YGBSM: Airport Photography

[Negative Prist]

I've had two very different experiences with cameras & airplanes in these post-911 United States of America, or as I like to refer to it, the 'Axis of Fear.'

Recently as a paying passenger on United (out of uniform), I took three snapshots inside the cabin with my shiny new digital camera. A few minutes later a Flight Attendant confronted me about it. I smiled, admitted comitting the atrocity, and apologized. All the while I was masking my real thoughts and emotions. With a very stern look on her face, she informed me that it was illegal to take photos inside an airliner in our post-911 world. She made me show her the photos I had taken, but she didn't make me erase them.

A few minutes after that, she returned and apologized to me, stating that she had 'spoken with the Captain' and that it was not illegal to take pictures inside an airliner. Gee!!! Thanks, lady!!!

I pulled out the inflight magazine and read that it was against United Airlines policy 'to take photographs of cabin crewmembers performing their duties.' Or something to that effect. Whatever.

Incident #2 was a few weeks later on the GA ramp at San Jose International. I stood at the edge of the ramp closest to the taxiway and snapped about 20 shots of various Southwest, America West, Northwest aircraft, and one American 777 taking off for Tokyo. During this one-man picture-taking orgy, a San Jose Metro Police Officer in a marked car cruised right past me (this time I was in Uniform) and he didn't even slow down. I had heard stories about folks who have been given 'the business' taking photos outside an airport fence, so I had anticipated some sort of questioning by this gentleman.

You know, I guess it all depends on who the 'authority figure' is in each case, and what they've been told about the law or company policy. I would hope people would use a little common sense when deciding if a situation is actually terrorist related or not. That's what really frightens me about this country today: people without a lick of common sense that are placed in a position of authority or need to make 'national security' decisions.

The media and other parties have created such a culture of fear in this country it's embarrassing. Common sense has given way to a hair trigger, blanket erosion of freedom. Now I can't even take a picture on a God*amn airplane without worrying about some nervous F/A calling the FBI to meet me at the gate upon arrival.

 

[justApilot]

I pulled out the inflight magazine and read that it was against United Airlines policy 'to take photographs of cabin crewmembers performing their duties.' Or something to that effect. Whatever.



This is also true at AA. Whatever.

 

[Clancy]

As I was standing next to a fence by the airplane viewing area watching the president land, I took out my camera and took a couple of photos. I was in uniform (not that it should matter) and an airport cop came up and said "You can't stand so close to the fence". I gracefully retreated, a bit confused and restraining the urge to ask why they don't move the fence back. I guess everyone has to rationalize their paycheck in their own way.

 

[Rick1128]

Overseas it can be VERRRY Interesting. In most parts of the world airports are considered Military installations even if there are no military aircraft based on them. In Angola a few years ago, I watched the Military Police arrest a mechanic for taking pictures of his own aircraft. And you definately do not want to go to the stockade there.

Personally, I believe that law enforcement here is getting way too hooked on their own power. There are no guidelines on photographing around an airport, so airports and officers make up their own rules. Personally, since I would be taking them for airliners.net or some other such website, I think I would start screeming "Freedom of the Press" . If Jeraldo or whatever his name is can do, why can't I?

 

[FN FAL]

I think I would start screeming "Freedom of the Press" . If Jeraldo or whatever his name is can do, why can't I?

Then you can share a prison cell with that one major airline pilot that told the TSA agent he could go up to his plane and get the fire axe and come back and chop off his head.

What ever happened to that ding dong anyway?

 

[flyifrvfr]

In Baltimore there is a park and a bike trail which borders BWI airport. On any given day at anytime you can find bike riders and kids watching the jets land. This park is so close to the approach end of runway 33L that the Airport Facilities Directory warns pilots approaching 33L at night about headlights being confused for runway lights. Granted I'm sure the airline guys would not confuse this area as the runway, But it's in the directory and it is close to the approach. I can stand on the shoulder of the road under the rabbit and have an airliner pass over me at Est 200 feet. People take photos of the airliners all day and are never bothered by the Maryland Transportation Police while doing so. I'm certain of the stories above but it just hasn't happened here. I fly out of a reliever airport in Maryland, Martin State Airport, which is one of the airports Citationkid flies into and we can walk around as we wish anytime and take photo's, look at different aircraft and have never been bothered by security. Although just after September 11th, I was walking around the airport to get some excercise and the Military Police were on patrol. A business jet pilot noticed me walking and asked a MP to find out who I was and ID me. The jet pilot walked over as the MP ID'd me and said he's ok he is a pilot here and the jet pilot replied, " you don't look like a pilot." I replied, " What does a pilot look like and you don't look like you own a business jet." This quickly got him off my case and the MP laughed his ass off. Everytime the MP saw me he would always laugh and say, "you sure you are a pilot because you sure don't look like one." I have not been bothered since .

