Photography onboard Ryanair flights!!

[galley-wench22]

Can anyone shead any light on the subject.

Why do Ryanair's cabin crew get upset when you try and take photographs onboard??

:ooh:

[PaperTiger]

Because they haven't figured out a way to charge you for it ?

No, it's undoubtedly for 'security reasons', meaning you are not allowed to question it under any circumstances :hmm:

[akerosid]

This seems to be unique to FR (I saw a BBC Money Programme documentary recently, which mentioned a ban on filming) and is certainly not mandated by the IAA; as far as I'm aware, EI has no such regulation.

Personally, I can't see the reasoning behind it. The only possible reason would be if people started taking photos of the cockpit door, but certainly, taking photos of friends or even of the outside (cloudscape, takeoff view etc.) shouldn't pose any security risk.

[galley-wench22]

I am cabin crew for another airline. A friend said to me he was 'told off' by one on the cabin crew on an FR flight, he asked me why. I have never come across this before!!

Maybe it is because they do not want people seeing their cheap interiors afterwards. They really do spoil those 738's!! However, who are we to judge, they have made a shed load of cash from those shabby interiors.

[eastern wiseguy]

I took piccies on the flight to Perpignan...and no one complained.The aircraft interior was very smart! Service was good...price was pleasant.....they are ok in my book!:D

[PaperTiger]

From a post on usenet:also on one of my American Airlines flights, I noticed this on page 73 of the inflight magazine:
"Photography/recording of airline personnel/equipment or procedures is strictly prohibited"Like a terrorist couldn't remember what (s)he needed to :*
No doubt the idea of some legal desk jockey.

[surely not]

And of course a terrorist cannot write notes or sketch pictures!!!!!
Next they'll be banning kiddie packs because they have crayons and a book to write in!

[MerchantVenturer]

I no longer try to take video shots from inside passenger aircraft. I have had conflicting advice as to whether camcorders are 'proscribed' electrical appliances although they never seem to be mentioned by name at the cabin crew safety briefings.

In fact, I never try to video at UK airports any more. Even before 11 September 2001 I was questioned by an airport security officer and airport special branch police officer at BRS for videoing from inside the departure lounge. I had taken some shots of aircraft parked on the apron from inside the lounge.

I pointed out that I could have taken shots of the same aircraft from a public road outside the airport fence, albeit from a diffferent angle but they weren't impressed. They said I COULD have taken shots of the security people inside the lounge.

I just take the odd video shot now from the public roads around BRS. After all civil airports in the UK aren't prohibited places within the Official Secrets Act - yet!

[Hand Solo]

My company manuals contain a long list of countries, many of them European, over which it is illegal to take photos from an aircraft. Perhaps Ryanair are just covering themselves by applying a blanket restriction to all photography?

[kriskross]

Remember the plane-spotters in Greece... Some companies/ countries don't understand an innocent interest in aviation, assuming that IS what it is!!!

[galley-wench22]

Back to the video thing. In my airline we do not like people to use video cameras with those lights on top. They get very hot when used for a while. If one was to be placed back in a locker after use, it could start a fire!:ooh:

[MerchantVenturer]

galley-wench,

That's a fair point about the lights although I never used the video light - it would use far too much battery power and I would consider its use discourteous to fellow passengers and crew.

I take from your post that your airline does not have a blanket ban on the use of camcorders. I have been told by some airlines that camcorders are considered within those electrical items that MIGHT affect the aircraft navigations system, whilst other carriers have been a bit vague and non-committal when asked about their camcorder policy.

As I said earlier, I now play safe and don't use it at all on board aircraft or within airports. It's a shame really because I have been doing cine and later video since the late 1960s and have built up a considerable library of classic aircraft and airlines of the past in less than mainstream situations in many cases. How many people have film of an El Al 767 at BRS for example (in the mid 1980s)?

Sadly all this will have stopped in the early 21st Century. Yet another admittedly minor pleasure curtailed by the terrorists, or at least their threat.

[PaperTiger]

Camcorders are a different issue. Whether or not they have the potential to interfere with avionics has been debated long and hard, here and elsewhere. The jury is still out I think.

But the Ryanair and American bans seem to extend to still cameras. I don't know that anyone has ever suggested their electronics (if present) are cause for concern, but maybe it's just easier to ban everything than let the crew decide which are 'safe'. I can't see how a prohibition on aerial photography from cabin windows could realistically be enforced over those countries which are twitchy about it. That said, there was a post somewhere about a spotter being hauled off by the FBI for shooting from the cabin at Miami(?) having been turned in as 'suspicious' by a fellow-passenger. But that's the US, not exactly a model for reason and common sense.

[carbootking]

a lot of staff at stn r getting cameras confiscated as they go through the vp points any reason for that

[akerosid]

What can airlines actually do in this situation? As an Irish registered airline, what the cabin crew can do on board is subject to Irish law and this would not entitle them to confiscate film. Could they report them to authorities on arrival. Even if photos were allegedly taken from the aircraft, Irish law would still be in force. Looks like FR cabin crew would be entitled to harass, but no more.

Anyone know what countries these are (that outlaw photos over their territory?)

[maxy101]

From a couple of our manuals; Austria Belgium Cyprus Egypt Greece Hungary Italy Luxembourg Malta Portugal Spain Turkey Yugoslavia. I left out the non European countries.....

[Dan84]

The 800 interior is standard so i don't know where cheap comes from!!?? I have no probs people taking pics... just videoing we are told thet are not allowed as its a security risk.. obviously after 9/11. I don't know what BAA's poblem at stn is about camera's for crew... B]failed policemaen spring to mind![/B] :}

[PaperTiger]

just videoing we are told thet are not allowed as its a security risk.. obviously after 9/11

Told by whom ? A self-styled 'expert' no doubt. Would be nice if the people responsible for security actually knew something about security :*