This is eligible, isn't it?!
SeVero2k-PGO
Posts: 68 ✭✭
" Viewpoint Airport"
Well before the Criteria Challenge I would probably have rejected this as a generic bench.
But now? It is a bench from were you can do planewatching and you get a nice view on the Airport.
Its pretty clear from the photo that this is a special bench, (you can see the Planes in the background) and I guess access would be safe enough to approve this as a POI?
Whats your thoughts on this? Thanks for the help & Cheers
Comments
What criteria does it meet? It appears to be nothing special to me.
Really?! To me it looks definitly like a good place to explore and probabley a place were planewatchers meet.
A great viewpoint onto airport grounds would also be useful for watchers of birds: around here, local airports are favorite resting spots for Snowy Owls due to the open space required for airport operations. Plain benches are eligible when they serve as an anchor for a scenic viewpoint, are they not?
This means you would accept it, right? 5 or 4 Stars?
I'd probably go up to 4* only if the description and supporting info were very well done: it doesn't look like 5* candidate to me, but still acceptable if properly justified.
If I'm voting to approve, I rarely give 3* or below in any category - usually 4 or 5.
I agree with eligibility and would probably have accepted prior to the recent clarifications. It looks like a wonderful place to explore or reflect in the outdoors. I know that watching planes arrive and depart can be an enjoyable passtime, as well.
Write to the airport and get permission to put some sort of Plane Watchers sign or information board there maybe. IF its such a popular spot ofc. Altho afaik its on the special benches that are viable; famous local person; ww1 and ww2 memorial benches; Jubilee Benches etc etc.
It’s not the bench that’s special, it’s what the bench represents. A place to explore. Technically it doesn’t even need a bench to qualify.
Nah. 1*, Other Rejection Criteria, on to the next
Its interesting that this is so controversial, really. Just to make it clear its not my own Nomination, but one that I got to Review.
Probably helpful: Planespottig Is a Hobby for many people, there is a community for this, Websites on the topic and the like. Its a social thing.
I was unable though to locate that Bench on the planespotters map in the link below, which might be a reason to reject the nomination.
https://www.spotterguide.net/planespotting/europe/austria/salzburg-w-a-mozart-airport-szg-lows/
Any further thoughts?
@SeVero2k-PGO My thought is that an area designated for airport viewing is different from a bench on a trail that just happens to have a view of an airport. There is lots of hiking available around the two large airports near me so I'm sure there are plenty of benches on trails where one could possibly sit and watch airplanes.
I can't say I think it matters if it's a "registered" location or not.
Does it look like a place you might visit to explore or socialize? Does it look like a place others might specifically go out of their way to explore or socialize?
I've been to this spot, and enjoyed it very much:
Spectacular views of the Ocean, or something to lean against when viewing the airport behind. Great views of the many Common Eider that populate these waters in winter, and the many Ravens that frequent Midborg. I even socialized there, although we mostly talked about the field we were building in Ingress. :)
Maybe I need to be bolder about submitting.
There is a viewing area for Manchester Airport right where plans start - so very loud. But there is nothing there. It’s marked on maps but it’s just a nice raised piece of grass where when warm plane spotters and those with a passing interest stop and watch.
it is clearly a gathering point and a lot of socialising but without people in the picture (which might be a challenge) there is nothing there.
Looks like a normal bench to me, would 1* this. Find a sign that identifies it as a view point, submit the sign and it is 5*
I think the problem with submitting places based on having a good view is that it's very hard for a reviewer to determine whether it's actually a good vantage point or not, or what makes one specific spot special. It's the kind of nomination that would depend heavily on the description and supporting statement, and possibly the supporting photo if you can get a good example of a great view from the nomination point.
For example, while the airport is visible in your photo, it just looks like a normal photo of an airport taken from a distance. If a reviewer lives in a place where they can see the planes while driving past their local airport, they're not going to be particularly impressed by that view unless the submitter can describe why it's cool (or submit a cool shot of the planes taxiing/taking off as their supporting photo).
Plus, a lot of airports are very large and can be seen from many points, so the description would have to explain why this spot in particular is nominated, rather than any number of other arbitrary spots with a view of the airport. Is it the closest spot to watch the planes without actually entering airport grounds? Is it the best spot to have a clear view of the whole runway? Is this the only spot with benches specifically for people to watch the planes from? Does the bench maybe belong to a local club, F&B place, park, or other place where people tend to gather? Are there local hobbyists that actually gather here (and, optimally, is there some way to prove it)?
Without a compelling description, I think most reviewers would end up considering it a 3* "maybe", or a 1* generic object if they don't lurk on the forums enough to see all these unannounced criteria clarifications.
Thanks so much for this - I think you pinned it down !