Quickest way to learn how to identify commercial aircraft?

[crayonshinchan]

Hi everyone, I want to enroll in an aviation trainee program and after doing some research I might get test on aircraft identification (Boeing/Airbus/Embraer/etc...) during the interview.

I have less than a week to learn the tricks on identifying modern jets and I want to ask what is the quickest and most effective way to do this? I think there are books or pictures guide that teach exactly what I need to know but I don't know the right book. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks a lot in advance!

[Darkwing Duck]

Try www.airliners.net. It has a vast array of pictures and because most of the spotters / photographers know their stuff the pictures will have sufficient information as far as type and model go. Jane's also has a fantastic book on aircraft types used for identification. Everything from corporate to airliners. Chapters may carry something like this.

If you want to learn how to identify aircraft look at various fuselage shapes, around the nose and cockpit, engine placement, wing placement. Compare aircraft that are in the same category of the various manufactures. Look at the shapes of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The number of passenger windows can help identify various models of the same type. A Falcon 50 and 900 are very similar but one is a tad bigger and has a few more windows. Even the shape of the window will identify a model. The Saberliner was a perfect example of this. Also look at winglet shapes. Some manufactures do have different styles as well. And if you want to get really good look at the shape and size of the engines. Gulfstream from the GII to the GIII to the GIV are very similar on the shape and size of the aircraft. The GIII has a more streamline nose and cockpit compared to the GII. The GIV has way bigger engines then the GIII.

Good luck.

[andy_mtl]

i can give you some tricks on it:
lets start airbus 320 family:

318 one set of emergency window exit short and chubby fuselage
319 still one set of emergency window exit slightly longer fuselage
320 two set of emergency window exit
321 4 sets of doors
330 can be recognized by the winglets when compared to a 777
340 4 engines, up to the 600 siries they are very skinny engines, while the 600 are quite bigger.
380.... do i even have to mantion?
lets go boeing now
727 three tail engines
737 200 the long skinny engines with a probe sticking out the front( used for gravel runways)
737-300 -500 no winglets and only one set of emergency windows exit
737-400 two emergency window exit no winglets
737-600-700 some of the have winglet some of them dont, just look at a few pics to bne able to identify them, and they each have one set of emergency window exit
737-800-900 winglets, and two emegency window exits, 900 is just longer.
747-200 or classi if u look at the second floor you will see it is smaller and one sets of window, not exits tho
747-400 or 747-8 if you look at the second floor you will seee it it strechted and it has two sets of windows( look at some pics to understand what i mean)
757-200 very round engine, the bottom of the plane almost looks flat( like the engines on a 738 ex) 4 sets of door, most of them no winglet however some of them do have them.
767-200 very round body, two emergency window exit and two doors, very round apu compartment in the back
767-300 4 door exits same body as the 200
777-200 u can identify a 777 from the blades of the fan of tis engine, they almost look sharp, it has a very round body and 4 sets of door exits
777-300 same but with 5 sets of door exits
787 for now you can identify it by its wind, very large engines, and the back of the engines, its not smooth it looks like a sarated blade.
hope this helps,
andy

[flyalmaguin]

At Georgian College, we did an entire section on aircraft recognition.

What worked very well for a lot of people were "3 view aircraft sillouettes" on flash cards. Sounds kinda primary schoolish, but very effective.

This website shows what a 3 view aircraft sillouete looks like (this is the only one I could find similar to what I am talking about:

http://covertshores.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... udget.html

This one doesn't show number of windows, etc., but this is what we used.

We photocopied the ones we had from a book, with the internet you should be able to find more.

[Northern Flyer]

Good luck with this. I have been flying for 19 years, and the only way I could identify an airliner is if the type is posted on the side. Guess I should have attended collage, I could have been smrt.

[benoit.baril]

Just give this a shot!
http://www.airliners.net/quiz/

[lownslow]

Airliners aren't my area of expertise but here goes anyways:

Sounds like you're trying for some kind of airline cadet program and if that's the case I'd start with the airline's fleet. Go to their website and see what all they fly then go somewhere like airliners.net and look up lots of pics of those types. Start looking for subtle differences between different types. Since all airliners look like giant Tylenol capsules you'll need to look for the little things. Good places to look for differences are cockpit windows, wing roots, tails and APU exhausts. Of course, there AR some big things like engine placement that can make airliner IDs easier too.

Hope that helps a little,

LnS.

[Donald]

737-300 -500 no winglets and only one set of emergency windows exit

Not always true.

[Yan]

Just give this a shot!
http://www.airliners.net/quiz/

+1 for this. This was probably the most useful tool in helping me learn to identify a/c types.

