I was at Singapore last weekend for a look-around-try-not-to-get-tempted trip. Grabing the chance, I have scheduled a spotting to Changi airport.
I haven't been to the airport for ages. The last time I was there is at least 13 years ago. But I can still rememberm, the vast viewing mall at Terminal 1. Coming up from the departure floor escalator will bring you to the central viewing area covering 8 gates I think. Turning left after and walk all the way straight one will reach Swensen and the view area provides the best view of the runway and airline like Cathay, Thai and Indian Airlines.
I never had the chance of going to the other end i.e. turning right after the escalator. Not sure why but since I was still small kid I have been known to stand at the central\left viewing mall for as long as 3 hours. I still remembr there used to be students sitting in groups on the floor studying... wierd.
Anyway, I'm glad I went to my "old fav" spot. There was a Indian airline's A320 being prepared for flight.
While I was snapping away, I noticed another guy whipping out a DSLR. Looking at the lense, I instantly knew he MUST be a spotter for no one will use a 300mm lens when all you need is kit-ens for ah-moi shoot... er... correct or not huh? TK?
His name is Gerald (hope I get the spelling right) and he is from Honolulu, Hawaii, on vacation in SG... we sort of like, chat, snap, chat, snap... with that kind of traffic in WSSS is really difficult to maintain a chat session for more than 5 min, especially when the airport is on single runway operation.
Then came Tsen Tsan, which I believe some of us here know him... one of the admin for www.ninervictor.com, Singapore's spotter website. Apparently the SG spotter group are having an interview with photo-i magazine on local (SG) aviation photographic ... er... trend, scene... cant find the correct word...
Continue snapping away while they waited for the rest of the group and the journalist. So many wide body in WSSS I actually got bit jelak after a while... I actually cought myself saying "another T7? boring already la" *off camera* *enjoy Geral and Tsen Tsan's Nikon D70s / D100 shutter symphony* *ka-chak
ka-chak ka-chak ka-chak ka-chak ka-chak*
John, the journalist came and soon after that the rest of the SG spotter group was there as well... I just sort of like stand around and listen, since I was essentially a "present-by-accident*... One of the spotter, Mr KC started spotting since 1974, days of the D-8 and all at the old airport site. Man, 1974 I was not even an idea yet...
Group photo... everyone digged out their own gear and pose... I wanna hide myself somewhere... semua mega-canon... Other then Gerald and Tsen Tsan the rest are all Canon DSLR.I was the only one with point-and-shoot... I want to UPGRADE!!! I want to masuk duck ...er... DARK SIDE!!!
Left soon after the photo session, need to rush for the bus back to KL...
Great trip I should say, never expect to bump into so many spotters... and so many T7's... and the aircraft model marking on the ground near each gate also appears to be much longer than the one in KLIA...
Hope when I go there the next time I will be carrying a D70s...
*drool*
Will upload photo later...
Ben-G
