Type of site | Plane spotting resources, aviation industry news, discussion community |
---|---|
Available in | English |
Owner | NYCAviation LLC |
Created by | Phil Derner Jr., founder and Matt Molnar, editor in chief |
Revenue | Advertising and retail |
URL | www.nycaviation.com |
Launched | August 31, 2003 |
Current status | Online |
NYCAviation.com is an aviation enthusiast and plane spotting community and resource website, founded by Phil Derner Jr. on August 31, 2003. It sprung from an email newsletter started by Derner in July 2002 called Aireola Aviation, sent to a group of local friends to give them a heads-up on upcoming unique aircraft visitors and happenings from the previous week. [1] Just over a year after the newsletter was launched, Derner transitioned the operation to a static website format.
Though the website was founded and is based in New York City, it now serves airports and enthusiasts far beyond the New York City limits. NYCAviation's (often referred to colloquially as "NYCA") message boards allow its members to discuss their love of flying machines and to share their experiences and photography from airport visits around the globe.
On July 6, 2004, the site experienced its first redesign where it took on a more organized look that included a listing of news and plane spotting guides for New York-area airports.
The site's growth brought about their second redesign, which debuted on June 26, 2009. [2] It now features expansive news pages, regular articles and plane spotting guides serving airports far beyond the New York City limits. Derner recruited Matt Molnar as the site's Editor, leading the redesign's construction and managing through the site's news content. Recent popularity has been gained for the site through its "On This Day In Aviation" daily postings, and by keeping its followers in-the-know with regular updates on Twitter and Facebook.
The site's third redesign launched on February 20, 2012. [3] With a more modern look, it expanded on growing article categories for visibility, incorporated a blog for the two site owners, added a Job Listings feature and made deeper parts of the site more accessible and faster loading. The announcement also hinted at more features in the future which have not been announced at this time.
In late January 2013, NYCAviation's Editor-in-Chief Matt Molnar, died at the age of 33, creating both personal and professional challenges among the small, close-knit team. Matt's loss led to a dramatic downturn in published content over the coming months, also impacted by the resignation of Jeremy, their Project Manager. This led to operational restructuring by Founder Phil Derner in expanding the team to 9, including new positions in the form of a team of Editors, a Producer, Event Planner, Project Manager, Marketing Strategist and the hiring of a publicist, all in preparation of adding several new features and services to the business in 2014.
NYCAviation spotting guides offer enthusiasts many resources for practicing their hobby at airports around the world. Adding a new airport guide on average of about one per week, they contain four tabbed pages that are complete with airfield statistics, radio frequencies, approach plates, and spotting maps. [4] The spotting map pages show various locations for aviation photography throughout the airport, and also share a detailed description of directions to the various locations, photo tips and examples of the kind of photographic views one can achieve.
Coverage includes news pertaining to the airline industry, event coverage, and a look back at aviation's past, often with a humorous twist. A news calendar on the site also informs people of coming and past dates of changes in airline routes or aircraft types and upcoming events.
The site has broken a number of stories that would later be picked up by major news organizations and grow into international headlines, including the news of the treasured Concorde aircraft's damage in Brooklyn, [5] and the unlikely closure of a runway at JFK International Airport due to an invasion of diamondback terrapin turtles. [6]
Articles are posted offering commentary on current aviation news, educational pieces on the airline industry, and entertaining stories from the experiences of longtime pilots, industry insiders and frequent business travelers.
NYCAviation's message boards allow its members to share plane spotting tips and photographs, discuss aviation industry news and events, and broader topics such as politics and humor.
Through their extensive internet interactions, NYCAviation members have created a vibrant offline community as well. It is common for members to arrange plane spotting outings, special aircraft arrival gatherings and seasonal events. The recent addition of active Twitter and Facebook presences has also helped the community grow.
The NYCA community is at the forefront of the debate between the requirements of counterterrorism efforts and the First Amendment rights [7] of plane spotters in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The Spotter Blotter section of the site's message board encourages plane spotters to share their experiences with law enforcement, good and bad, when they are approached or questioned in the course of enjoying their hobby. [8]
Aviation news publisher Flightglobal's annual Webbie Awards [9] awarded NYCAviation "Best Enthusiast Site of 2009" and ranked the site 3rd in "Best Use of Social Media for 2009", losing out only to Lockheed Martin and Manchester Airport It was the first year NYCAviation was nominated for the awards, both of which were in new awards categories.
