How a passion grows into a great success. Keep reading and discover the story of Belgium's most popular planespotter on Instagram.
The beginning of a lifelong passion
Planespotting is more than just photographing airplanes. For Guillaume, better known as Belgianspotter on Instagram, it's a passionate love affair with great success. Guillaume's love for airplanes started during family vacations at a young age with his parents and grandparents.
"Breathtaking how those large metal aircraft soared into the sky!"
He soon discovered Flight Simulator, a game allowing you to play as a pilot and explore the world from the cockpit. Later, in high school, his fascination with airplanes truly emerged when he could turn his Flight Simulator imagination into reality.
After school, he frequently visited a grass field alongside one of the runways at Brussels Airport. There, he could witness the enormous airplanes taking off and landing firsthand.
A growing passion
What began as a hobby grew into a lifelong passion. Taking those enormous airplanes home wasn’t possible, so Guillaume eagerly captured the metal birds through photography. The true strength of Guillaume's passion lies not only in capturing images of airplanes, but also in sharing this passion.
Since 2017, he has been sharing his airplane photography on his Instagram account, Belgianspotter. Through consistent and active posting, his account steadily grew and now boasts over 26.000 followers.
"I'll continue my passion for planespotting for at least another 10 years!"
For Guillaume, it's more than just taking photos. He has built a network of aviation enthusiasts, something he can be proud of. Some airlines even ask to use his photos. For Guillaume, the planespotting community is important, and he wants to inspire as many people as possible with his airplane photography.

From inquiries to butterflies
The success of his Instagram account pays off. Many people look up to the Belgianspotter, including Ine. About six years ago, she sent a question to Guillaume about a particular airplane. What began as a simple question soon grew into deep conversations, leading to love.
"I infected her with the love for airplanes."
Now, as a full-fledged planespotter, Ine has built her impressive Instagram account, Belgian_spottergirl. With an increasing following of nearly 5000 followers, she now also radiates her love for airplanes to the entire planespotting community.
The art of planespotting
With more than 220.000 airplane photos stored on three external hard drives, Guillaume has captured a treasure of memories. Each photo has its own charm and unique story. This is his favorite photo:

This iconic McDonnell Douglas MD-11 with a third jet engine on the tail was about to disappear from Lufthansa's fleet. Therefore, Guillaume specifically traveled to Frankfurt to photograph this plane. In this photo, it appears as if you're face to face with the airplane as it approaches you head-on.
Airports through the eyes of a spotter
His favorite airports vary due to their unique features: Amsterdam for perfect spotting locations, London Heathrow for busy air traffic, and Luxembourg for cargo traffic with numerous 747s.
Additionally, Guillaume also had the opportunity to take photos from Newark Airport, located in New York. There, he captured this beauty:

From the terminal, he captured this frame with the stunning backdrop of New York's skyline with skyscrapers!
Guillaume's biggest blunder – time for a little story:
Despite his expertise and dedication to planespotting, even Guillaume can make mistakes. One of his most painful memories dates back to 2017 when he traveled with his friends to London Heathrow for a unique spotting experience.
Their goal was clear: to capture one of the last flights of a United Airlines Boeing 747. The retirement of this aircraft type had been announced, and it would soon be removed from the fleet.

At the spotting location in London, full of expectations and with cameras ready, the group of planespotters felt a slight hunger. According to Flightradar, the plane wasn't scheduled to depart yet, so they decided to grab some food from a nearby gas station.
While they were inside with their food in hand, they suddenly heard a heavy aircraft roaring down the runway. Assuming it was another plane, they remained calm, but as the plane emerged over the fence, it turned out to be the United Airlines 747!
"Dropped the food, grabbed the camera, and sprinted outside!"
But to their disappointment, they were too late, and the moment they traveled for to London Heathrow had already passed. This moment remains one of the most disappointing memories in Guillaume's planespotting adventures.
Dreams in the sky
Becoming a commercial pilot can cost around €100.000. A sum of money not everyone has readily available.
That's why Guillaume chose to place a PPL rather than an ATPL on his wishlist. But what do these terms mean?

An ATPL or Airlines Transport Pilot License is the license enabling you to conduct commercial flights, for example, for an airline. Unfortunately, this training costs around €100.000. On the other hand, a PPL or Private Pilot License allows you to become a private pilot.
This training also costs a fortune but is a fraction of the amount you pay for an ATPL. Guillaume is fine with the fact that a PPL is currently the highest license for him on his wishlist. But his dream lives on:
"I still dream of flying a Boeing 747 myself someday."
Conclusion
Guillaume's journey as a planespotter, in my opinion, inspires others to share their passion for aviation. His Instagram account is not just a gallery of airplane photos but a treasure of memories from a beautiful planespotting adventure.
By: Rico Valkenborgh | December 6, 2023
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