How to Get Started In Planespotting

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View in Browser    Planespotting will teach you how to quickly identify aircraft. In this photo by the author, the four wheels on two landing gear trucks and the distinctive engine exhaust shape indicate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on approach. ERIC ADAMS How to Get Started In Planespotting The skills and equipment you need to aim, shoot, and score. By: Eric Adams June, 2020. I pulled up to the Canadian border station in northern New York, fully expecting to be sent home.   The global pandemic was raging and nonessential traffic was prohibited. But my visit counted: I was on assignment to cover the arrival of the world's largest cargo plane, set to deliver emergency medical supplies to frontline workers in the battle against COVID-19.   The An-225 heavy-lift cargo aircraft is a one-of-a-kind, six-engine beast with a fascinating history that dates back to the Soviet Union's short-lived knockoff Space Shuttle program. Operated by the Ukrainian cargo shipper Antonov Airlines, the hulking freighter is deployed all over the world to haul massive shipments of industrial equipment and military supplies, and to carry out humanitarian missions during emergencies.   Because of its size and rarity and the general aura of mystery it carries, the An-225 is the Holy Grail for many planespotters around the world. Now, finally, my work also teed up a rare chance to score a significant notch on my telephoto lens. Before making my visit to the facility where the aircraft would be received after landing, I staked out a spot at the airport, along with several hundred other aviation enthusiasts, to marvel at its arrival.   We followed the plane's progress via FlightRadar24 and watched it materialize on the horizon from 20 miles away. It came in above the treeline, whooshed over our heads. Even with its engines nearly at idle, it produced a thunderous displacement of air before touching down, right on the centerline.   It was exhilarating. This is a free preview of Pop Mech Pro. Join now for less than $1 a week to read the rest of the story and more of Popular Mechanics' most in-depth, exclusive features.  JOIN NOW MORE FROM POP MECH PRO CULTURE READ NOW Is the Denver Airport Really Controlled by the Illuminati? MILITARY READ NOW Why the Cessna Is Such a Badass Plane SCIENCE READ NOW Heron's Aeolipile Is One of History's Greatest Forgotten Machines Follow Us Unsubscribe Privacy Notice PopularMechanics.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019