Going to the airport and not getting a flight is strange

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My in laws and bro in laws regularly go to the airport to watch planes take off and land. I rang them this morning to see if they had any plans that we could tag along with and this was the plan.
I have a friend who does the same but she has two 3 year olds who are obsessed with planes. I get that. I don't get two people in their fifties and two men in their twenties doing it on a sunny Saturday when the airport is 45 mins drive away. Last time they asked me I said 'I think I'd feel sad going there and not actually going on holiday.' This takes me to the strangest part, none of them have ever flown or would ever consider flying, or so they say.
Each to their own I guess.

Op plane version of train spotters th

I find planes absolutely fascinating. They are such a modern-day miracle; just think of the impact they have on our lives today. We would be completely lost without them (or at least, we'd still be relying on trains and boats, which would be a very different World!).

I'm not really "up" on all the different types, but I love learning about how they've been designed to become more efficient, where they are travelling to and from, and facts about their current lives - I really loved the story of the first all female flight crew on Royal Brunei last year.

I have no issue with going and spending sometime watching them land and take off at airports. It's not something I do regularly, but I have been known to do it in the past.

Each to their own.

Lost on me! I fly regularly with work and yes it still seems amazing that planes can do this, but still it's a pretty box standard event happening 1000's of times in many places across the world!

There used to be a book you could buy (Ian Allen I think) that used to have all the plane 'registrations' in for the plane spotters.

We went to look at Concorde when I was little - the only chance to see it.
I've bought the app Flightradar24 and many hours have been lost tracking the planes. Highlight last year pre American elections were tracking Trumps helicopter when he was last here from his golf course in Aberdeen to the one in Turnberry 😀

Gosh, we always used to do this as kids. We would get chips from Barry Island and take them to Cardiff Airport and watch the planes take off and land.

Admittedly it would be in the run up to our holiday. We are going in a few weeks and I may well do it with the kids after reading this...

I agree with the poster, it's a bit strange. I thought people had grown out of that type of thing with air travel very common and affordable now. But I guess if you love planes then why not. It's actually quite refreshing to hear about people doing old fashioned simple things for pleasurable days out. Just not everyone's taste I suppose.

Airplanes fascinate me, we're 10 minutes away from one and often go for an hour with the kids.

I could also quite happily sit at the little cafe on the perimeter of Manchester airport runway and watch them take off and land, for hours and hours, with or without the kids. And I'm forty something and it's over an hour away!

Manchester have a whole area designed around this with old planes you can go and look around then you can pay to go and look at the Concorde. My boys loved going before they went on the first ever flight. They have a cafe, shop play area the lot.

we used to do this at the local raf base. You can sit right at the end of the runway so they fly over you!

Not my cup of tea but people seem to enjoy it. My stepdad enjoys it ( that and his big love, trains).
I do find watching them take off quite fascinating ( when I'm waiting for a flight, not into going to watch them). It's just effortless, but when I'm on a plane it always seems so lumbering.

Thirty years ago a houseful of male students near us went to the airport regularly for fun. They would dress in sunglasses, shorts, loud shirts and take empty suitcases for an evening of drinking and clowning around, then drive home again

Hey, I used to go to IKEA and not buy anything. I just liked looking at the stuff...

Very strange indeed!

It's like train spotting, it's just one of those things some people do, although not something I'd do personally. Mind you the price most airports charge to park, probably not the cheapest of hobbies!

It's quite anoraky and tragic - but harmless -and weird.

I've just moved near Heathrow & planes fly low enough that I can read the writing on them. It's fascinating!

I'll have to get that Flight radar app, thanks everyone who mentioned it.

It's not strange at all. I would too if there's a 24hr one near me if I can't sleep :). I remember some of my friends telling me how they studied at the airport late at night..

So it seems the general consensus is yes you are being unreasonable, let them get on with their hobby and make your own plans for the day! My god I wish my biggest problem in life was that one of my family members wanted to watch a plane take off and land...

We used to be taken up on the roof at Heathrow to watch the planes too. We loved it. I would still go if I could but I hate flying and try not to do it very much. It's far more interesting to watch the planes than to be on one.

Your post does seem a bit unkind OP. It's harmless isn't it? Lots of people seems to like going window-shopping, don't see the difference to be honest. At least they had something they wanted to do on the weekend instead of asking others to just 'tag along' with whatever they were doing. And I don't see get why you think it's your in-laws' roles to teach your children to enjoy doing new things.

If my DC's future partners insinuated that how I chose to spend my weekends was somehow not up to standard, I would not be impressed.

P.S. Anyone London-based who likes a good view of the runway, City airport is a good bet.

I love watching planes! A few years ago DH and I stopped over for the night in Brighton Le Sands in Sydney en route to NZ, it's opposite the airport and we spent all evening on the beach watching the planes come in. I find it quite relaxing! Maybe that time it was the jet lag though but I love planes and I love watching them take off and land - always have.

Miniminimus Do you mean they drove drunk?

My kids love watching planes take off and land. I quiet enjoy it too.

There's some great spots near our local airport but not loads of flights unfortunatly but we go regularly and I check the departures and arrivals so I can tell the kids when the next flight is lol.

We see lots of people up by ours. Often they go for fish & chips and sit and eat them watching the planes.

Best way to spend an afternoon 😁

OP I'm with you, this does not fall within my definition of an afternoon out! But as hobbies go, it's pretty harmless...