Their hands are poised, ready to press the shutter button to capture the arrival or departure of an aircraft – whether to add to their personal collections or to share with aviation enthusiasts worldwide.
Among them is Hairol Hanim Harun, who discovered his passion for photographing these “iron birds” – an activity simply known as plane spotting – three years ago after being introduced to it by a friend.
Initially a wedding photographer, the 50-year-old uses his existing camera equipment to explore a new subject: passenger aircraft photography.
“At first, I simply followed other plane spotters because I had a DSLR camera. I would capture any aircraft in sight, select the best shots, edit them, and share them on social media,” he told Bernama recently.
“Over time, I grew closer to the community, and they taught me about aircraft models, sizes, technology, and flight operations. There’s an unmatched satisfaction in capturing the perfect angle of an aircraft, especially a rare one.”
Hairol, a father of three, spends at least two days a week at Anjung Spotter, saying the thrill of plane spotting is completely different from his usual work as a wedding photographer.
As such, he doesn’t mind spending hours at Anjung Spotter, even though it takes him nearly an hour to travel from his home in Telok Panglima Garang to KLIA, a distance of 50km.
“This hobby requires patience and technical skills, whereas wedding photography is more about human interaction. Not all aircraft arrive on time: some get delayed, and weather conditions also play a big role in capturing the perfect shot.
“Unlike weddings, where we have flash and proper lighting, here we rely entirely on natural conditions,” he explained, adding that to track aircraft schedules and types, he uses the Flight Radar 24 app.
Active on TikTok, Hairol takes his hobby seriously, having invested over RM80,000 of his savings to upgrade his photography accessories, including the camera body and telephoto lenses to capture higher-quality images.
“In wedding photography, we use short or prime lenses and can move around to follow the subject. But as a plane spotter, we need a zoom lens because aircraft move fast while we remain stationary,” he said.
For Muhammad Abdul Hafiz Asmi, 39, plane spotting is a childhood dream – the chance to see airplanes from different countries up close.
Working as a firefighter at Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd gives him an advantage, as he has access to areas in KLIA that external plane spotters cannot enter.
Still, he emphasised that he nevertheless has to comply with all regulations and laws set by the authorities.
“The views I get are much clearer than those from outside. I can capture angles that external spotters can’t, but I must follow safety rules, like wearing a safety vest near parked aircraft and avoiding restricted areas,” he said.
Abdul Hafiz, who hails from Terengganu, said he is fascinated by the uniqueness of each aircraft, and capturing rare models or special liveries is a thrilling experience that he loves to share with others.
“The rare aircraft I’ve photographed include the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, the last cargo plane of a renowned courier company that landed at KLIA in 2010, and the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker last August,” he said.