The Antonov AN-124-100 is an absolute unit of a cargo plane — it is one of the world’s heaviest and a favourite of Adelaide plane spotter Cameron Roberts.
He recalls seeing the Soviet-era giant touch down at Adelaide Airport in 2023 with his younger brother Gregory.
“Seriously, it’s like such a cool plane to see,” Cameron said.
The Antonov AN-124-100, in a photo taken by Cameron Roberts in 2023. (Supplied: Cameron Roberts)
The two brothers share a love of plane spotting, the hobby of observing and documenting aircraft, usually with photography.
While it is a popular pastime worldwide, there is a network of enthusiasts in Adelaide armed with telephoto lenses, flight scanners and radios on a mission to capture the miracle of flight up close.
Cameron Roberts and Gregory Roberts share a love for plane spotting. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
“I’m a little bit surprised how popular this is,” Gregory says.
Despite the interest, many in the community say it is getting harder to take photos of the planes, pointing to recent projects at Adelaide Airport, development around the area and an ongoing battle with the fence and other additions.
“They’re taking over sort of old locations where most people take photos from,” Cameron says.
The brothers at a plane spotting location known as Circus Block near Adelaide Airport. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
To get a clear shot, the brothers regularly rely on stepladders and climb nearby objects such as a skate park half-pipe, tree stumps and large concrete blocks.
“It’s a bit difficult trying to get photos where there’s all these obstructions,” Cameron said.
Gregory and Cameron Roberts take photos from ladders. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
On the ground every day
On any given day, there are plane spotters set up somewhere around Adelaide Airport.
Among them is 14-year-old Harrison Lawson, who catches a bus down, venturing through security to take photos from inside the terminal.
Plane spotter Harrison Lawson takes photos from within the Adelaide Airport terminal. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
“Every day or so I like to come down and look around,” Harrison says.
“I really enjoy being close up to the aircraft while they’re parked at the gate.”
Harrison prefers keeping out of the heat and likes the atmosphere inside, but he says it is not ideal for taking photos.
“The glare can get in the way quite a lot; it’s bit annoying sometimes but, I mean, there’s not really a lot you can do about that,” he says.
Harrison Lawson using a popular flight tracking app. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
It is one of the reasons why most plane spotters find themselves in a small handful of public spaces outside the airport, choosing them based on the size of the planes, the runway used, the wind and the position of the sun.
Appetite for watching planes
Back in 2008, a Qantas A380 caused gridlock around the Tapleys Hill Road car park — a well-known spotting area — as crowds tried to catch a glimpse of its first landing in Adelaide.
Spotters are keenly aware of aircraft visiting for the first time and any with special markings or liveries.
“They’re a big thing for a lot of the community to photograph when they come into Adelaide,” says Cameron and Gregory’s dad, Darin Roberts, a plane spotter himself.
InPlaneSight record a live stream of the Adelaide Airport. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
Every Monday, hundreds tune in to a live stream of regular tarmac activity with running commentary.
“If you get a diversion of an A380 or something, you can have 5,000 people watching,” says Mark Spence, who has been helping to run the stream for the last two years with a team of six people.
Live streamer Mark Spence. (Supplied)
“The planes are landing probably only 300 metres from us, so up nice and close. You can certainly hear them,” Mr Spence says.
Each week, the team parks down a dead-end road in an industrial area immediately east of the airport and sets up a bunch of multimedia gear, including a 2-metre-tall tripod so the camera can see over the fence.
“As a photographer, the biggest disappointment is having the fence in the way,” Mr Spence says.
Mr Spence says it is “definitely getting harder” to spot and is concerned about the future of the hobby.
The view from a plane spotting site known as The Bakery at Adelaide Airport. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
Call for dedicated viewing zone
Last month, Adelaide Airport started construction of an 1,100-space car park, alerting the community about heavy-vehicle movement around “a popular photography point for the plane spotting community”.
“We definitely need some sort of official spotting area here at Adelaide,” Mr Spence says.
“It’d be really cool,” Cameron agrees.
Sydney Airport and Perth Airport have dedicated infrastructure for taking photos of the planes, which are elevated to limit obstructions.
Viewing sites at Perth Airport (left) and Sydney Airport (right). (Supplied: Perth Airport/Sydney Airport)
Last year, Brisbane Airport announced an upgrade to its viewing area, citing “growing demand from people who want to come and have a front-seat view of aviation”.
It is a move many spotters hope Adelaide Airport can follow, but not on the cards anytime soon, according to Adelaide Airport executive general manager for corporate Alicia Bickmore.
“We don’t have plans for one at the moment,” she said.
Alicia Bickmore from Adelaide Airport. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
“In saying that, we welcome plane spotters’ feedback around where they would like their preferred site to be, to enable us to have planning for any future opportunities.”
Ms Bickmore said Adelaide was lucky to some have unrestricted views of the runway.
“It’s quite unique,” she says.
Ms Bickmore says many members of the public go to the Tapleys Hill Road site, west of the airport, and sites at West Richmond, on the eastern side.
A small number of plane spotters tour the runway each year through a competition run by the airport. (Supplied: Adelaide Airport)
While the flat car park on Tapleys Hill Road might be the most popular plane spotting location, spotters cannot really see over the fence, and for decades a billboard has been causing headaches for those photographing the aircraft.
“As soon as they’re lifting off, the billboard cuts half of it off,” Gregory says.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t a better location… it’s not the greatest,” Cameron adds.
“It’s like any hobby: it can live or die by the infrastructure you’ve got around it,” Darin says.
“It would be nice if we had a viewing platform; I mean we don’t hold any great hope that it will happen, because I don’t see for the people doing it that it has any financial benefit to them.”
A United Airlines plane at Adelaide Airport. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
Not everyone agrees
Calls for a designated viewing zone are not unanimous.
“I’ve always loved coming down here to watch planes,” says Jasmin Christensen, who pulled over with her children to watch a United Airlines flight take off.
“I kind of like that you don’t have other amenities here because it keeps people away that maybe shouldn’t come here.
“If you had toilets or whatever here you’d attract people for more than just watching the planes.”