Data – How much is too much?
Now if you ask me, there is no such thing as too much data – but that is if you ask me. Ask anyone else and you’ll probably get a different answer, it is afterall, one of the things that makes plane spotting so specific for each person. I don’t collect a huge amount of data on each sighting, about the aircraft I collect five data points. They are, registration or serial number, manufacturer, model, manufacturer serial number and operator.
There are a couple of other data points that I generate, where did I see it, when did I see it and did I take a photograph for a total of eight data points. Almost all of these can be logged on the day, normally I only have to look up the manufacturers serial number (construction number). I do have a notes section in my data base, but I would say that less than one in twenty of my sightings has any notes added.
This is my system, it is what I want to collect. Your system could be the same or it could be entirely different, it is a personal choice.
Logging a sighting!
I still tend to carry a notebook for logging, but I do have my trusted phone if all else fails. I have gradually moved over to Google Keep notes for quick logging, the title of the note is just Date and Place – in the note you can have a check list, images, audio clips it’s all pretty good to be fair.
But all the above it is a personal preference, I can remember meeting a spotter at Glasgow Airport – his logbook had only registrations on the page. I was never sure what system he used, but it worked for him. Another Renfrew/Glasgow spotter I knew had so much data on each sighting, I’d think that Air Britain will have issues when they get round to processing it.
Next Post
In the next post we will be starting a series of posts covering when it is time to move, what you need think about in advance. Making the decision, the hardest part of the move.