Planespotting 101: How To Identify Each Major Commercial Aircraft Type

Do you struggle to identify the different aircraft types? Some are easy, but many still confuse even experienced plane spotters. With a few tricks and pointers, and plenty of practice, identification gets easier. Let’s point out some ways to identify today’s main commercial aircraft.

We can’t cover every possible way to ID aircraft, or indeed every aircraft model in the world, but this video should give you a solid start on the most common types.

Our special thanks to Vincenzo Pace for his contribution to this week’s video.

Video source links:

Simple Flying:

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[ConcordeError]

There are people who love Airbus
Those who love Boeing
And those who don't know the difference

[Davids_DC-]

20 years ago, this video would have been 2 hours Ah the good old days.

[razvan_]

I know almost all planes, but this video is relaxing.

[CptMehdi]

I'm watching this even tho I can Identify each major commercial aircrafts, and I'm watching it cuz I like simple flying videos

[EthanPricco]

Having been an aviation enthusiast for almost 10 years, I can identify pretty much all aircraft types easily. That said, I still really enjoyed this video and you made some great tips for aircraft identification.

[maxm]

Am I the only that ended up in this video even knowing how to recognize every airplane?

[aswandanawawan]

Simple Flying : 4:32 the Boeing 767 and 777 can be hard to distinguish from a distance

GE90 : am i a joke to you?

[marten]

"Do you struggle to identify the different aircraft types?" - To be honest: No

[BlazeLeiton]

7:22 I'm so happy he got to capture the iconic Quetzalcóatl Dreamliner from Aeroméxico, always a delight to watch this flagship on platform

[PlanesAndGames]

12:35 I think a better way to tell them apart is the A318's taller tail, unique to it, although this takes some time (also sorry for comment spam lol)

[yaa]

"The most important thing about plane spotting is to have the right kind of crayons."
- my kid.

[PlanesAndGames]

1:33 Fun Fact: The 747 doesn't for some reason

edit: 2:10 the 747 too goes straight (except for the SP and Dreamlifter)

[PlanesAndGames]

11:37 of course to complicate things a few -300s and -500s were retrofitted with winglets, and some NGs don't have them, notably all -600s

[mattguey-lee]

How about doing a Bombardier vs Embraer regional jets episode. These are still very common in the United States.

[gooner]

Plane spotting is fun, for newbies and also more experienced spotters like myself. I can identify them easily but as I'm a simple flying and Long Haul fanatic, I've watched every single one from both channels. Big Up Simple Flying!!!

[mb]

This is the best video on the subject I've seen, that said I'll need to.watch it several more times.

[zheeaviation]

For the different 737 varients, there are 737NGs that exist without winglets too, GOL used to operate some. Just putting it out as an extra fact, this was still amazing to watch

[jayblechman]

Some thing I personally use to help with the boeing-airbus distinction is the doors. On all Airbus doors on the exterior you can see a handle that you pull down whereas on Boeing planes they have something you pull out and twist. Furthermore to help differentiates at 787 and 777 from the rest of the Boeing fleet you can see the window placement on doors, on the rest of the Boeing fleet it is at the center of the door where is on the 777 and 787 it is located more twords one side.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the 767 has weird doors that open upwards, The windows are in the center call me there’s no door opening mechanism on the door itself, it is next to the door instead and it is a lever.

[alexashworth-smith]

11:39 “The classic Series does not have winglets” generally yes, but the -300 and -500 can be retrofitted with winglets so this can be unreliable, most notably Jet2 in the UK and Magnicharters in Mexico who each have 5+ classics sporting winglets.
EDIT: Also at 11:49“ The 737 MAX has split scimitar winglets...some 737NG have these split scimitar as well” No they don’t, it’s ONLY the 737NG that has the split scimitar, the MAX has what’s known as the Advanced Technology (AT) winglet which is a different shape, the split scimitar sticks out of the bottom of the standard winglet while the AT winglet is more like a split end of the wing, in a wide V shape, it’s hard to describe but by putting photos side by side a clear difference can be seen

[TimeNeverSleeps]

The comment section really brings me back to those moments in 4th-grade math class, when everyone seemed to understand what the teacher was saying and I was still as clueless as ever. 😂