Photography "Harassment" at airports

[Airport-Data]

I guess that list pretty much covers all the US law enforcement forces?

[John Little]

Hi Michael,

I guess that is what they call getting the "full" treatment. I would think after all of the background checks and the other contacts, you should be able to actually get onto the airport now.....<g>

I am not sure how this got to the level it has.

Yes we all know about 9-11, and it was a horrendous day for the US, we also know about some of the other stupid stunts people have done to try and disrupt air travel and interfere with the flight crews on board airplanes, but we are a fixed item, we are on the ground taking pictures, and we are in plain view, and in no way trying to "hide" what we are doing.

The European airports seem to "accomodate" their airplane picture takers by giving them an area to carry out the hobby. This actually gives the airport and the police some comfort in that they have folks in one area.

If the individuals at the US Airports would be as accomodating, I would have no issue with badging or background checks to be in these areas if that would give us a really great palce to take the pictures.

I hope that we are not moving closer to losing our Republic (I love that word, and if you are over 45 years old you will understand it's use).

[Michael Martin]

I wish there was some kind of "case" number that I could give the law enforcement personnel so they could just go "OK" and let me go. No matter where I take photo's from, and it's ALWAYS in plain view of everyone, I always get a visit. In order to keep my hobby going, I'm seriously considering purchasing a building near ATL and then I would be on my own property and, hopefully, there wouldn't be anything they could say to me! Yeah, right!

[John Little]

The idea of purchasing might be a bit steep, but what you could do is see if you can "rent" a small office or space near the field.

In fact I have even considered seeing if I could sub-rent space from one of the folks that owns hangers at the General Aviation field here. There are a number of private hangers that have office spaces in them. I would get badged, supply my insurence information, and carry on with my picture taking.

For Commercial Airports, with so many office building immediately adjacent to the fields, you might be able to sub-rent for very few dollars a month just for the opportunity to take the pictures. They may even have roof access so that you can look right over the field.

I don't have any good answers for all of this, but there should be a middle ground that everyone could agree on this issue.

While, I personnaly don't think I should have to "register" with everyone and their brother to go about my "hobby", I guess if I had to, I would not lose a lot of sleep over the process.

[Florida Metal]

I never had a problem at ATL when I was there surprisingly.

I had a 3 hour layover at ATL, so I went to the north end of concourse C and pulled out the telephoto and started taking pictures and no one said a thing. I also shot from the garage.

Now my home town airport MCO (Orlando) is pretty bad. I got busted on property a couple of times - once back in 2004 and I didn't have a camera, I was just watching planes - they just chased me out.

However this past February, a fellow spotter and I were on airport property taking pictures when a guy came out from one of the cargo buildings and warned us that if Ops caught us we could get in trouble. We thanked him for the warning, and decided we should leave after we took a picture of a "dime a dozen" Air Tran 717s landing. That was stupid because we probably could have got out fine. However 3 Ops vehicles suddenly surrounded us and took our I.D.s. Fortunately they were cool and professional about it, however they were also firm never to be caught on property again spotting. You can get special permission to spot at MCO they said, but they put you on the garage roof for that. You can get good pictures of planes at Airside 1 gates, but for any operations you would need at least a 400 mm telephoto. I was careful to get out of there because at the time I had applied for various operations positions at the airport and I didn't want to ruin my career. Fortunately that didn't stop them from hiring me because I start work with Landside operations soon at MCO.

Fortunately, my new apartment is in the approach for Runways 18L and 18R at MCO, and I live 3 miles north. My 300mm is sufficient enough to get good afternoon pictures in front of my apartment of the planes arriving, although 18R is practically a belly shot. I have parking lots down the street also I can get from as well as morning shots from a nearby park where no one bothers me.


DTW (Detroit) - This is a place where I have been bothered at times, and left alone at others. This was my old hometown airport.

When I was a kid, there was an unofficial spotting location called "Checkpoint 6" at DTW. It was right at the approach for what is now Runway 22L (then 21R). This was the best runway because it is 12,000 ft so all international stuff operated on it. It wasn't an official spotting location, but on weekends there would be 20-30 cars there with people watching planes and the cops would only come by to make sure no one was boozing it up or smoking joints (It got really popular after the Wayne's World movie - where Wayne and Garth were sitting at the airport watching planes land).

In 1996 it was closed and grassed over. People parked at the approach on the shoulder, but it wasn't long before the cops would come by and chase you away. I used to be able to park along the shoulder around the perimeter of the airport with no problems, but the cops around 1996 started chasing people away - possibly due to the then DTW direct to PEK route that was started, I believe then was the first U.S. route to mainland China on an American carrier. Also, this was shortly after TWA 800 expliosion, plus the fact that the Detroit area has the largest Muslim population in the U.S. got people all paranoid.

Since then its been here and there at DTW.

I got chased away off property near DTW by the police, but the week before I took pictures from the parking garage for 4 hours on prperty with no one bothering me.

Another time I was off property, some "Git Er Dun" type driving his pickup withthe giant American flag in the window and Bush/Cheney 2004 stickers still on it drives by me with a funny look on his face, makes a U turn and drives over to where a parked cop car is and the next thing I know the cop is questioning me. The cop was pretty cool, just checked my ID, saw I was no threat and told me I was ok there.

