Q/A With Fellow Plane Spotter Jeff Hernandez
Jack: What got you into planespotting?
Jeff: When I was younger (5-6 years old), I would spend summer vacations in South Florida. My mother once in awhile would drive me to this parking lot by one of the runways at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to see the airplanes takeoff and landing. I loved it so much, being so close to these huge airliners. I remember specifically being excited seeing those shiny silver American Airlines planes, and the fun lime green livery of Song Air. Afterwards, I made sure every summer my mom would take me to see the planes, and around 12 years old I started bringing cameras to take pictures of the planes I would see. These experiences not only got me into plane spotting but also a love for the industry.
2. Jack: How long have you been plane spotting for?
Jeff: Roughly 11-12 years
3. Jack: What type of camera do you use?
Jeff: Nikon D5300
4. Jack: How many airports have you spotted at?
Jeff: About 30 airports (solely for the purpose of spotting, not just traveling)
5. Jack: Favorite airport to spot at?
Jeff : FLL, with LAX being a *very* close second
6. Jack: Do you just take pictures or video too?
Jeff: It depends. I prefer to take pictures but if it’s a rare enough plane, I’ll try to take pictures with my DSLR and record it with my phone. I definitely look like a sight when doing so but it’s a fun way to get both.
7. Jack: Rarest plane you’ve caught?
Jeff: That depends on one’s definition of rare. Peter Nygard’s 727-100 arriving into FLL a few years ago was pretty neat. I’ve also caught one-off 707s of different liveries coming into FLL. Seeing the Air Transat A310 is kind of rare and that was amazing. My favorite “rarity” which isn’t all that rare in South Florida now is catching Air Force One landing in PBI. Politics aside, it is pretty awesome being able to capture such a historic aircraft with some kind of regularity.
8. Jack: Do you prefer spotting during the day or night?
Jeff: I prefer at night (even though my night-shooting skills aren’t great), because it’s a lot more peaceful and I don’t have the pressure of trying so hard to get a good photograph.