Are there any rules on taking photos from the tarmac when walking on the tarmac to your plane? I have flown numerous props and CRJs without a jetway which require walking on the tarmac.

I snapped a photo heading onto a CRJ on SkyWest for a flight to SLC from YVR. I was once warned in CVG. Are there any formal rules or is it just airline by airline?

I have taken several pics inside airports, too, and never had anyone say anything. You can visit my website (see profile for address) to view if interested.

Any help would be appreciated.

DAN

Strange, by who you have been warned? I believe somebody who thinks he is important more than he actually is... as is often the case.

It was a member of the ground crew at CVG working for Comair before I boarded a flight to CAK on one of their CRJs....you are probably right! However, I am not sure if there are rules, regulations, etc. and just want to make sure before the next time I have the opportunity. No one said anything to me in ATL or YVR when I did it, nor when I did it at CAK.

Just some Comair employee on his high horse

Andrew

There could have been any number of reasons why he stopped you. Unlike others, don't just assume that he was trying to be 'more important' than he is. Also different airports have different rules.

I've never heard of any specific rules against taking pictures while walking to your plane...seems like that may have been an isolated incident hopefully. Maybe he was just in a hurry to get the plane loaded or something. As long as you are walking as you take the pictures and not holding up the line or something there shouldn't be anything wrong with taking pictures there.

Well in Argentina i know you cannot... in Trelew i was walking to our AR 737-200 to Buenos Aires AEP, stopped to take a picture and a guard with a machine gun suggested i put away the camera and move on... Same thing in Tanzania getting on an Air Kenya DeHavillian DHC-6 at JRO to Nairobi-Wilson...

TWA902

I do not see why there should be a problem as long as you are taking a photo from where you are boarding. I can understand them having a problem if you were to start wandering around the tarmac.
If in doubt ask the airline staff and/or the ground crew.

Quoting Pogo (Reply 7): I do not see why there should be a problem as long as you are taking a photo from where you are boarding. I can understand them having a problem if you were to start wandering around the tarmac.

It doesn't matter what seems logical, some places for what ever don't allow/want it. I was just in Almaty(Alma Aty) Kz. and you could not take pictures IN the terminal, ON the ramp or anywhere else. All my pictures were made once I was on the plane.

On the note of taking photos in places, are there any problems in planes when taking full cabin shots in flight? Like should I ask a flight attendent for permission, or should I be fine as long as I'm not interfering?

Quoting PDXtriple7 (Reply 9): should I ask a flight attendent for permission

Like I said before, if in doubt ask, if you are polite to them they will be polite back, ask if you can photograph the cockpit? the worst thing they can do is say no.

In January 2003 I was about to board my AM flight back to Mexico from Paris CDG. We had to exit one of the gates, walk down some stairs and then take a bus that would take us to the AM 767. So, while walking down the stairs outside of the gate, I saw an AF Concorde being pushed back and I quickly took my camera but at the same time some security guy saw me and told me not to take any picture...that was the first only time I was so close to an "active" Concorde. Later that year I was able to take a picture of a Concorde but parked at Le Bourget Air Show just after they were grounded. Not the same feeling.  

Also, In all mexican airports is strictly prohibited to take any picture of the planes from inside the terminal, from the apron or from any part...don't ask me why because I have been trying to find the legal reason, but apparently only the police officers know  

I agree, if in doubt ask. The only question I have though is why do some people consider taking pics of airplanes a security threat? I was living in Germany at the time of 9/11 and for the months after everytime I bought an aviation related magazine I got some pretty interesting looks and questions asked like "what my interest is in this subject?"

Can someone please explain to me why someone could think that taking pics of an aviation, especially from inside an airport is deemed "suspicious and a security threat"?

Some officals view it as a threat because you might be scoping out the layout of the terminal and seeing what kind of activity is going on. It can give you an idea of how to get around security.

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 12): Can someone please explain to me why someone could think that taking pics of an aviation, especially from inside an airport is deemed "suspicious and a security threat"?

It's not so much about preventing people from taking pictures of planes, but rather pictures of the airport operations.

