Tail markings of the planes that use Pearson Airport in Mississauga

Pearson Airport in Mississauga is making it easier for less experienced plane spotters to identify exactly what types of aircraft they’re seeing taking off and landing at Canada’s busiest airport.

Airport officials posted a link to social media on the weekend that connects to its latest online Plane Spotter’s Guide–Tail Identification (2022 edition).

In addition to providing photos of tail markings (see image below) of some 45 airlines from around the world that regularly visit Pearson, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which runs the airport, also links aviation enthusiasts of all levels to information on airplane parts, the differences between wide-body and narrow-body aircraft and more.

The updated guide also provides information on how it’s decided which runway is assigned to arriving and departing flights, how air traffic control works and why Pearson’s five runways are named as they are (see image below).

When assigning runways, air traffic controllers consider a number of conditions including wind direction and wind speed, surface conditions, air traffic levels and time of day.

Ideally, aircraft take off and land heading into the wind. According to the GTAA, some 95 per cent of flights at Pearson are directed to take off or land using the three east-west runways as they are aligned with the prevailing winds and can handle the most plane traffic.

Plane spotting is a popular pastime among people of all ages and interest levels. For some, it’s a thing to do every once in a while, but for others it’s a passion, an obsession and in many cases, it’s their job.

With more than 1,200 flights operating daily into and out of Pearson, there are plenty of opportunities for people to get relatively close to the action for a “plane spotting” fix–and some photos and video shots if they want.

You just need an idea of where to find the best spots near Pearson, which handles flights to and from some 190 cities around the globe.

Hey plane spotters, we’ve updated our spotting guide for 2022! ✈️📸 Here’s a sneak peek: https://t.co/FWHOVlVVWA pic.twitter.com/QTvB4wVfEy

— Toronto Pearson (@TorontoPearson) August 27, 2022