As an ex Commercial Pilot and keen aviation photographer I decided to drop onto Emerald airport and take some pics. Bad idea!
Any parking to stop for a moment is non-existent. There was a small parking bay with a secure entry gate for services vehicles. I pulled into the said and started toward the security bloke at the gate. Before i spoke he said "Get back in your car and leave right now...RIGHT NOW"
I said I just wanted to put my lens through the fence and take a couple of shots of a plane on the ramp. He interrupted me and said "Get in your car and leave right now" again.
I flipped him the bird, and thought there might be a gap near the end of the terminal but found parking barriers and only a small space to turn around.
Next another Gestapo thug knocks on window and went into a tirade about parking limitations, when he finally calmed down he said I was a serious security breach because:
I was using multiple types of professional photo equipment in a high security area.
By asking where there were access points to take photos I was looking for security access.
It is illegal to be on an airport for any reason other than to board or exit a flight, or be a legitimate employee or contractor.
So I went over the road near the end of the runway and did my thing, two of those turkeys watching through bonoculars the whole time.
WOW! Just WOW!
Warren-Pat_01 said
03:28 PM Apr 3, 2021
G'day Kevin,
When I worked in Darwin in the very early 70s, a Galaxy (then the largest US Airforce cargo plane) landed. A friend who was a DCA tech said they had to remove the navigation aids (posts) as the wings were too wide. He said it was visible from "down the road". So instead of sleeping that afternoon (was on night shift), I drove down, found the plane & put my 400mm lens on the camera & snapped off some pictures.
My friend had taken pictures from work & in those days we had to send them away for processing. He rarely had those photos returned. Kodak must have had a "hit list"!
Bicyclecamper said
05:28 PM Apr 3, 2021
I have some good Still pics, from inside a Starlifter, for 2 trips to Butterworth, and maybe 30 pics of a C130, on a similar trip, to same place. I was on the job all 3 times.
bgt said
06:34 PM Apr 3, 2021
As long as you are on public land you can snap away. BUT. But there are some exceptions. Anything with a commercial logo etc can't be photographed. But there are also many other exceptions such as in a National Park. But it's not that simple either.
Greg 1 said
07:47 PM Apr 3, 2021
So what's so special about Emerald airport that they have that level of security?
Does it handle military aircraft or something?
I quite often wander about the minor airfields in WA for one reason or another.
Whilst I hold a pilots license, no one ever asks to see it or ask my business.
Snippy said
10:04 PM Apr 3, 2021
Greg 1 wrote:
So what's so special about Emerald airport that they have that level of security? Does it handle military aircraft or something? I quite often wander about the minor airfields in WA for one reason or another. Whilst I hold a pilots license, no one ever asks to see it or ask my business.
Pilots licence allows you to go airside if you have reason to do so.
Finding a lot of regional airports are locked up real tight.
Airports are commonwealth property and as such are ruled by Federal jurisdiction with particular regard to terrorism and the like.
I have no problem with what happened, I just think a little diplomacy would be the go.
Whenarewethere said
06:28 AM Apr 4, 2021
So as an example the Government privatised Sydney airport, run by Macquarie Bank, then politicians get jobs there when they leave politics.
& a camera is in issue. Really!
Mike Harding said
07:35 AM Apr 4, 2021
Give some people a uniform....
Incidentally; how does one differentiate professional photographic equipment from amateur photographic equipment are they different colours?
rgren2 said
07:58 AM Apr 4, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
Give some people a uniform....
Incidentally; how does one differentiate professional photographic equipment from amateur photographic equipment are they different colours?
Probably cameras vs phone.
Snippy said
08:32 AM Apr 4, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
Give some people a uniform....
Incidentally; how does one differentiate professional photographic equipment from amateur photographic equipment are they different colours?
I guess it depends on that individual's perception. For their purposes, a long telephoto lens would make the grade.
bgt said
08:36 AM Apr 4, 2021
Professional are big and black. The rest of us just have smaller ones. Sorry Canon folks!
Izabarack said
09:45 AM Apr 4, 2021
Few years ago, standing at the fence around the strip of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (Yes, of Top Gun fame) and the fence had holes in it so you could poke the camera lens through for an uninterrupted photo of the aircraft.
Whenarewethere said
09:48 AM Apr 4, 2021
You can get far better photos with a telephoto lens on a mobile phone.
As an ex Commercial Pilot and keen aviation photographer I decided to drop onto Emerald airport and take some pics. Bad idea!
Any parking to stop for a moment is non-existent. There was a small parking bay with a secure entry gate for services vehicles. I pulled into the said and started toward the security bloke at the gate. Before i spoke he said "Get back in your car and leave right now...RIGHT NOW"
I said I just wanted to put my lens through the fence and take a couple of shots of a plane on the ramp. He interrupted me and said "Get in your car and leave right now" again.
I flipped him the bird, and thought there might be a gap near the end of the terminal but found parking barriers and only a small space to turn around.
Next another Gestapo thug knocks on window and went into a tirade about parking limitations, when he finally calmed down he said I was a serious security breach because:
So I went over the road near the end of the runway and did my thing, two of those turkeys watching through bonoculars the whole time.
WOW! Just WOW!
When I worked in Darwin in the very early 70s, a Galaxy (then the largest US Airforce cargo plane) landed. A friend who was a DCA tech said they had to remove the navigation aids (posts) as the wings were too wide. He said it was visible from "down the road". So instead of sleeping that afternoon (was on night shift), I drove down, found the plane & put my 400mm lens on the camera & snapped off some pictures.
My friend had taken pictures from work & in those days we had to send them away for processing. He rarely had those photos returned. Kodak must have had a "hit list"!
Pilots licence allows you to go airside if you have reason to do so.
Finding a lot of regional airports are locked up real tight.
Airports are commonwealth property and as such are ruled by Federal jurisdiction with particular regard to terrorism and the like.
I have no problem with what happened, I just think a little diplomacy would be the go.
So as an example the Government privatised Sydney airport, run by Macquarie Bank, then politicians get jobs there when they leave politics.
& a camera is in issue. Really!
Give some people a uniform....
Incidentally; how does one differentiate professional photographic equipment from amateur photographic equipment are they different colours?
Probably cameras vs phone.
I guess it depends on that individual's perception. For their purposes, a long telephoto lens would make the grade.
Few years ago, standing at the fence around the strip of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (Yes, of Top Gun fame) and the fence had holes in it so you could poke the camera lens through for an uninterrupted photo of the aircraft.
You can get far better photos with a telephoto lens on a mobile phone.
That's a VERY bulky Mobile Phone!
)