 

[Jmmccutc]

Being from the KPIT area, (mom and dad live about 10 min away), i will often go sit at the end of RW32 between the approach lighting system and the threshold. i was up there one night this summer and a fella was there taking pictures, but to get a better shot he had a buddy holding a 1,000,000 candlepower spotlight on the nose of plane, he'd spotlight it about half way down the GS and stay on it till the last possible second it went over his head...needless to say a state trooper, came and told him to stop or he'd shoot him or something ( not sure if those exact words, but what ever said worked muy pronto).

see i guess what i'm getting at here is some one like Typhoon, who isn't an idiot, should be allowed to take pictures. on the other had, idiots, should be given deep fryer training, and not be allowed to play with camers, spotlights, gun, and anything else that the TSA loves...

 

[Typhoon1244]

...some one like Typhoon, who isn't an idiot...

You can't be sure of that.

 

[Ailerongirl]

You can't be sure of that.

Yeah...you can't be sure of that at all....

In regards to this thread though, there were plenty of times, even pre 9-11 that I would get chased off of the service road at DFW at night. The only thing that the DFW police could point to, was a 'No Standing' sign that's posted. Of course none of them thought it was funny when I pointed out that we weren't standing, but rather sitting, in our car.....

 

[Jmmccutc]

Of course none of them thought it was funny when I pointed out that we weren't standing, but rather sitting, in our car.....

yeah sure you were... who you trying to fool...

 

[AA717driver]

What the brain-children who do airport security don't understand is that anyone who wants to whip off a Stinger at an airliner probably will also bring a friend with an AK to hose down any curious, recent immigrant, new-hire security officers.

At least we can sleep well knowing the TSA is out there sniffing crewmember's breath to detect drunk pilots...TC

 

[Typhoon1244]

Of course none of them thought it was funny when I pointed out that we weren't standing, but rather sitting, in our car...

Suppose you're lying down in the back seat of your car...does that count?

 

[Dizel8]

Oh geez, now they are going to post "No laying down in the backseat of the car either" sign.

How does that song go: "Signs, signs,everywhere there's signs."

 

[Northern Lights]

Post Road@MSP

<-----Anyone else ever sit at Post Road at MSP? In the old days (Pre mid 90's) you could just pull off into the dirt on the side of the road. Now it's paved with parking for plane watchers, however there is no over night parking.

After they built up the fences and parking lots on the south side of 30L, though the view isn't as good.

 

[jobear]

In MKE and GRR they have great plane spotting areas, In MKE it's on the apparoach end of 19R I think . In GRR they have one on the south side of the field for runways 26L/8R. On nice days both areas are packed with people picnicing or snapping photos of arriving A/C.
I really enjoy seeing the kids out there reminds me of when my dad and I did the same thing.
.......................Rant begins.
As for the vaunted Patriot Act that is one of the biggest lies thrust on the american public since Mc Carthyism in the 1950's. The new federal mandate goes like this Of course their guilty we just haven't figured out what they did yet! but we will dig into them deeper than the church of Scientology to find them guilty of SOMETHING..
......................Rant over

Jo

 

[flyboy]

MCO has a great spotting hangout just north of 18L and 18R and I'm certain it's well within the 300 yard thingy.

 

[ShawnC]

MCO has a great spotting hangout just north of 18L and 18R and I'm certain it's well within the 300 yard thingy.

I think I remember them closing it for Security reasons.

 

[avbug]

Many moons ago when I was instructing full time, I had a night job doing security at an industrial site. Part of my area included a private access road, which had a very large sign stating that it was private property, no loitering, no trespassing, yada, yada.

One night I spotted a car parked just in front of the sign. Occasionally people parked and attempted to climb the fence (for whatever purpose) that surrounded the installation. I shut off my headlights and parked behind their vehicle, and approached the driver side of the car. The windows were fogged over, and the left rear window was missing, and taped-over (a common sign of a stolen auto).

I rapped on the driver window with my flashlight, and the window rolled down a few inches. Inside I saw what must have been a very tired young lady, because she was resting her head in her gentleman-friends lap. I asked them what they were doing there, and they asked me if perhaps it might not be obvious. I asked if they had read the sign. They wiped some of the condensation off the front windscreen and read the sign...and then asked if I knew any better places to go. I suggested the airport. After all, that's where everybody went to engage in interpersonal communication.

Nope, they said. Tried that, got kicked off the field by the policia. Any better ideas? Try the canyon, I said. Everybody who doesn't go to the airport goes to the canyon...

Imagine that. What's this world coming to when one can't procreate at the airport, any more? Ah well, it makes sense. They might be creating a terrorist...

 

[goaliemn]

Re: Post Road@MSP

<-----Anyone else ever sit at Post Road at MSP? In the old days (Pre mid 90's) you could just pull off into the dirt on the side of the road. Now it's paved with parking for plane watchers, however there is no over night parking.

After they built up the fences and parking lots on the south side of 30L, though the view isn't as good.

I loved sitting there. watching the planes go by. I haven't been near there in afew years, but figured with all the building at the SA it probably wasn't there anymore.

*sigh* planespotting used to be fun. Now it makes you a possible terrorist.

 

[Jmmccutc]

just slightly to the left of 32 in KPIT there is a cemetary, and the fence just STOPS, it starts back up on the other side of it, but hmm...don't you think they'd be more worried about that then photographers?

oh hey, Typhoon and Ailerongirl, yes laying down counts as not standing up...and Ailerongirl, if you steam up the windows enough they'll never know you're in there...