Aeronautical monitoring

[STEVIE39]

Listening on on aircraft movements on a scanner around your area on VHF can be addictive and I for one have been doing it for over 20 years. There are some groups who take photo's of aircraft as well. They often join forums to exchange their finds as have discussions just like this one on radio communications.

On my local news TV today there was a segment about how two hobbyists were arrested in an airport hotel for doing just this in India. The TV showed them being manhandled through a crowd of angry Indians to a police station. They have been charged with....wait for it....espionage!!!

The segment also showed another group of hobbyists who at some previous time, left Britain and went to Greece to listen in on their flights and were arrested and put in jail for 6 weeks.


Now it appears that we have PIPs (people in power) who perceive that this hobby is dangerous and have made scanning illegal.

Obviously the Greeks and the Indians think so.

I would like to have some feedback on this topic. Are there other places on this planet that have similar legislation against such activities?

BTW it would be unwise to India or Greece with a scanner in your case!!

 

[pathalogical]

I like listening to the airbands too, from the comfort of my home. Our major airport (YYZ) has many people on any given day watching planes with or without scanner and cameras. Some have ventured too close or in an unauthorized area and have been met by police. Wheather they were arrested or not, I don't know. It is no surprise that the hobbiest were arrested in India, I imagine that scanning and taking pics of planes is not a common hobby there. India has had more than it's fair share of terrorist attacks and anything that could involve planes would be considered highly suspicious.

Canada, US and Australia seem to be the most scanner friendly countries. Travelling to Russia or China ??? Imagine getting caught with one there !!! Just leave your scanner at home. Check the forums, there are some post here about scanning in Asia, other than a shortwave radio, anything that can receive radio comms is a pretty much a no-no !

 

[kcoleman]

I don't know for sure, but maybe in Korea it is illegal as well! The reason I say this... I work for a Korean owned company, and we have several Koreans employed here. One of their first questions when they understand the radio I have is listening to police, fire, & aviation..... "Is that legal?"

I take it by their question alone that scanning in Korea would be against the law.

Best Regards,
Keith

 

[N0IU]

Considering the fact that Al Quada seems to like using commercial airlines to carry out their attacks on civilian targets, many things we used to take for granted around airports are no longer possible.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The United States and Canada are the only places where scanning of any "official" communications is permitted, as far as I know (maybe Australia, too). No other countries allow scanning of governmental communications (police, fire, etc.). The UK allows scanning of marine and aviation channels, but nothing else.

Like many people, the Brits in question assumed that things would be just like home in the rest of the world. This might not seem an unreasonable proposition for an English person visiting India, one of the UK's former colonies. Unfortunately, the basic assumption is nearly always wrong. Note that what they were doing is perfectly legal in their home country, and would be legal in the U.S. and Canada as well.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Considering the fact that Al Quada seems to like using commercial airlines to carry out their attacks on civilian targets, many things we used to take for granted around airports are no longer possible.

This incorrect assessment is the reason for our silly laws and policies in the USA. Al Qaeda used commercial airliners to attack targets during exactly one day. They haven't done it since. They have moved on to other methods.

 

[SkipSanders]

I don't know for sure, but maybe in Korea it is illegal as well! The reason I say this... I work for a Korean owned company, and we have several Koreans employed here. One of their first questions when they understand the radio I have is listening to police, fire, & aviation..... "Is that legal?"

I take it by their question alone that scanning in Korea would be against the law.

Best Regards,
Keith

It's the same thing you usually get from folks you talk to in the USA, too, after all.

 

[PVCCARRE]

Bonjour Messieurs,

En france il faut une autorisation officielle pour pouvoir faire des photos d'avions et la possession d un scanner est interdite, mais toleree si dans les memoires il n'y a que des frequences aviation.
Les Airplane-Spotter sont surveilles par la gendarmerie (Military Police) et font tres souvent l objet de controles reguliers.

Hello Sirs,
In France is needed an official authorization to be able to make photos of planes and the ownership d a scanner is forbidden, but toleree if in memoires there are only frequences aviation.
Airplane-Spotter is watch by the gendarmerie ( Military Police) and make tres often l object of controles reguliers.

Best regard and sorry for my english

Pascal / F11DRE
TOURS - French
Direct mail : pvc.carre@wanadoo.fr

 

[Command30]

I think it is still "illegal" in India (especially if it's a military airport or there are any military movements). It still happens, just look up pics from Bombay over on Airliners.net

But realistically, I'm told these two British chappies should have bribed the local officers with some cash and they would have been free to go!

 

[fmoo7]

Pascal, Les plus populaires portable euro aviation les radios sont les Maycom AR-108, Steepletone SAB9, Aircontrol M8, Airscan 7 d'Amerique Sportive, quand je suis\et sur avion longues pres de la domaines j'utilise un Steepletone SAB2006 comme il ne peut mettre l'air et harbourcraft, no bobbys, les pompiers ou medical escadrons, maintient le garcon legal. En I'etat sauvage bleu la j'utilise un rarement connu impair peu invention appele Blackbox dynaudio moniteur, no boutons ou s'allume pour attirer l'attention, glisse facilement dans une poche pantalon et comprend un ecouteur, la meilleure caracteristique est l'absence de toute inteme rayonnant oscillateurs donc personne n'est la plus sage. Ces gadgets peuvent etre deceles sur la Javiation, Flightstore et Sportive sites web. je suis desole comme mon Francais.
Fred

 

[Turbo68]

Hi when i go to Melbourne International Airport i take 3 receivers & a camera when australian fedaral police drive past they never say anything they just make sure everything is allright where the people are plane spotting.

Regards Lino.

 

[PVCCARRE]

Dear Fred

Thank you for having writting french.

Scanner are rare in France because of their illegalité.
Personnellement I use a car radio which j have modifies so that it goes(takes) up it frequences to cover the aero band 108 to 136 MHz in narrow FM

But I takes note of your information about the portable scanner that to use you to see if I can buy one on Web.

Best 73's

Pascal