Female Spotters?

While on a Facebook yesterday, I found an old friend from the 50's. I told her that I love to spot planes since I was a kid. Thinking she would think my hobby was bizarre, I was shocked to learn that she is a spotter as well. This got me thinking back to my spotter days since 1977. I rarely saw any female spotters. Maybe once or twice, I saw a female. The exception was the day of the final Concorde landing at JFK where there were several women; including a lady from the JFK Tower, who got harassed by the PA Police although she had her badge in plain sight. Why so few female spotters? I've never seen this addressed before.

Women in general find other forms of enjoyment than that of men in most cases. You will find that my wife rather be flogged by a cane than sit and watch airplanes. Yet she can walk the aisles of Macy's and Bloomingdale's for days without food or drink ... Men are also usually very interested in mechanical things while Women tend to like more abstract artistic things. I am of course generalizing and commenting from a guy's point of view so disclaimer given :-0 I call it like I see it.

Most of my female friends who love the pictures I shoot of airplanes and cars etc. will admit to being slightly more masculine while retaining their femininity. My wife once told me she could not care less how a car worked as long as it got her to the mall and back :rolleyes:

My wife wears HIGHHEELS when spotting planes.

Mario, you're a stud! lol but I know what you mean, my wife once attempted to wear "shoes" to her first airshow with me... McGuire AFB... I was like, ok, hun, let me first start... there is NOT going to be anyone there looking at you... and your feet will be really upset with you after just getting to the gate from the dirt parking area, never mind the long arse walk to the flight line, and then the hours under the hot sun... etc. etc.

At Capital Airshow last year, she wanted to tag along for the trip... so we made it a family trip, mini vacation. We spent a few days in San Fran, a couple of days in Napa Valley and two days in Sacramento. I got a luxury chalet pass for the three of us so she and my daughter could be happy.

I have to tell you, those chalets are marriage savers. The volunteers were all over my wife and daughter pampering them under the tent with tons of food and refreshments, games for the kids private bathrooms (yes, that's right, BATHROOMS, not Port-a-sans... they even had air conditioning... lol)

my wife is in the aeronautics industry and couldn't give a crap about planes. To her its a job. I envy the places she goes and things she can see, but chooses not to because they don't interest her. I dont get it.

My ex was into it a bit and she even has photos on anet. I've also met several women through the aviation world, and my current girlfriend is a talented private pilot! So though you may not see equal numbers of women lining the fence with cameras in-hand, there are quite a few female aviation enthusiasts.

Well, the Germans and French sure have tons of them flying the big boys... I hear them constantly on freq. I believe El Al too has lots of female pilots/co-pilots.

I would love to toss a spanking to one of those Israeli babes but they'd crack me in half.

Love the chalet thought. Never even knew it was an oiption!

When I first told my girlfriend about this, she said "That sounds cool! I'd love to come along!". I thought I died and went to Heaven. Sure, she brings a book with her now, but the fact that she still occasionally tags along is almost unbelievable to me.

Happy to say that every spotting trip I've gone on my girlfriend has accompanied me!

She truly loves it and its something special that we do together actually!

I once brought my sister, who loved the Concorde, to the 22L hill by JFK back when Air France had an afternoon arrival at 1400. She still raves about seeing the aircraft emerging from the clouds and the experience of spotting. However, she never returned there again as we were stranded there with no car and got bitten by bugs. I also brought her once to the PanAm Roof and she had a wonderful time and she still talks about the experience; especially seeing the Saudia B74SP. I once brought a girlfriend to that same hill on 22L north of Rockaway Blvd and she liked it, but not enough to return. My point is that I got a "rush" spotting on that hill (which has been demolished) which I still get nowadays when I spot. I think you guys know what I mean. Sadly, most women, for some reason, don't get that "rush"; maybe it's in their genes. I know guys who used to park at night up on the PanAm roof and brought their dates along, but they remained in their cars and "made-out". While there are many female pilots; not many female spotters around. How many members here are female? Different strokes for different folks!

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Originally Posted by megatop412

When I first told my girlfriend about this, she said "That sounds cool! I'd love to come along!". I thought I died and went to Heaven. Sure, she brings a book with her now, but the fact that she still occasionally tags along is almost unbelievable to me.

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Similar situation, here! I brought her out with me once to meet up with Nick and Sergio, and while she brought a book, she was more than happy to come spend the day. The next time she came out, she lay on Bayswater beach and tanned, haha.

She's single-handedly responsible for my move to Canon and loves to come out while I spot since, to me, there's nothing better than spending time watching planes while she's there.

