number. Others, like me, use the camera as a perhaps dominant partner in the process. I take photos and log registrations – the two are not mutually exclusive. There is, for example, a whole world of aircraft that I ‘shoot’ but do not log – what those in the know describe as ‘twindles and spindles’ – light aircraft et al.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to travel the world taking photos of aircraft. From tropical Thailand to the extreme sub-zero temperatures of Alaska in March – I hope nothing fazes me. Weather conditions have to be worked with – not seen as an immediate disincentive to get out there in the fresh (or jet fuel scented) air.

Uploading and having thousands of images accepted by JetPhotos.net has been great discipline for me – establishing my own workflow and trying to keep to what is acceptable and what is not. Having said that, it can be argued that each of these screened photo databases force their uploaders to conform to their well defined but still arbitrary standards and perhaps stifle creativity. The phrase I often see is ‘best keep for your personal collection’. Despite the disappointment of rejection there should be no reason to despair – there is nothing wrong with your very own personal collection – both for you and your wider audience. This is why I have never lost my enthusiasm for taking photos - the two can co-exist. I don’t see myself losing that enthusiasm any time soon…

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How things have changed - proud to be a dinosaur

The relaunch of this website has set me thinking. It is a peculiarly British thing to 'collect' aircraft numbers. When I started in 1976 that was the undeniable definition of a plane spotter. Now, anyone who takes photographs of aircraft can claim the label as their own. The original definition, taken in tandem with a notebook, flask of tea and a less than pristine anorak (with a furry collar) - that was the stereotype back then - a member of an (almost) entirely male tribe.

In 1976 I had got bored with collecting stamps and was looking for another hobby. My parents were open to anything which was cheap, safe and required little parental interaction or time. One of my classmates (I was just 13 at the time) showed me a copy of the Ian Allan bible - "Civil Aircraft Markings" (CAM) which listed all UK registered aircraft along with a small host of foreign airliners likely to visit British airports. At the time we were living in Roehampton, under the approach to (the then) runway 28L at Heathrow.

Asking my parents for my own copy of CAM was a no brainer and that triggered a passion for 'collecting numbers' which has never left me. As I type this I am looking at shelves groaning under the weight of every edition of "JP Airline Fleets International" since 1980. After a couple of years of relying on CAM, and then the more grown up "World Airline Fleets" annual listing book, I moved on to the far more comprehensive and, dare I say "adult" JP - for the serious enthusiast with deeper pockets!

Until  its last edition - 2013/14 - after purchase by the publishers of "Flight International", JP was my bible - my go to, and I religiously recorded my sightings by crossing a tiny box next to the aircraft registration to confirm that I had seen it. I relied on my paper, often dog-eared notebook, to record my sightings in the field, which I then transferred to my pristine JP. With each new edition I spent months transferring my ever increasing sightings from the old to the new while trying to track down those that had disappeared or changed registration. 48 years later I am still doing the same. Squirreling myself away in my office for hours on end, transferring my crosses, or ticks, or whatever you want to call them in to my current favourite fleet book - Air Britain's "Airline Fleets" annual.

Now, I know what you are going to say - fleet books are out of date before they hit the printers - you would be far better with your own database or one of the constantly updated huge online airframe lists. If I had one of those, like a number of my colleagues,  some of a similar age, I would have a world of data at my fingertips. I would be able to tell you precisely when I saw a particular Airbus A300; how many Boeing 707s I have seen or indeed the grand total of aircraft I have seen since those halcyon days in 1976. All this, and a whole lot more would be available at the flick of a switch or worse....
I was chatting to a couple of young teenage enthusiasts a few days ago - both a real tonic with their enthusiasm and politeness when presented with a spotter from a distant generation - and they surprised me by religiously noting registrations. It is a relief that there are youngsters coming through but there the joy dissipated. They looked at me in total disbelief when I started talking about 'tick boxes' and updating an annual fleet list. They would not imagine any other way - database or nothing.

At 61 years of age, as with my unwillingness to learn to drive, I will state here and now that I am an unashamed dinosaur- 'Brian T Rex' perhaps - I am too old to change. When it comes to technology in all its forms - you name it - sophisticated photo editing software; a total reliance on FlightRadar 24 and ADSB Exchange;  seeing the benefits and dangers of AI; or even understanding crypto currency, I am up there with the best, and youngest of them. However, leave my fleet books alone. I will continue to tick boxes and transfer my sightings from yearbook to yearbook. The problem will come, I hear you cry, when the publishers take stock and realise that their reliable dinosaurs are, like their prehistoric forebears, dwindling to an extent that continued publication becomes an economic no-no. Hopefully by then, I will be too old to sit at the end of a runway in the rain, nursing my flask of tea. When that day arrives. I can then fill my dotage with days of looking back on my spotting career through the vehicle of my fleet books, as one of a diminishing but unrepentant breed!  

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