Quoting Speedbird2155 (Reply 14): but rather pictures of the airport operations

Thats what I was trying to say   

Well,some two weeks ago I was in BRC and right after we left the airplane, an AR MD 80, I started taking pictures.I took as many as I wanted and nobody told me anything.So I went inside the terminal to reach my friends that were waiting for me, and found them waiting fir the luggage, so I decided to go back and take some more pictures.Right after that an officer or wathever came over to me and told me that I wasn't allowed to do that.So my guess is that as long as you snap while you leave the ac even if it takes you half on hour, is ok.But you can't specially go to the tarmac to snap.Just don't find any logic reason for this.

Mike.

Quoting AR1300 (Reply 16): So my guess is that as long as you snap while you leave the ac even if it takes you half on hour, is ok

Your guess would be wrong....no airport worker should allow passengers to stand around taking pictures on the tarmac for an extended period. If you manage to get a few quick pics....which some airports will allow...then fine. However the tarmac can be a dangerous place and unless passengers are boarding or deboarding an aircraft, which means just a brief period on the tarmac, then they should not be out there.

My guess would be that what the security officer was trying to tell you was that you weren't allowed to go back out on the tarmac, if as your post suggests, that is what you were attempting to do.

Out here its clear.
No pics on Tarmac.
Only pics from Inside Terminal Building.
And from inside the Aircraft by Scheduled pax during T/O,Cruise,Ldg.Except at defense Airfields.
regds
MEL

Quoting Speedbird2155 (Reply 17): the tarmac can be a dangerous place and unless passengers are boarding or deboarding an aircraft, which means just a brief period on the tarmac, then they should not be out there.

I think thats how most ramp employees feel. Getting off on the UA Express ramp in ORD they like to keep people moving to the terminal. Besides being dangerous, the tarmac is a secure area. Ramp employees want to keep you moving to the terminal (or to the aircraft) because the ramp really isnt a place for passengers anymore.

If you ask, however, you'll sometimes find that they dont care if you take a quick shot. If you're going to take a photo I think they just like to know what is going on.

pilottim747

At MAD I board a lot of planes useing the tarmac. I have never been told not to take photos. People see my taking photos and smile. I have even layed down on the tarmac and taken photos! On saturday I am flying MAD-BCN-Nice and I think on all of those flights I will be boarding and deplaneing on the tarmac. I have never flown into BCN or Nice and look forward to seeing what I can take photos of!

We've had several threads mentioning A.netters questioned about cameras they were using both inflight and on the ground in the US. I've asked local airport police and TSA officials if they had specific rules against it. No one would show me any nor quote from one. One cop I've known for years said as much as their is no hard and fast rule. It's just that "suspicious behavior can be cause for questioning". Now I interpret that as meaning it may depend on whom is doing what and how "suspicious" is determined. Would a dark and swarthy photographer be questioned before a pale skinned blond? Possibly. Is it ambiguous on purpose? Of course.

This is not saying to do anything anywhere but in US but next time it happens to you and you have some spare time ask the questioner to show you specifically what it is your doing wrong and quote the rule you are breaking. Especially some "sky marshall" giving you a hard time about inflight photos. Bare in mind I've had film confiscated in Cambodia for shooting an anthill near an airport, Syria, India, Iran for photographing a guard photographing me. Rwanda and Uganda for having a camera, but in the US or Russia, never a problem. Just ask them what your doing wrong and to prove it.

In COS folks like to snap shots of Pikes Peak and such, props and CRJ's alike not using Jetways, yes you can take shots.

As far as in the airport? I was in LAX changing a disc in my digital camera and a Police Officer came up and said " you don't plan on taking pictures in here do you?" I said no, he said good, it wasn't allowed.

UAL 777 CONTRAIL

I was just in Almaty(Alma Aty) Kz. and you could not take pictures IN the terminal, ON the ramp or anywhere else. All my pictures were made once I was on the plane.


Sorry i just couldnt resist posting this one, i took it in December last year when i departed Almaty.