I don’t normally get involved in (heated?) debates but I would like to add my tuppence worth, ok £’s worth! I don’t regard myself as a spotter in the sense that I would visit airports to record and photograph a multitude of aircraft. I have taken photos of vintage aircraft at one airshow (Duxford) and if a Super Constellation where to visit one of the South East airports yes I’d like to get a few shots. I’m interested in aviation and the complex nature of air routes, and yes in the radio exchanges between pilots and ATC. I don’t ‘hang around’ airports or airfields, don’t make a nuisance of myself and have enjoyed videos posted on some sites of rare aircraft arriving and departing UK airports filmed by many enthusiasts. I’m middle aged, a family man, believe myself to be responsible, don’t consider myself a numptie, moron, idiot, or that I interfere in the work of others by listening to Airband radio for a particular aircraft transmission and following it on a tracking site, especially when a member of my family is on that flight.
As with anything in life there’ll be those who are very ‘low key’ and cause no interference or insult to anyone else by passively following this hobby and at the opposite end of the scale there’ll be those pursuing their hobby in a manner I wouldn’t wish to be associated with. Likewise there’ll be folk who fail to see the attraction of such a hobby and where there appears to be some degree of ambiguity in Law will quote whichever interpretation they see appropriate in support of their particular view whilst some will adopt a more laissez faire approach to the whole issue.
Ofcom is clear about listening in to ATC transmissions as these are not general reception transmissions, but scanners capable of receiving transmissions outside of that category are available. If they were banned and I for one would be saddened by it, then the practice of ‘eavesdropping’ as it has been referred to might be resolved, unless a black market emerges for the supply of the receivers.
In time a sophisticated encoded transmission system will no doubt be developed where receiving all such transmissions will not be possible outside of the realm of those specifically authorised to hear them. So be it. In the meantime as long as no criminal act is perpetrated or information acted upon and such listening is carried out discretely, despite the annoyance it will cause to some I see no real harm in enjoying listening to aircraft descending to lower flight levels, being instructed to ‘hold at Lambourne’ or contacting Heathrow ‘Callsign only’ etc l will continue to enjoy this occasional hobby in the privacy of my own home or maybe from my car whenever I drop off or collect someone at Stansted. There’ll no doubt be others with a similar approach to listening to airband receivers and I’m sure they’d also object to being regarded as nuisances.
Somewhere in my distant memory I recall being told it was illegal to listen to the Pirate stations back in the 1960’s, therefore no doubt none of us around at the time ever listened to Radio London, Caroline, Britain Radio, Radio City, 270, 390 etc, right?