Heathrow’s #AvGeek of the Month – Leo Martin

All three!

I’ve spent the better part of my life living under the flight path at London Heathrow, and the thrill of flying and seeing big planes has always interested me, from a young age. I used to do private flying with a family friend who has an investment in a Fuji FA200 at White Waltham Aerodrome, and have taken on the controls many times. The sheer excitement about flying or seeing planes of any sort simply amazes me every time, and through this I have become a frequent aviation spotter at London Heathrow.

I’m also now a Trip Reporter, using my time on flights to take account of airline performance to help other people choose where the best airlines lie!

It’s one of the busiest airports in Europe and rarely shuts down for anything, except at night. This means there is always something to see, and with new aircraft being developed every day from the likes of Boeing, Airbus and even Bombardier – there is always something new to see at Heathrow! Also the variation of carriers, from the likes of the rarely seen Royal Brunei, to the swarm of British Airways jets, it’s full of activity every day!

Well that’s a hard one… I’m going to say the sheer rareness of Royal Brunei makes it an iconic livery despite it being quite bland, the yellow is something rarely seen on aircraft so Royal Brunei would be my favourite. But Etihad comes in a close second, and Azerbaijan ties with Etihad… so it’s very hard to choose!

Instagram – djleomartin

• If you’re into spotting, don’t be afraid to talk to others at the spot/venue… I have met a lot of great people from spots at Heathrow, some who come from far and wide. You never know who you can meet!

• If you’re not sure which are the best spotting apps for tracking planes on your smartphones or tablets, I recommend Plane Finder for the rarer stuff, and Flight Radar 24 for accuracy and looking into what may operate and specific flight on a given date.

• If you have taken some great photos, don’t forget to share them online on the various Facebook groups. Groups such as ‘London Aviation Photographers’ and ‘Heathrow Airport Spotters & Photographers’ specialise in sharing your favourite pictures from Heathrow and the community would love to see what you have caught! Those groups are also very useful for tracking special aircraft, and with daily updated arrivals lists, you can always be sure to know when your favourite aircraft is due back into Heathrow!

• Finally, enjoy yourself. The #avgeek community is thriving, even if you don’t have internet or social media groups, there are plenty of magazines like ‘Airliner World’ that often feature content taken at Heathrow, so there is always an opportunity to share your favourite photographs!