NYCAviation was featured in a segment about plane spotting with Al Roker and Ann Curry on NBC's Today. [10]
NYCAviation is cited as an authority on the hobby of plane spotting in the HarperCollins title Get A Hobby! (2007). [11]
NYCAviation and the growing plane spotting community that it has helped foster have been profiled by The New York Times [12] and The New Yorker. [13]
In July 2008, a treasured British Airways Concorde, on display at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn during the restoration of its permanent home at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, was damaged by a passing delivery truck. Photos appeared on NYCAviation.com within hours, and the site received recognition from local, [14] national [15] and international [5] media, covering the aircraft's damage and repair. Volunteers from NYCA arranged to anonymously inspect the state of the aircraft regularly until its return to the old aircraft carrier, reporting back their findings to the Intrepid organization. [16]
Aircraft spotting, or planespotting, is a hobby consisting of observing and tracking aircraft, which is usually accomplished by photography or videography. Besides monitoring aircraft, planespotting enthusiasts also record information regarding airports, air traffic control communications, airline routes, and more.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is an international airport in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, located 9 mi (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C.
Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. The airline's main hubs are the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the latter of which it plans to move out of by 2030.
"The Odyssey of Flight 33" is episode 54 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, the 18th episode of the second season. An unlikely break of the time barrier finds a commercial airliner sent back into the prehistoric age and then to New York City of 1939. The tale is a modern telling of the Flying Dutchman myth, and was written by series creator Rod Serling. It originally aired on February 24, 1961 on CBS.
Iran Air, officially known as The Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or before known as The National Airline of Iran, is the flag carrier of Iran, which is headquartered at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. As of 2024, it operates scheduled services to 72 destinations in Asia and Europe. Iran Air's main bases are Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport, both serving Tehran, the capital of Iran. Domestically, Iran Air is commonly known as Homa, which is the name of a mythical Persian phoenix or griffin, and also the acronym of Iran National Airlines in the Persian language. The airline's cargo division, Iran Air Cargo, operates scheduled services internationally using one cargo aircraft.
William P. Hobby Airport — colloquially referred to as Houston Hobby or other short names — is an international airport in Houston, Texas, located 7 mi (11 km) from downtown Houston. Hobby is Houston's oldest commercial airport, and was its primary airport until the Houston Intercontinental Airport, now known as the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, opened in 1969. Hobby was initially closed after the opening of Houston Intercontinental; however, it was re-opened after several years, and became a secondary airport for domestic airline service, and a center for corporate and private aviation.
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1980.
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport is five miles north of Lubbock, in Lubbock County, Texas, United States. Originally Lubbock International Airport, it was renamed in 2004 for former Texas governor Preston E. Smith, an alumnus of Texas Tech University.
Air Koryo is North Korea’s flag carrier and only commercial airline. It is state-owned and controlled by the North Korean air force. Headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang, it operates domestic and international routes – on a regular schedule only to Beijing, Shenyang, and Vladivostok – from its hub at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport. It also operates flights on behalf of the North Korean government, with one of its aircraft serving as North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un's personal plane. Its fleet consists of Ilyushin and Tupolev aircraft from the Soviet Union and Russia, and Antonovs from Ukraine.
On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde passenger jet on an international charter flight from Paris to New York, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. It was the only fatal Concorde accident during its 27-year operational history.
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The Concorde... Airport '79 is a 1979 American air disaster film and the fourth and final installment of the Airport franchise. Although critically panned and earning poorly in North America, the film was a commercial success internationally, grossing a total of $65 million on a $14 million budget.
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Turkish Airlines Flight 1878 was an international passenger flight from Milan–Malpensa Airport, Italy to Atatürk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey. On April 25, 2015, the aircraft executed a sharp roll just before landing, leading to a hard touchdown that caused significant damage to the starboard wing and a fire. A go-around was performed, and the aircraft then set up for a second landing attempt but veered off the runway during this approach. Fortunately, all 102 passengers and crew were unharmed.
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* Barseghian, Tina (2007). Get a hobby!: 101 all-consuming diversions for any lifestyle. New York: Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-121527-8.