Plane spotting: basics & aircraft knowledge

How to tell the A318, A319, A320 and A321 apart

Same nose, same wing, same engines – and yet four different lengths. How to tell the A318, A319, A320 and A321 apart by exits, doors, proportions and tail.

A320neo or ceo? Engines, Sharklets and other identifying features

Fuselage, cockpit and tail are almost the same – the engines make the difference between the A320neo and A320ceo. Wingtips, door layout and type code serve as a cross-check.

A330 or A340? Spotting engine count, landing gear and variants

Same fuselage, same cockpit, almost the same wing – the A330 and A340 are twins with different engines. How to separate them reliably by engines, center landing gear and proportions, and how to identify each variant.

A350 or Boeing 787? Cockpit window mask, wingtips and nose

Two modern carbon-fiber twinjets, similar size, often the same airlines: the A350 and 787 get mixed up at the fence all the time. Mask, window count, wingtips and engine ends separate them reliably.

A380 or Boeing 747? How to tell the double-deck giants apart

Two giants with four engines and two decks – and yet hard to confuse once you know where to look. Upper deck, nose, landing gear and wing compared directly, plus the 747 variants and typical mistakes.

Airbus or Boeing? How to tell them apart

The nose, cockpit windows, landing gear, wingtips and tail cone almost always reveal whether you are looking at an Airbus or a Boeing. The key features, the typical look-alike pairs and the exceptions at a glance.

Airline fleet numbers: what the number on the aircraft means

Besides the registration, many aircraft carry an internal number from their airline. What is behind fleet numbers, ship numbers and FINs, where to spot them and how to use them in your logbook.

Collecting airlines: how to keep your airline list and close the gaps

If you collect airlines, you need clear counting rules, a clean list and a plan for the gaps. How to tell operators from brands, log wet leases correctly and find missing carriers on purpose.

Airside spotting: how to get onto the apron with a spotter tour

Photography without a fence and without a window: what sets airside spotting apart from a regular apron tour, how club and airport photo tours are organized, which rules apply and how to take part.