Rather an interesting on this. I think it all comes down to a blanket ban by the airlines against using any or all electronic devices.

I just spoke to an operations manager of one of the ground handling companies and posed this very scenario to them. They said they are not aware of anything written into the Qantas manuals but they always assumed that to be the case.

Reminded me of one of my favourite lines in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels "Assumptions being the mother of all fcu*ups: :}

Perhaps nitpicker, you would be better directing your inquiry direct to Qantas. I'm sure we'd all love to hear what comes from the horses mouth.:ok:

as for the QF vs 717 argument. Correct me if I am wrong but the crews are all Cobham, the tickets and flight number are QF, the ground crews are local companies and the aircraft a leased from some offshore owner.

My friend and I were interviewed by security for at least two hours at Shajah airport after taking photographs of Antanovs and some rather weird looking aircraft - from outside the airport fence!! My friend, who lives in Dubai, had his digital camera returned after two weeks. I, on the other hand, was old fashioned and had my film confiscated.
I have to say that the security guys were very polite and explained that "there was a war going on up the road" (their words!), in Iraq, and they had to check every "suspicious activity".

Hey YPJT,

For your edification: It's a Qantas ticket, a Qantas paint scheme, Qantas uniforms etc, therefor regardless who the contractor is, it's a Qantas operation as far as any passenger is concerned, be they industry related or not.

All I can say is the whole security bit Australia wide is just plain bull****:ugh: I had a 40 x 4mm "tool" (a very small combined screwdriver) confiscated by the dickheads, and don't getting me going about the scissors either:{. It was the last time I put anything like it through the x-ray, stays in my pocket now!

[/QUOTE]as for the QF vs 717 argument. Correct me if I am wrong but the crews are all Cobham, the tickets and flight number are QF, the ground crews are local companies and the aircraft a leased from some offshore owner.[QUOTE]
For the record, QF staff are the people who supervise the ramp.
I will be there in a couple of days, I will ask why they are so adamant about no one taking photo's.

The comment about the local Aboriginal people not allowing it is rubbish. They don't allow photos to be used for any form of reward without permission, that's it.

I have commented regularly about this scenario, it's embarrassing watching them. There is no safety issue, there is no practical reason for enforcing it.

Thanks Renurpp, I'd appreciate it if you would ask.

Could you post here when you get back?

Tks.

I can tell you the answer having asked it
myself...
"we dont want passengers loitering airside
for longer than is necessary"

"why?"

"security and safety reasons"

More bull**** evidence of Oz being the nanny state it is. What the he'll is wrong with our country? I once was pining to move back there and now the incidious raping of freedoms and personal rights leaves me glad to live any where else! And to think a mate of mine left asia to join JQ for lifestyle :ugh:

Wow I never would have figured.:rolleyes:

It may not suit the punter who wants to take photographs or chat with one of their mates but when you condiser the time constrains (usually 40minutes) to turn an aircraft around then that is not an unreasonable excuse. Having someone loitering and delaying the process means a ground staff member has to wait before securing the exit gate. Meaning bags aren't getting unloaded, ****ters aren't being cleaned, galleys aren't getting re-stocked etc etc etc. Someone with an operational role tell me I'm wrong.

You're wrong.

There are times when it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to the operation like in my situation.
The ramp staff could have left me alone to take my quick photo and board the Aircraft. The time it took to walk 20' over to me, tell me off and walk back was probably longer anyway. ( the staff member was marshaling pax along the walkway and not doing anything else )
Not only that we were the first of only 40 pax to board 15 mins before STD, were the only pax within 50' and didn't hold anyone up.

I can understand on a full aircraft if all pax wanted to stop and take a photo but for goodness sake please have some common sense and flexibility and if it's not going to hurt anyone let the pax take their photo, if nothing else it's good PR.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to marshal pax off the movement area quickly for exactly the reasons YPJT mentions, but I get very sick of hearing about this sort of thing being blamed on 'security'.

It's not a security issue and if it is you'll be told very quickly on your way to the interview. If it's a pax control issue or a speedy boarding matter then just bloody say so. 'Stop dicking around and get on the aircraft' should suffice. Blaming it on 'security' is simply a cop out that weakens proper security issues in the eyes of the public.

When this sort of thing gets cited as security it all adds up to a complete public skepticism about the whole airport security thing, because it both looks and smells like crap. Just tell your pax to get a wriggle on and stop pretending to be something off the telly!

RAAF have a right to complain about photographers at places like DN.

Defence Act 1903 section 82 prohibits taking photos of "any defence installation in Australia or of any part of one."

Nitpicker you're 100% corrrect , it's horsecrap.

The 30 secons it takes to stop, take a shot and move on would be the same as if you were blowing your nose. It's a power trip by ramp staff nothing more, nothing less.

Is it a QF flight or a charter. If it is a charter flight, do the FAs inform the paxs that they are on a charter flight being conducted by "xx" on behalf of QF?

No it's just another way to lower terms and conditions....

if you say so then I must be. After all, what would I know about this game?

I'm done.

I tried getting a pic of the powderfinger concert aircraft at maroochy a couple of months back, I'm sure I didn't yell allah akbah and my RPG was stowed in the hold , still the friggin carry on about me getting a photo of the sign-age on the plane was bloody ridiculous.
The airport security is fkin crazy. Arrive at Moorrabbin to got for a blat in a mates plane , couldn't get through the gate , sooo went into the office of the "management and asked for a gate code,, "why" she says , "to go flying in an airplane " I say (thinking the headset bag ASIC card and kneeboard/maps might give the game away),,,,"what airplane" the reply,,,,"the red one VH XXX :ugh:" , "you have to fill out a form and we'll contact you to let you know when you can go airside" ,,,mmmm,,, (outside) hey mate what's the gate code ,,,cheers :D!!!!!! ,,,gee i feel safe ,,,

I had this happen to me when boarding a DJ flight from WLG-AKL. The ramp guy told me it was illegal to take pics though, couldn't be botherd telling him it wasn't so I left it. Tey could come up with a beter excuse though...

And fair enough too. Anyone who uses the word "airplane" should be denied tarmac access.

Friend had similar issue at Perth awhile back, snotty ramp girl literally screamed at them for taking a photo while boarding via tarmac. When questioned as to the reason the agent responded that it was "against airport rules to take photos". When I asked where was the signage to that effect the girl threated to confiscate the camera!

Considering they stopped taking photos when requested I thought she was out of line. After my friend had walked off I asked her out of curiosity was it really an airport rule or a airline rule, she got quite huffy and insisted it was the airport rule, cheerfully informed her I actually worked there too and there was no memo to that effect currently in place, should have seen her face! Nevermind one of their own staff was taking a photo on an iphone on the next bay over which I also pointed out.

Susequently confirmed with security manager at WAC that happy snaps are fine, only commercial photos require prior permission. He echoed my comment that if it were not allowed there would be signage to that effect- as there is for mobile phones!

Melbourne I understand is a different story. DN and Learmonth definitely no-nos- Skywest used to make a PA on approach into Learmonth advising that photography is not allowed. I think the cutoff they used to use was once landing gear was down, no photos. Airport staff used to get understandably touchy, however Japanese pax didn't always understand and would happily snap away regardless! :}

If the pax are getting themselves into a gray area safety-wise, or taking way too long, by all means stop them, otherwise, what's the big deal?

As for Uluru, I always understood it that you couldn't fly over it, photos weren't a problem and photos of people who have since passed can be considered sensitive but not pictures of the rock itself...?

and I thought it was just the United Kingdom that was a fully fledged nanny state full of jobsworths. I always thought life was better in the southern hemisphere, clearly things have changed!