Photographing Planes at Bankstown PROHIBITED

[damian f]

All,

If you have read Thread 1 about YSSY - I also sent a letter to Bankstown Airport about taking pictures of planes and got worse news...

According to BAL, taking photos of any plane from any place at or around the airport is now PROHIBITED following BAL receiving a memo from the 'Office of Transport Security' to discourage and halt such practices.

Even if you take a punt and remain behind the fence, and you are seen and reported to BAL, you will be asked to leave. Further action with State Police may even proceed.

There goes my wonderful afternoon of spotting at Bankstown!!! Doh

Again, interested to hear opinion about this...

Damian

[Nigel C]

I'm not going to say the Office of Transport Security ruling is right or wrong, but I will say that there is a proportion of those who have airside access who use their ASIC for purposes beyond its legal use. It is not BAL's choice to enforce that ruling, so any grieveances one might have should not be directed at their staff.


However in light of the official memo, perhaps if it is enforced then those who do abuse the ASIC's conditions of issue might find themselves missing a lot more than just photography...


Personally don't see there being a problem with photographing from outside of the fence as long as no damage to airport property occurs and that all security clearances are met with regards to the existing fence line.

Regards

[Craig Murray]

Does anyone have any intel on whether spotting is permitted at Bankstown yet?

[Brenden S]

There are 12ft high razor fences around the whole airport with German Shepherds patrolling for Nikon and Canon cameras.

[Robbie J]

If you're using a long telephoto lens (and spotters always do) and if you're half a mile away from the airport or its perimeter fence, I'm wondering how BAL could patrol or monitor this?

I guess it just depends how close to the action you like to be when taking photos...