Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

Please be careful on your travels

Post Reply
GOOSE

Please be careful on your travels

Post by GOOSE » Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:15 pm

Ladies and Gents, not all overseas authorities understand our hobby.

Photography and the taking of serials is very often misunderstood.

Please be careful on your travels. :)

MacksAviation
Posts: 3005
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:01 pm
Location: EGVN on 07 Approach
Contact:

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by MacksAviation » Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:50 pm

Is there a reason for so many reminders Goose ?
Has something gone down I've not heard about ??
Or are you just being public spirited tonight because its so quite :P

User avatar
T_J
Posts: 4301
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:32 pm
Location: Lincs

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by T_J » Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:07 pm

A British citizen, Julian Swift, was recently arrested in South Africa.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/C ... ?id=131146" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TJ

MacksAviation
Posts: 3005
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:01 pm
Location: EGVN on 07 Approach
Contact:

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by MacksAviation » Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:19 pm

Ahh thanks TJ

Stay in the UK or The Netherlands your pretty safe in both when using a scanner and/or photographing aircraft :P

GOOSE

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by GOOSE » Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:34 pm

One post in Europe, one in Rest of the World. :)

But you know me, like to help people out where I can........... :P

User avatar
T_J
Posts: 4301
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:32 pm
Location: Lincs

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by T_J » Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:30 pm

No problem, Mack.

TJ

POL
Posts: 16717
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:26 pm

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by POL » Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:33 am

Remember, Turkey aren't too keen on spotters. If you decide to visit a couple of bases on the way to Izmir, chances are you'll be shot. Or arrested, which is probably worse...

Northsky
Posts: 572
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 10:35 am

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by Northsky » Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:05 pm

Maybe we should compile a list of countries that have arrested spotters ?

Europe Greece Turkey France occasionally i saw someone taken away at CDG with a radio he did not return for the rest of the day Russia ? confiscation of lists by zealous officials at Zhukovsky show.

Any more offers ?

Dave

DanSeaman
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 9:28 pm

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by DanSeaman » Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:56 pm

Greek Air Force Bases or civilian bases when there are military present are very strict! I know this from eight visits to Greece! So it's not a moan it's just advising to check before you go!

User avatar
Mictheslik
AeroResource Correspondent
Posts: 818
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:21 pm

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by Mictheslik » Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:16 pm

Even if the country is OK with you being there and taking photos, scanners are almost always a bad idea.....it always amazes me when stories like that crop up....probably wouldn't be in court if he hadn't been using a scanner....

.mic

User avatar
sschofield
Posts: 1507
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:06 pm
Location: Macclesfield, Cheshire

Re: Please be careful on your travels

Post by sschofield » Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:39 pm

Oddly enough we (a group of 4 seasoned spotters) got substantially jostled at Coleman Barracks in Germany late last year.

For those that know the area, we had just arrived on the track next to the fence (the one with lots of handy pole-sized holes all the way along!), parked away from the fence and were just getting stuck into reading off the UH-60s when a pick-up truck approached at speed. Out leapt 2 civilian security guards, who demanded to know what we were doing. We explained we were serial spotters, whereupon the female security gaurd gasped and said "But zis is verboden in Germany". I laughed (bad idea!) and said "Why? It's only the American Army", to which she repeated "It is NOT ALLOWED!" OK, OK, we get the idea. She then radioed in German, and then asked to see passports, which were duly produced.

10 minutes or so later an American MP arrived, and we repeated the process. He took our passports and radioed the details in. After around 20 minutes he asked to see our log, which I gave him. He said he needed to keep it, which we said was fine (numerous copies had already been stored in our brains for later use!), and he then radioed for the local Polizei, who arrived around 20 minutes later. When they arrived, we went through the process AGAIN, after which the Polizei Sergeant (or whatever they are in Germany!) made it quite clear to both the security guys AND the MP the he thought they had wasted his time, and that we were free to go. All very well, but around an hour and a half wasted, and our return flight from Hahn (look it up on a map, it's a fair distance!) was starting to look a little less likely!

You live and learn I guess!

Stuart

Post Reply

Return to “Europe”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests