First official plane spotting group in India formed at Bangalore

About a year ago, Bangalore Aviation spearheaded an effort with the able support of three other aviation enthusiasts and photographers, to form the first officially recognised spotting group in India.

Thanks to a very progressive management at the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) company from its CEO Marcel Hungerbuehler on down, the idea was well received, supported and nurtured. The airport company took it upon itself to obtain the needed permissions from the regulatory and security agencies, and also built a special platform to help establish the Bangalore Spotters Group.

Today 12 members from India, the United Kingdom, and the USA, are thankful to BIAL for their support and efforts. In very short time, the number of aviation photographs taken at Bangalore have gone from near zero to over 400.

Bangalore Aviation’s 200th photo on JetPhotos was accepted earlier today.

Lufthansa Cargo McDonnell Douglas Boeing MD-11F freighter D-ALCA Bengaluru International Airport Bangalore India
It is fitting that the 200th photo was that of a rare aircraft, at least for spotters who normally photograph during the day.

There was terrible fog on the morning of November 29, which disrupted flight schedules. While passengers were cursing, we spotters were celebrating. We got pictures of airlines like Gulf Air, Air Arabia, and others which only land in the dead of night. A regular night visitor is this Lufthansa Cargo Boeing MD-11F, which we caught taking off from runway 09 at 13:00 (07:30Z).

Click here to see more spotting pictures from some members of the Bangalore Spotting Group who are now called the Aviation Photographers of India.

The API is now also on Facebook. Visit us.

We hope to extend our Bangalore experience and form chapters in other cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai.

Coincidentally I will be away on a trip to Germany visiting Fraport and Lufthansa world headquarters to better understand Lufthansa’s plans for India and how Fraport intends to continue its leadership position as Europe’s hub. If you would like any questions asked, please leave it as a comment.

About Devesh Agarwal

A electronics and automotive product management, marketing and branding expert, he was awarded a silver medal at the Lockheed Martin innovation competition 2010. He is ranked 6th on Mashable's list of aviation pros on Twitter and in addition to Bangalore Aviation, he has contributed to leading publications like Aviation Week, Conde Nast Traveller India, The Economic Times, and The Mint (a Wall Street Journal content partner). He remains a frequent flier and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about the Indian aviation industry without fear or favour.

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One comment

  1. Sharath Kashyap

    Is this group still active?

+OK