Paul last last saw the Gulfstream V about 18 months ago. He comes down to Glasgow airport's planespotters' club most days. He had not seen the plane before so he marked the serial number down in his book.
At the time, he did not think there was anything unusual about the Gulfstream being ushered to a stand away from public view, one that could not be seen from the airport terminal or the club's prime view.
But that flight this week was at the center of a transatlantic row that saw the British prime minister being put on the spot on the floor of the House of Commons in London and the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, forced on the defensive during a visit to Europe.
The Gulfstream V has been identified as having been used by the CIA for "extraordinary renditions" -- abducting terror suspects and taking them to secret prisons around the world where they may be tortured.
The recording of flights by spotters such as Paul from places as far afield as Bournemouth on the English south coast and Karachi has unintentionally played a significant role in helping journalists and human rights groups expose the scale of the CIA's renditions system.
But his impact on such global intrigue largely passes Paul by.
"It's not the CIA bit that interests us. You don't even know who owns the plane when you take down the serial number," he said. "You keep accurate logs, for your own records."
At the door of the shabby end terrace which houses the Glasgow Airport Aviation Enthusiasts Club, Paul is considering how his hobby got him tangled in such a web.
"We know now that these planes are run by the CIA, but it's not something we set out to know," he said.
"I have seen the planes land in daytime and I've seen them land at nighttime. You never see anyone get off them. Most of the time they are just coming in to refuel, but the ones coming in at night you would expect to see people getting off. But you don't -- at least, I never have," he said.
Broadly, planespotters fall into three categories: those who like to take serial numbers, those who like to take photographs, and those who indulge in both.
About 64km away, on a mound exposed to wind and rain near the freight terminals of Prestwick airport, Stephen, lugging a lens more commonly used by paparazzi lurking in the undergrowth, is setting up a tripod waiting to see what will land today.
He knows it won't be as exciting as July, when the planes of G8 leaders and their secret service entourages landed at Prestwick, but he's hoping for a good day.
"It's my day off, so I've come over to Prestwick, but I'll go to Glasgow and Edinburgh as well," he said.
"I do it mostly for myself -- it's been a passion since I was child -- but I'll post good photographs on Web sites too," he said.
Stephen clicks the shutter. He doesn't think this one will make airliners.net, his favorite planespotting Web site. But he'll add it to the collection of hundreds of other plane photographs.
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