Plane Spotters at Sydney - Join In!

[Scott Willis]

Attention Plane Spotter enthusiasts at Sydney Airport!

Do you want to be involved in Airport Watch, an airport safety program designed to utilise the observation skills of plane spotters to report any suspicious activity around the airport perimeter?

The Australian Federal Police will be launching a pilot program at Sydney Airport. While planning for the program is in its early stages, we would like to hear from plane spotters themselves, what they would like to see. Those interested would submit a form (possibly electronically) and be subjected to criminal history checks. Assuming everything is OK, they would be issued some form of ID card which identified them as an Airport Watch member. It is anticipated there would be some sort of fee involved, though it yet to be determined what that might be.

In return, if plane spotters observe suspicious activity around the airport, they would ring 131 AFP to report the matter, or 000 if the matter required immediate police response. In return, as a reward, members may be offered free airside bus tours, simulator flights or airside access to get up close to those planes you want to photograph. Anything is possible, I'm not ruling anything in or out at the moment.

The program has the support of the AFP. Register your interest through this thread, or for more details contact Sgt Scott Willis at the AFP - scott.willis@afp.gov.au.




The AFP has been in contact with the Administration Team from the Sydney Airport Message Board and both parties are currently in discussion to determine the most appropriate forum for future discussions regarding the specifics of the Airport Watch program.

Your involvement and contributions are important and valued, and will be considered during the planning process.
More details will be released soon.

[Sarmad Al-Khozaie]

Hi Scott,

I am intereseted in this pilot program, What is required.

feel free to contact me via Private Messages.

Regards.

[Matt_L]

Scott,

Great news.

I am definitely interested in addition to Sarmad.

Cheers

[BernieL]

Hi Scott,

I think this is a brilliant idea,

[Gerard M]

Will this "card" extend to supplying identification and whether we see anything "suspicious" when we get pulled up at other surrounding airports such as RAAF bases and interstate airports. As i know the people at Canberra sometimes get a bit ancy and the base security at Richmond will usually come over if they see you.
Also, the fee sounds like a reasonable idea but as its only early stages, is it looking at an annual fee or a once off? Any ball park figures?

[Sarah C]

Hi Scott,

Count me in - you can PM if you like.

[Jason H]

Count me in! More info please

[damien b]

Good idea and one that should be incorporated at all major airports. Certainly interested

[Benny Zheng]

I might not be a local but i don't mind helping out and keeping our hobby alive.

[Robbie W]

Sorry, but unless a Plane Spotters membership program is mainly designed to make it easier for the authorities to identify people regularly seen hanging around the perimeter of the airport (ie, spotters) I have several issues with the very concept.

For a start, I see no reason why anyone should pay a fee, no matter how small, just for the privilege of being an extra set of eyes and ears for the AFP, even if it is just to cover the administration costs of the program.

Sure, airport security is no joke, but if there are genuine risks, why not hire more security staff, pay them, and put plenty of extra signs around the airport perimeter fence with the AFP hotline number on it?

Will holding a spotter's membership card make you more 'vigilant' than you might already be? Does it help you in knowing how to (a) identify or (b) handle dangerous and/or deadly people and situations, or is that a job for suitably trained professionals?

Does paid membership come with some sort of training, no matter how basic, or at least some public information sessions on dealing with security risks and "suspicious behaviour", whatever that may be?

The natural enthusiasm spotters have for their pastime is understandable, but we do not want over-zealous spotters causing unnecessary false alarms or, worse, getting themselves into genuinely risky situations on their own.