TIS

My wife says they are all just "flying thingies" and tells me to go and enjoy myself... LOL

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Originally Posted by megatop412

When I first told my girlfriend about this, she said "That sounds cool! I'd love to come along!". I thought I died and went to Heaven. Sure, she brings a book with her now, but the fact that she still occasionally tags along is almost unbelievable to me.

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Originally Posted by ANITIX87

Similar situation, here! I brought her out with me once to meet up with Nick and Sergio, and while she brought a book, she was more than happy to come spend the day. The next time she came out, she lay on Bayswater beach and tanned, haha.

She's single-handedly responsible for my move to Canon and loves to come out while I spot since, to me, there's nothing better than spending time watching planes while she's there.

TIS

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I almost had the same experience. I started dating this one girl and wasn't sure what she'd say when I told her about the hobby that I enjoy so much. When I told her, she was like, "Thats awesome! I've never done it but would love to go with you next tiem you go!" I was thrilled that she wanted to get up at 4:00am and got to JFK with me. Sadly it never happened though. Stopped seeeing each other before I had the chance to introduce her to the hobby.

Wait, there's female spotters out there? In that case, I am 35, single and don't live with my parents. I enjoy loud walks along the flightline and spontaneous trips to distant airports. :cool:

-Tad

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Originally Posted by sporky

Wait, there's female spotters out there? In that case, I am 35, single and don't live with my parents. I enjoy loud walks along the flightline and spontaneous trips to distant airports. :cool:

-Tad

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Nice!!! If that gets you a date, find out if she has a sister! :tongue:

Hey I'm a female! I'm a spotter! (Though I generally only watch and don't take any pictures, at least not with any kind of respectable camera :P)

I don't get to go very often but I do like to spend the day out at the airport (Lrusso, who posted earlier, is my boyfriend of 4 years). And the fact that I often look up at the sky in the middle of conversations with people to see what kind of plane is going by must count for something..

There you are... I was waiting for you to chime in. I am a witness and have seen you HANG OUT ALL DAY with your bo! lol. So you;re definitely a die hard like the rest of us. It is funny you say about looking up... I can;t have conversations outside at all especially if the other party wants me to concentrate. I work in upper manhattan where LGA traffic is either always departing or landing and the Hudson River corridor is constantly getting nice visitors up and down all day. It is impossible for me to get to my car after work without me wasting a lot of time staring at the sky!

my daughter has been spotting since she was 10 days old.

I dated a girl for about 2 years that used to actually drag ME to the airport to watch airplanes. We would sit at JFK for like 3 hours during the evening departure rush watching them go off the 22's from Customs. Good times.

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Originally Posted by gonzalu

It is funny you say about looking up... I can;t have conversations outside at all especially if the other party wants me to concentrate. I work in upper manhattan where LGA traffic is either always departing or landing and the Hudson River corridor is constantly getting nice visitors up and down all day. It is impossible for me to get to my car after work without me wasting a lot of time staring at the sky!

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LMAO. Whether it was at the beach or on the soccer field, if a copter came by my friends would call my name then quiz me the type and where it might be going etc. :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by hiss srq

I dated a girl for about 2 years that used to actually drag ME to the airport to watch airplanes. We would sit at JFK for like 3 hours during the evening departure rush watching them go off the 22's from Customs. Good times.

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Facebook page, or it never happened.

:tongue:

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Originally Posted by hiss srq

I dated a girl for about 2 years that used to actually drag ME to the airport to watch airplanes. We would sit at JFK for like 3 hours during the evening departure rush watching them go off the 22's from Customs. Good times.

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The only way she could keep you quiet for 3 hours...:tongue:

Those of you who were present for the AF 380's first arrival should recall.... She apparently liked when I used a camera. But, thats a story for another time. Hahahahahaa

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Originally Posted by gonzalu

There you are... I was waiting for you to chime in. I am a witness and have seen you HANG OUT ALL DAY with your bo! lol. So you;re definitely a die hard like the rest of us. It is funny you say about looking up... I can;t have conversations outside at all especially if the other party wants me to concentrate. I work in upper manhattan where LGA traffic is either always departing or landing and the Hudson River corridor is constantly getting nice visitors up and down all day. It is impossible for me to get to my car after work without me wasting a lot of time staring at the sky!

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Sorry, just saw this now, Manny! Yeah, we only go out about once a month or so.. probably more if I were closer (and there wasn't a $13 toll and traffic involved). Wouldn't say I'm a die hard but I really do enjoy it. I admit, I do need the heavies around to be happy. The more engines, the better. Even if it's just the usual visitors that's OK with me.. but when Jet Blue after Jet Blue comes rolling in I start to get cranky lol and my boyfriend can attest to this.

Good seeing you yesterday, BTW!