Legalities on using a camera during take off and landing
 

As I was landing as SLF, in FRA this morning I was asked by a FA not to use my camera (pictures not video) during the approach and landing. I understand there is an issue about electronics appliances be used during landing and take off, but I thought it applies only to RF emitting devices.

Was she right or did she over-react? I would appreciate if some one can provide some legal text - not for confrontation but to make sure where I stand since I love to make pictures while airborne.

I would be surprised if this applied in Frankfurt but there are still a few countries that don't like having their picture taken and their airlines can also be a bit funny about pictures being taken from their planes.

The problem for FAs is knowing what does, and what doesn't, have RF kit these days. They are beginning to fit GPS chips in cameras so you can geotag your photos.

Thanks for the answer:

I spent my military service in joint (civil and military) airfield and I understand the issues with some airports. The point is that is a standard camera allowed to be used during landing according to the EU OPS?

In theory a standard camera should be ok. But legally you are supposed to follow the instructions of the crew. It may help if you talk to the crew in advance.

Actually in a crash it would decpaitate someone, that's the other reason they insist on them not being used and eveything heavy is supposed to be stowed.

SOE is correct, other than the security aspect in some countries, it's a SAFETY issue. Mind you, in my opinion, if the impact is severe enough for a small camera to decapitate someone then it will be severe enough for the heavy overhead bins and their contents (including duty free glass bottles) to come down and maim you too. The problem with some so-called safety issues on aircraft is that they are too selective. CC may rightly ask pax to secure their cameras yet they will ignore overloaded overhead bin issues.

By the way, I have seen a commercial pilot (Captain of a major airline - in uniform) using his camera on landing. Nothing said by CC.

Both Virgin and BA on their safety instruction cards explicitly forbid the use of cameras during takeoff and landing.

From what I recall many airlines in their safety announcements refer to refraining from using "all electronic devices" during take-off and landing. A camera would, presumably, be an electronic device under that rule.

It's quite simple. Just think of it as:

Taxi, Takeoff and Landing (basically when seatbelt sign is on) = ALL electronic devices off

In Cruise (seatbelt sign off) = electronic devices that do not transmit or receive can be used (inc mobiles in flight safe mode)

On a Ryanair flight the other day, Cabin crew challenged someone who took a photo of his friends sat near to him and demanded he delete from his camera. We had not even closed the doors for departure !!!

There then followed an announcment to say that on Ryanair flights no photographs allowed inside aircraft at any time or of the cabin crew. Not come across this one in 35 years of air travel.

Always something new on Ryanair.

It depends, some cameras are entirely mechanical. Most have a small battery, but then so do digital watches.


HT is correct, in any accident severe enough that a small camera would "decapitate" you, you would already be dead. Not "everything heavy" is supposed to be stowed. A large book is much heavier than a lightweight camera, and not only do CC not tell you to stow books before landing, they helpfully make an announcement to tell you about the personal reading light above you so that you can keep reading.

er. Not quite.

You are required to obey the legal commands of the Captain.
Is that command legal? I doubt it.

It is highly unlikely to be "illegal" to use a camera in flight, and if it was it is a matter for the civil authorities in the country in question and nothing to do with the airline unless thay choose to report you. It is even less likely that the cabin crew know local laws in that sort of detail, isn't it?

It may be against the company's Ts and Cs of carriage (doubt that very much) and I'd want to see that in writing before I put my camera away. The only legal aspect is failure to obey etc, and that is nothing to do with a cameras.
It's unlikeky that you'd be held to be in breach of the "captains instructions" if you hadn't had a specific warning to that effect first, particularly for something as trivial as that.

Finally, we are told that the Captain has no legal command over pax until the doors are closed. It may not be as simple as that in reality (declining to carry you for various reasons, but use of a camera cannot be one of those.) but that is the legal position.

Let's see that instruction in writing first anyway, or is it just crew throwing their weight around? I know where my money is.

I witnessed that too on Ryanair some time back. A fellow pax was warned that if he refused to delete his picture the police would be called on landing as it was 'illegal'. I put this down to a grumpy FA but maybe there is more to this?

I've also heard that AA (and possibly some of the other US airlines) prohibit photographs of AA staff (including cabin attendants). Not necessarily for the usual reason (protecting privacy, avoiding stalkers, etc) but to protect their 'procedures'. i.e. they don't want competitors filming their activities with the objective of copying them.

I admit, I heard this some years ago, it may no longer be the case - if it ever was.

Don't forget that if you are using a camera during takeoff and landing, then you are distracted away from the cabin environment. Thus in the event of something serious happening, you are likely to either a) not notice or b) keep using you camera (thinking of the fortune post event) putting yourself and therefore others seated near you at risk, rather than following crew instructions.

Thus, the crew (acting on the Captains authority) are issuing you a lawful, safety related, command.

I wonder if the Ryanair change of policy follows the incident at CIA?

That's right. Once I was on a B747 where the cabin caught fire. Also, both engines on the side I was sitting on fell off together. At the same time, we had an explosive decompression followed by a ditching.

But I was taking pictures so I never noticed a thing and sat there with my camera while everyone else evacuated.

:rolleyes:



Are you SERIOUS? Some of the things they fill the heads of the crew with just amaze me.

Certainly not illegal, I doubt the Police in the UK would bother turning up at all.
"He took a photo of a friend on a commercial flight? Dear God we'll be right there!"

WOW. You must have got some great photos. Care to share them with us?

The use of unauthorised portable electronic devices is explicitly forbidden on New Zealand registered aircraft during safety critical phases of flight. Other countries may word their rules differently, or may not have similar rules at all (although this would surprise me, a cursory search shows that U.S. FAR § 91.21 contains similar restrictions).