#AvGeek AirlineReporter.com sticker on Pan Am 707 fuselage at the Future of Flight. Photo by Toni Olson.
What is an AvGeek? Well, since you are reading this, the chances are high that you might be an AvGeek. Is that a good or bad thing? Oh, have no worry, it is a very good thing and you are among great company.
It is hard to really know when or where the #AvGeek idea came from. It took off (pun intended) via social media and derives from “Aviation Geek.” Some folks might take offense to being called a “geek” but in this case, it is a way for people who are fans of aviation to easily identify themselves.
You do not need to be a pilot, you do not need to work in the aviation business, heck you could even be afraid to fly and still be an AvGeek. An AvGeek is someone who is passionate about aviation and that passion can be shown in countless ways.
Dang those planes get low. A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 landing at LAX with AvGeeks looking on during DorkFest.
Maybe you go plane spotting, have a huge collection of models, fly yourself, travel around the world, complete mileage runs for fun or even spend hours on the internet reading about airplanes. For me, I decided to start this blog almost five years ago after being semi-obsessed with flight since I was a child.
Some have told me that I can’t be a real fan of aviation [this was before AvGeek was a thing] if I do not work in the business or I am not a pilot. Hogwash! Many AvGeeks do neither, but that cannot stop someone for loving things that fly. There were AvGeeks out there even before humans took flight — Leonardo da Vinci was totally an AvGeek.
Before AvGeek became a thing, it was hard to explain our population to airlines and others in the business. Even after a long winded definition, I found that many still just did not get it. Now that the term is getting around, I find that more people understand who we all are and what we are about. Where maybe many of us lurked in the shadows and did not get appreciated, we are now — there has even been a story on CNN about AvGeeks.
If you search Twitter for #AvGeek, you will find airlines, journalist and other major players in this field using the hashtag. Even Singapore Airlines, one of the most respected ones in the biz, recently hosted a special AvGeek event at LAX while we spotted airliners. Would I have guessed that five years ago? Even a year ago? No way!
Who knows where this AvGeek movement is going, but rest assured that AirlineReporter.com will be a part of it!
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This story written by… David Parker Brown, Editor & Founder.David started AirlineReporter.com in the summer of 2008, but has had a passion for aviation since he was a kid. Born and raised in the Seattle area (where he is currently based) has surely had an influence and he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in the world. |
David! I enjoy airlinereporter.com quite a bit. It really does help me stay plugged-in to the community. Thanks for mentioning my avgeek warriors-on-terror story! What a cool surprise. Best, Thom
Thanks for being so AvGeek friendly 🙂
David
Hi David,
I have always been an AvGeek. Unfortunately for me I did not visit airlinereporter very frequently. So i missed out on avgfest14 🙁
Seattle is a second home as I come regularly to see my brother & family in Redmond. I hope to make it on the next avgfest for sure.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Guru
You mean I have a family of like minded individuals out there? Some folks I can speak at length with about why I think the p-38 is sexier than the p-51 and not get looked at like I need to be committed? Where are they? Hey, Avgeeks! You little brother want to come home!I’m over here!
salute to another aviator at heart, it was a nice reading. You forgot to mention computer geeks who overhaul flight sims and reproduce pilot and ATC experience at their desktops 🙂 I believe it is the first place that #avgeek term has born
#AvGeek for life 🙂
You’re right here, I think anyone can be an #AvGeek, even if you just like to spend a couple of hours watching YouTube videos or reading flight reviews 🙂 Some people just aren’t going to get it. But I think with the age of social media, more and more people are becoming fascinated with researching what their flight is going to be like before they actually fly.
nice article here