Embry-Riddle Undergrad Connects Plane Spotting Hobby to Future in Aviation Business

Interested in airports and aircraft since the age of three, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University undergraduate Noah Escobar began photographing planes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was in about seventh or eighth grade when COVID hit,” he said. “I had nothing to do like everyone else, and I would just watch videos of aircraft going in and out of any airport in the world.”

Inspired, he asked his mother to take him to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, where he saw an Emirates A380 arrive on a rainy morning. “You could see all the spray from the takeoff and landing,” he said.

Escobar soon began returning to airports around his hometown in the Washington, D.C., area, teaching himself photography through trial and error.

“I really started messing with the camera until I liked the photos and how they came out,” he said.

In December 2023, his work reached a new level when he became a photographer for AirlineGeeks.com, a major aviation media outlet. He also launched his own photography business, DMV Flights, selling images to airlines and aviation enthusiasts while building a growing digital audience on YouTube and Instagram.

“Plane spotting is my hobby,” Escobar said, “trying to photograph as many aircraft as I can, rare to common, and sell them to airlines or regular people who may have flown them.”

Capturing a National News Moment

That hobby landed Escobar at the center of national news coverage in December, when a United Airlines flight departing Dulles experienced an engine failure shortly after takeoff.

“I hadn’t plane spotted there since August,” Escobar said. “Right when I got there, there was a fire.”

Within minutes, Escobar’s footage drew attention from reporters who wanted to interview him.

“I made sure not to speculate — only say what I saw,” he said. “Right on takeoff, the engine failed. No more than 30 seconds into the flight, they yelled ‘mayday, mayday, mayday,’ circled around, dumped fuel south of the airport, and then came in.”

The flight crew “did an amazing job,” he added.  

For Escobar, the moment reinforced how closely plane spotting and aviation knowledge intersect.

“Plane spotting helps you understand aviation a lot better,” he said. “The airlines, how they work, their scheduling and the types of aircraft they use.”

Going Behind the Scenes, Finding Mentors

Escobar stands on the ramp in front of a United 767 while holding his acceptance letter to Embry-Riddle, where he is studying Aviation Business Administration. (Photo: Noah Escobar)Escobar said Embry-Riddle had been on his radar for years. After visiting the Prescott Campus, he knew it was the right fit.

A freshman majoring in Aviation Business Administration with a minor in Air Traffic Control, Escobar serves as social media manager for the Aviation Business Networking Club, helping students connect with industry professionals and attend major events such as the National Business Aviation Association conference.

The university has also supported his growing interest in airport operations. In November, Escobar participated in an airport operations immersion experience at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports, through connections made with Embry-Riddle faculty and industry partners.

“I did a whole airport operations day-in-the-life tour with the airside operations manager at LAX,” he said. “Airport operations is very hands-on. No matter what position.”

The experience affirmed his long-term goal. “Later in life, I’d love to be an airport director,” Escobar said.

Dr. Jules Yimga, associate professor and department chair of the School of Business, said Escobar’s “ability to connect his passion for aviation with real-world experience and business education demonstrates the kind of engaged, career-ready student we strive to develop.”

Escobar is also a social media content creator for Embry-Riddle’s School of Business within the College of Business, Security and Intelligence. Through that role, he interviewed Embry-Riddle Trustee Steve Varsano, founder and CEO of The Jet Business. Varsano is widely followed on social media and is a prominent voice in the aviation industry.

“You are really the average of the five people that you spend the most time with,” Varsano said. “So be sure you spend time with people that are above your pay grade, and that will bring you up.”

The advice resonated.

“You get better by being around people who are better than you,” Escobar said. “Mentors are priceless.”