Gary, I did a lot of pix of planes...many before I could even keep a plane in the air for very long.

At first, I used a Canon S3is (non DSLR) for a lot of the shots.. One of the advantages of that type of camera was its very deep depth of field. I now shoot a Sony A350 DSLR with a 18=250 zoom. Works pretty well, but you do have to focus on the incoming plane and then adjust the zoom as the plane approaches.

I think you will have a ball with the combination of both hobbies. Rich