A 27-year-old from Hertfordshire has launched a women-only planespotting club after her first event at Heathrow Airport went viral on Tiktok.
Gloria Amponsem, from Borehamwood, started The Planespotting Club to give women a space to share their interest in aviation, a field she describes as ‘traditionally male-dominated’.
After posting videos of herself planespotting at London City Airport, Amponsem said she began receiving messages from women asking her to host an event, with the response making her realise how few spaces existed for women to connect through a shared love of aviation.
Speaking of what she hoped women would gain from her club, Amponsem said: “the encouragement to explore interests like aviation and permission to have geeky hobbies without judgement”.
The first event, held at Heathrow Terminal 5, attracted women from different backgrounds, including student pilots and ex-cabin crew.
Having described the event as relaxed and welcoming, Amponsem hoped that her club would offer things that women often miss elsewhere.
Her Tiktok post about the event has racked up nearly 30,000 views and has helped the group gain 278 sign-ups to its mailing list.
Amponsem hopes to host the next planespotting event in early to mid-November, depending on the weather.
Her club forms part of a wider surge in women-led niche communities emerging across London.
Earlier this month, a ‘scream club‘ in Primrose Hill drew attention for hosting outdoor sessions where women release stress by shouting into the air.
Whether it’s planespotting or primal screaming, Amponsem said the idea is simple: “Women crave company and want to feel part of something.”
That craving might also have a practical side. According to the Office for National Statistics, women carry out an average of 60% more unpaid work than men, from cooking to caring, which leaves them with less time for leisure or hobbies.
For many, that makes the idea of a women-only club less about novelty and more about access; simply a chance to claim a few hours for themselves.
As more women create their own clubs and communities, could niche be the new mainstream?
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