Plane Spotters Detained In India

[Ridge Runner]

Its all about discretion. Keep it as a hobby and be sensible. Scanners+cameras+bins+asking for a runway view will always raise suspicion! I've been around the world and photographed in many places - Libya, India, Greece, Russia, South America, etc - and only been stopped once.... in Israel!!!! Luckily with a little foresight I had a sketch of a bird in my note book and I said that I was bird watching.... I returned to my hotel and then on to the UK! And the poster who mentioned the US..... who'd want to go to the US these days anyway? RR

[High-higher]

Is there some sort of list to specify which countries you are legally allowed to use scanners and those you are not? I was amazed to read this story.

[Ifield Lad]

Regarding taking photos on the apron/ramp, I seem to remember late 60's/70's always having our photos taken as we disembarked at Palma, Alicante, etc. Maybe the camera technology was so different then that there was no danger!!

[astir 8]

Isn't listening to aeronautical messages still (in theory at any rate) illegal in the UK?

[champair79]

yes it is, but it's one of those unwritten rules where the police turn a blind eye unless you are deemed suspicious.

I'm living in Turkey and got busted last weekend for doing it actually. I was near the fence waiting for my friends plane to take off. Security guard moved me on so I went across the road into a car park and watched from there. The b*stard still sent two police vans after me when I walked past him 10 mins later on the way home. Luckily the cops were ok with me when I explained I'd only taken 2 pictures and it didn't include any of the airport - just the plane and that it was my friend on it. I won't be going back there again in a hurry. I'd rather planespot from my balcony

[swr_e007]

It worries me a little when contributors to this thread imply they were asking for trouble.

Things is, I work in IT and fly a lot to visit customers. So... I always carry a laptop and often stay in hotels at or near airports (just because it is easiest to catch the 5am flight next morning... or fall into bed after a 2am arrival...) I'm interested in birds (feathered ones) so often carry some binoculars and yes I enjoy photography too, so might well have a camera with me.

Ironically, I'm not a plane spotter... although I might have a casual look if the runway is in view.

But should a suitably suspicious cleaning lady from the hotel be sniffing around in my room then could I expect to find myself in the same boat? Or prison cell?

Personally, if I was a terrorist plotting to shoot down an airliner or something - I think I might keep my surveillance equipment out of sight and be careful not to raise suspicion. Frequently, people who appear to be 'suspicious' only do so because they aren't trying to hide anything... because they have nothing to hide.

Alas... if only it were so easy to spot terrorists. The professionals find it hard enough - amateurs tend to just harass innocent people.

[Groundloop]

swr, your naivety is astounding! There are some countries that are absolutely paranoid about security (the UK seems to be going that way!). Logic simply does not enter into the equation in these countries.

[Gulf4uk]

Groundloop is correct in UK now even using or looking as though
you are going to use a camera will likely get you stopped and
Even Arrested .you dont have to be anywhere near an Airport
taking Pictures of anything is fair game to the police . They
were sent Letters to knock this stupidity off but well you know.
Most airports where spotters gather now have ID scheemes
Farnborough Has AIRPORT WATCH as good some ideas are
all this seems over the top and makes more paper work
something the police Moan about FORM FILLING but they seem
to Love handing out pieces of Paper .
The thing is if somone calls police about anything SUS they are
obliged to act but it often goes over the top.

TONY
Farnborough

[Avman]

in UK now even using or looking as though
you are going to use a camera will likely get you stopped and
Even Arrested

Strange, I enjoy photographing civil aviation and have never had any problems in the UK. Yes, I have often been approached by police for an I/D check and I have no problem with that whatsoever. Maybe some of you are getting confused with airfields which always had a certain amount of "security" even prior to 911. More of a privacy issue than a pure terrorist one I think.

[Ridge Runner]

Many if not most of the contributors here are looking at this with a UK/European pair of eyes (Greece, Sebia, etc excepted). In most parts of the world people are ignorant of many things, naive, nervous, ill-informed, and sometimes poor. They think differently and act accordingly. THey are driven by different things. What they do is not necessarily wrong, its just different. If you want to venture out in to that world you get on much much better by understanding them and then acting around that or, ideally, with that.

I've been a spotter since the late 60s, albeit my interest wained after the introduction of noise limitations and the gradual retirement of classic types like the F-104, the IL-18, the Connie, etc, but I've never had a problem, save one occasion when I knew I was doing wrong - in Israel! I travel a lot for work and the above priciples always work, whatever you are doing.

RR

[SloppyJoe]

What a load of rubbish saying that a camera could start a fire if used to take a picture of an aircraft. If this really is a rule then yes the rule should be rewritten. What about all the cars driving around? What about all the radios people are using, what about all the mobiles, what about the big jet engines? Seriously if they have a rule they should come up with a better reason for it.