There are people who watch football. There are others who go fishing. These people go out to watch airplanes. Travel’AIR. SPOT series is just about them, and the places where such people meet.

Admiration for aviation has been around ever since the first flying machines took to the air.

While many kids of the second half of the 20th century remember a weekend ritual of being taken by their parents to the neighborhood of an airport to watch air planes, today plane spotting is a common phenomenon, composed of numerous wheres, whys, whens, whats and hows.

Some airports have observation areas, elevated decks, spaces for people to watch planes, that allow aviation enthusiasts to get close enough to be able to see the pilots in the cockpit, hear the roar of the jet engines. “Spot” is an exploration of places where daily life and aviation meet, where the intentional adoration revives in its rituals and where first-time love affairs with the aircraft strike. People come to spots to take pictures, take notes of registration numbers of planes, others combine the thrill of aviation view and sound with sports activities, meals or drinks, education of children, romance or even therapy. Inevitably, people come here to say goodbye to their relatives and close ones and to watch their air planes take off, while others contemplate airliners land and take-off in attempt to overcome homesickness.

For a true aviation geek, coming to a spotting area can be but a small part of his or her pilgrimage to the next place of adventure, outside a different airport, abroad or even on a different continent.

A part of the travel’AIR project, SPOT has been started in 2015 and continues until present.

More info: kavaliauskas.eu

Amagteur photographer using fence and electricity post while photographing planes at Lisbon airport, LIS. 2015. © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Indian students outside Auckland airport, AKL. © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Outskirts of Vilnius airport, VNO. © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Argentinian couple at Maho beach, taking picture of the surfboard with timetable of arrivals, SXM. © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

While everyone on Maho beach is anxiously waiting for the arrival of the day (747 by KLM) and rehearses the shots and selfies on the plane coming before Jumbo, a girl from Michigan (USA) stays calm and contemplates the seaview. St Maarten. SXM. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Friends having picnic with planes landing into Istanbul Ataturk airport, IST. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

International students watching planes land in Istanbul, IST. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Couple contemplating artificial sunset of planes in final approach to Istanbul Ataturk, IST. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Chips, drinks and takeoffs on the wall of Berlin Tegal airport, TXL. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Car of self-proclaimed plane spotter near Warsaw Chopin airport, WAW. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

spotter near Warsaw ChopiSpotters and watchers near Warsaw Chopin airport, WAW. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Final approach to Riga airport, RIX. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Pointer Spotter near Barcelona airport. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Ziggy takes pictures of planes taking off from Houston Hobby airport, HOU. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

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Family time outside Houston Hobby airport, HOU. 2016 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

During his active professional life Gilbert was a sound pollution expert. Having taken his pension, he adopted the habit of photographing airplanes. Outskirts of Paris CDG airport, France. 2017 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Takeoff from Copenhagen Kastrup, CPH. 2017 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Hearing and looking at Copenhagen Kastrup airport. Casper having pictures of his son taken. Denmark, CPH. 2017 © © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Flyvergrillen – childrens’ and plane watching kingdom near Copenhagen Kastrup airport. Casper having pictures of his son taken. Denmark, CPH. 2017 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

Nocturne plane watching at Frankfurt International, FRA. 2017 © Mindaugas Kavaliauskas | the travel’AIR project

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