Call it amusement, habit or instinct, turning your head towards the sky to look at a flying airplane is something one never misses to do. But there are those who take this excitement to another level. Capturing the thrill of spotting the mechanical wings on their camera is a joy. But aviation photography is almost an unheard concept in India.

Plane spotting, like Train spotting is a serious recreational activity the world over, informs 34 year old D’silva. Sean is an avid plane spotter and this hobby has given him a chance to spot on the rare occasion the Iron Maiden aircraft commanded by Bruce Dickinson. “It was sheer luck that day. I was out plane spotting and the Iron Maiden aircraft was leaving Mumbai.” Sean was probably lucky to be there at the right moment to have shot the Iron Maiden aircraft (a Boeing 757 – 200), when the band came to India in 2008 for the very first time as part of their Somewhere Back in Time Tour. His hobby has truly transpired into a passion for music photography.

So what is plane spotting all about, we quiz D’silva. “It is the art of observing and noting various aircraft whether at airports or while taking off and landing…jotting down details such as the type of airplane, its make, size, country of origin, registration details which helps discern delivery dates etc”. D’silva’s love for plane spotting began at an early age. “My first birthday cake was…an aeroplane” he smiles. “But I really got serious about plane spotting way back in the early 1980s. As far as I can recall my mom would take me to the airport as a toddler and I would be hypnotized by the runway’s bright lights at night. My uncle used to stay in the flight path of Bombay Airport’s main runway. I would rush to the terrace anticipating a takeoff. My uncle would explain the difference between the various aircrafts and airlines. This increased my knowledge of airplanes.”        

Plane spotting while still to take off in India, is a widespread and legal hobby overseas. There are associations in the UK such as the LAAS International and YYZ Airport Watch in Canada. These are dedicated volunteer groups of aviation enthusiasts who Observe, Record, and Report any suspicious activity to authorities while plane spotting. Thus plane spotters assist the airport security to a large extent. But the same cannot be said in India, feels D'silva. “In India, plane spotting far from being known, takes on a wholly different meaning and this is mainly due to the ignorance of the authorities towards this harmless hobby. Serious spotters go plane spotting whenever they get the time and whenever the weather permits. It’s a refreshing recreational activity as well as educative for those that have an eye for detail”.

According to D’silva you can never know enough about any airplane. “There are so many facts and trivia and technical specifications surrounding the huge spectrum of military and civil jets, one needs to constantly keep himself abreast of the latest information available. If you are seriously passionate about it, the learning never stops. Plane spotting comprises not only of airplanes but also the wide spectrum encompassing helicopters, business jets, fighters, gliders, balloons.”

Not many are aware that many operators feature interesting artwork on their airframes, for example on the commercial front, each Air India Express Boeing 737NG aircraft features a different tail design to reflect facets of Indian culture and history. International carriers such as Qantas paint certain tail planes of their Boeing 747 fleet with special art by renowned artists.

In 2010, D'silva was one of many plane spotters and aviation photographers around the world to take part in a photo competition to commenorate the 20th Anniversary of Volga - Dnepr group. “There was an international photo contest launched by Volga-Dnepr to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Volga-Dnepr group. Many professional and hobby photographers from around the world participated. I was fortunate to have been adjudged a winner in the Audience Choice category for two shots, A Volga-Dnepr Ilyushin IL-76TD-90VD registration RA-76951 taxiing for takeoff and an Air Bridge Cargo Boeing B747-281F registration VP-BII parked at the stand. As a token of appreciation, I was awarded winners certificates, a collector’s ‘Aviator’ watch and my photos were incorporated in a special edition 20^th anniversary 2011 calendar, besides a desktop calendar”.    

What, then, is the scene of plane spotting in India compared to that overseas; we’d surely want to know. D’silva is quick to reply and says almost matter of fact. “Apart from Bengaluru which has a thriving spotting/photography organization - the APIF (Aviation Photographers India Foundation), which is officially recognized, the scene elsewhere in the country is dismal.It’s the abysmal ignorance of the authorities in other parts of the country that is totally frustrating in this regard. Aircraft spotting is legal in countries such as the UK, Canada, Holland etc but the authorities of some countries mistake this hobby as reconnaissance by foreign spies or terrorists which I feel is ridiculous especially since there are ways and means to discern bonafide spotters from potential mischief mongers.”

With the security paranoia existing at the major airports in India, most notably Mumbai, he states that this hobby could be a life saver for passengers and also help the airport officials by alerting them of bird breeding activities near the airport or on it which can be a hazard for aircraft as well as report strange out of the ordinary activities. Also while spotting, spotters closely monitor aircraft movements on ground either while taxiing or parked aircraft. “In the UK, there is a code of conduct in place for aircraft spotters introduced by aviation enthusiasts' club LAAS International, under which aircraft spotters are encouraged to report suspicious behavior. I dream of the day when the authorities at Mumbai airport will replicate the success at Bengaluru.”

Sean, who formerly worked for Lufthansa Cargo at the Mumbai airport, is now presently with Cathay Pacific in the Customer Relations Department in Mumbai.

In 2013, Sean collaborated with his longtime friend and veteran plane spotter of the decades gone by - Mr. Jimmy Wadia who together brought out a book on plane spotting at Mumbai airports entitled “Mumbai Airports through Time" which chronicles aircraft movement at Mumbai airport and Juhu aerodrome right from the seventies till date. It’s a book worth checking out, though it is not available locally in India, it can be ordered online.

On May 30th 2014 he witnessed the first ever commercial A380 service to Mumbai. “Yes, I was there to see the first Singapore Airlines A380 on her inaugural flight. What a moment.” reminisces D’silva as he signs off.

Sean gave us several images of the Iron Maiden aircraft (in our Photo Section - Indian) at Mumbai airport, exclusively seen only on www.musicunplugged.in 

By Verus Ferreira