[andy_mtl]

for the 737-300 most of them with winglets are or were with southwest, and i said most not all, and for the b 737-500 continental had some but i cant find any other operators that have them.

also that is based on what you can see on a everyday at a airport, if someone ask you, what plane is this and gives you a b-735 with winglet, i am sure not many ppl would be able to give you they series.

unless we really become picky and go check the lenght of the fusolage, then if its 37 meters then we know its a next generation.

Andy

[Major Bedhead]

Heres a real simple trick that can end the "is it Boeing or Airbus" confusion.

If the fuselage runs straight back with no bend past the apu it's an Airbus ... if it pinches down past the horizontal stab it's a Boeing.

If it's got long legs, big b**bs and earrings, it's a 757 with winglets, if it's kind of plump and looking like it needs a bath it's a 767. If it's kind of plump, but has the big b**bs and earrings it's a 737.

If it has the straight line back past the apu, swoopy wings and a je ne sais quoi sexiness, oh and four engines .. it's a 340.

If it looks like a morose cousin at a wedding ... it's an Airbus .. who cares what type

Luck, P

[Meatservo]

Good luck. I have never been able to reliably tell the difference between any of those heavy passenger transports, any kind of King Air, or any of those little lawn-dart-like business jet things. It's like I can't really see them.

The exception is the one time I was in Toronto, and I saw one of those A340 things, and I said, "that must be one of those new A380 things. Take a look at how huge it is". Then I saw a REAL A380 go by, and I said "Holy crap !!!"

[HO Driver]

At Georgian College, we did an entire section on aircraft recognition.

Are you firkin serious? This is what they teach you at "college", aircraft recognition? I'm completely stunned!

[Panama Jack]

At Georgian College, we did an entire section on aircraft recognition.

How many college credits for that?

[TG]

Hi everyone, I want to enroll in an aviation trainee program and after doing some research I might get test on aircraft identification

I'm curious to know when you decided to become a pilot ?
Aircraft identification is something I learned as a kiddy without even realizing it.

Usually, one need a bit of aviation 'passion' to help him or her persevere in that domain.





It's like wanting to be a Cowboy and not knowing the difference between a horse and a mule.

[Adam Oke]

Hi everyone, I want to enroll in an aviation trainee program and after doing some research I might get test on aircraft identification

I'm curious to know when you decided to become a pilot ?
Aircraft identification is something I learned as a kiddy without even realizing it.

Usually, one need a bit of aviation 'passion' to help him or her persevere in that domain.

It's like wanting to be a Cowboy and not knowing the difference between a horse and a mule.

I'm sure you actaully mean; It's like wanting to be a Cowboy and not knowing the difference between a shire and a clydesdale . Personally, I could care less about aircraft identification. Does that make me a shitty driver?

[Meatservo]

Personally, I could care less about aircraft identification. Does that make me a shitty driver?

What does your driving have to do with anything? Or was that a deliberate non-sequitur?

[North Shore]

Non-sequitur? Is that what they call Immodium up in your neck of the woods?

[Tim]

you gotta wonder why ac identification is a topic used to judge ones potential merit of becoming a pilot...i didnt get good a identifying specific planes till i was +5 years into my career. good thing that wasnt on my glider interview all those years ago...

[I_Heart_Seaplanes]

If it's got long legs, big b**bs and earrings, it's a 757 with winglets

I just became a fan of the 757

[Rowdy]

If it's got long legs, big b**bs and earrings, it's a 757 with winglets

I just became a fan of the 757

You and me both!

[co-joe]

Gosh, for all you guys know this OP just bought his first rocket launcher. Way to go helping him eh.

[TG]

I could care less about aircraft identification. Does that make me a shitty driver?

I'm sure you care that surgeons knows the difference between appendicitis and testicles

[Meatservo]

I could care less about aircraft identification. Does that make me a shitty driver?

I'm sure you care that surgeons knows the difference between appendicitis and testicles

Well, that's because nobody ever removed your pair of 737s because of a pain in your A320.

[Adam Oke]

I could care less about aircraft identification. Does that make me a shitty driver?

I'm sure you care that surgeons knows the difference between appendicitis and testicles

With my job as a pilot, I am better off knowing the difference between barley and wheat. With all of the types in the world, I really could care less about the vast majority. The only ones I care about are the ones I fly or the ones I want to fly. I can understand a hiring process type question. Maybe something a long the lines of identifying aircraft within the company fleet. That makes sense as it shows that you have done some homework and actually have an interest in the company. However, to go as far as saying you need it to persevere in the trade ... that is a bit of a stretch. Enthusiasm/perseverance is one thing .... knowing the difference between a 727-100 and a 727-200 is another.

And as a college course? Really?!