[Michael Martin]

I've found that when I'm on the "other side" of the security checkpoints, you are free to just about do as will! I've shot pictures from the windows without anyone approaching me. I guess they figure if you have made it past the checkpoint, you are harmless?

[Florida Metal]

On 3 different occassions at ATL I took pictures from the windows at the terminal and had no problems. One time at the food court I think in B, and the other two times on the north end of C where there are windows that face the runway. The first two times I had a little harmless looking point and shoot camera, the 3rd time I had my canon with telephoto. None of the 3 times though did anyone approach me or even look at me weird despite the ominous "Please report any suspicious activity to your nearest law enforcement officer" playing over the loud speaker every 5 minutes.

[Michael Mannschreck]

once at john wayn airport as i was walking out taking pictures of airplanes they sayed you cant take pictures of the planes ...... like ok by the Time i got to the office on the way to the taxi i took 12 pictures which are posted now on my user name here one is that Cessna Twin and that Bizzz jet picture lol

[Florida Metal]

Those of you who know me on airliners.net under the name NASCARAirforce are pretty used to the rants about Homeland Security and the current administration in charge.

Now I can understand TSA, police, operations worrying about people taking pictures near perimeter fences and right at airports due to the worry that SIDA areas may be studied thru pictures for access.

What I don't understand is some of the off property harassment I have gotten.

Now in Orlando, I have not had problems off property as I have taken a lot of my pictures using a telephoto from parks and parking lots at least a mile away from MCO, however due to past experiences if I see a cop come by even in the parking lot I usually hide the camera since I just don't want to be questioned by cops.

You also need to look out for the "Git er dun" types that got heavilly brainwashed post 9-11 and are very paranoid and they will be more than happy to squeal on you because they think that they are serving their country by doing so.

Twice up near DTW I had them squeal me out to the police for having a camera - one time the cop was cool and let me keep taking pictures, the other time the cop chased me out, both times I was off airport property.

I have nothing to hide and I am all for their being a badge for aircraft spotters. Basically you would do a similar type background check that you do when you get a job at the airport and you would be issued a photo id with your picture on it and I would be willing to pay for it. With the badge, you could then go to legal public areas ie parking lots, garages etc and take photos all you want. If a cop questions you, you show him the badge and they leave you alone.

[Guy Pambrun]

[lijk604]

Up in NY area....

LGA - Planeview Park is right across the airport and great shots can be had from there, I will post some tonight when I get home. (I just found this site today, believe it or not). Never a hassle, every now & then a cop will roll by and ask what's up. We tell them what we are doing and they wish us a nice day.

JFK - All depends where you are, there are so many possible spotting locations, and they are all off-site. Most, again, just check you out and ask what you are doing, only once have I been asked to kindly move on. Although I was in a public parking lot, there was no reason to push my luck and jeopardize future spotting/photography trips.

EWR - I have never been there, because of all the nightmares I have heard from friends who have tried it. It's not worth the drive to me to be harrassed like that. Kinda similar to the ATL stories.

FRG - Hardly ever an issue, probably as there is no commercial traffic.

ISP - I was in a public parking lot about a mile from the airport taking shots. I was there maybe 30 mins. as the traffic here is slow. Two weeks later, I get visited at home by the Suffolk County detectives wondering what I was doing and why. My enthusiasm took over, and he could see I was harmless, and gave me the "Just gotta check it out" speech, but it was an interesting visit none the less.

That's my contribution...not a bad first post, huh?

[John Little]

DIA - I made a casual inquiry about taking amatuer pictures there, and while the young lady was pleasent she was resolute.....there is only one area where you could park and pay, and that is on the 3rd Parking Garage Level at the concourse. The problem is 17 L and R are over 1.5 miles away, and the other three you cannot see because of thesilly Tent they decided to put over the terminal.

KBJC - No Issues as long as you are not taking pictures of the FBO areas, and there is plenty of places to go to, and most only have 4'-0" high fences

KFTG - Totally open, and the folks out there are always coming up to me and giving me email addresses because they would like a picture for their desktops at work (this includes some pretty high level executives for local companies)

Tri-County- There is plenty of off field places to get pictures here, and they do get busy on the weekends. But if you are approached by an officer for the county, be for warned that they will push you along, even if your in the right.

Ft Collins - Plenty of areas off field with good views....never had a hassle there ,but the parking lots to the East are privately owned and they don't go in there very often.


I still think the DHS, and TSA are missing the point in all of this. They want us all to be on the watch for strange activity. I do not hide my picture taking from anybody, so what better person to have on their side.

I see something unusual, I take a picture, and if they want it, great, we get rid of a few more goof balls and fanatics.

Unfortunately it is typical for the US Government to overlook the best free security they can get.....and more frustrating is the fact that the European and Soviet Airports are becomming more open to amatuer photographers.

[lijk604]

[Michael Mannschreck]

on my trip to mexico which i just got home from they told me dont take pictures at one of the fields .... the others didnt mind a La paz inlt kind of dumb if you cant take pictures at some airports

[Walter Steed]