Background Check to shoot photos

denverpilot

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DenverPilot
A buddy of mine who shoots airplane photos at KAPA was recently chased away from the fence line on one of these retarded "heightened terrorist threat" days. He was not on Airport property.

He is cool about things and like many sheep today will give up a lot of things to keep living his life, and shooting pictures. He asked how he could stop the harassment (my word).

The airport authority has stated they'll "let" him apply for a criminal background check and be credentialed so he can continue to shoot photos from OFF airport property.

I find the whole thing disgusting. The rumor mill is that the rich people who fly into KAPA in jets are bothered by the lack of privacy caused by photos being posted to the Internet and that's REALLY what this is about, not the idea that a terrorist gives a rat's ass about anything at KAPA.

I suspect that's true and the Airport Authority will make up whatever BS story they like to keep the money flowing.

My response to that is... Tough Titty. Fly commercial out of DIA or don't use public airports to land at if you expect privacy. Your n-number is already blocked, so you must have an information leak elsewhere if folks know what jet you're on. Nobody cares about your little private schemes and business deals being "outed" because you chose a flashy form of transportation. Buy a car with tinted windows and drive if you don't like it.

Secondarily, I say... Yeah, we can all be good neighbors and black out your n-number of your shiny jet in photos. Won't help much unless you have six identical ones flying around as decoys.

But forcing someone shooting photos on private property off-airport to submit to a criminal background check? Way over the moral and legal line. Problem is, he will do it and set precedent that will screw the rest of us. Because he wants to be left alone to shoot photos.
 
D.P.

Your friend needs to get a copy of "The photographer's rights". It's available on line. The airport management is deadass wrong. Anything in public has no expectation of privacy. As long as he remains off airport property he's legal and they can do nothing to stop him.
 
Completely agree. Next thing they will go after is the Live ATC feeds. Heaven forbid you hear their N-Numbers over the air...
 
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See, I'm of the same bent but two professional photogs are going along with this BS and they're not going to fight.

Also worried about SZing the thread, but it has to be said that the "just go along to get along" really destroys the credibility of future photogs at KAPA who decide they actually want to fight.

Driving me crazy watching them passively go softly into the night.
 
See, I'm of the same bent but two professional photogs are going along with this BS and they're not going to fight.

Also worried about SZing the thread, but it has to be said that the "just go along to get along" really destroys the credibility of future photogs at KAPA who decide they actually want to fight.

Driving me crazy watching them passively go softly into the night.

Howabout submitting the story to your local paper or news station?
 
Right to be, right to see. As long as he is off airport property, and has permission of the other property owners to be their land, he can take pictures all he wants.
 
Interesting concept. I was just on Oahu and was shooting some pictures at KHDH from outside the fence...not at celebrities, just the airstrip, as it was featured in a couple of episodes of Season 2 of LOST (yes, three years later and I'm still a LOST-o-holic). No one chased me away, but then again no one chases anything for very long in Hawaii...
 
Two issues. First, just being outside the fence doesn't make you off the airport property. Further, I'm not sure under what authority they restrict his photography in open to the public sections of a publicly-owned field regardless. As pointed out many have fought this battle to photo inside of terminal buildings (frequently the TSA checkpoints). It doesn't require permission nor background checks.
 
Interesting concept. I was just on Oahu and was shooting some pictures at KHDH from outside the fence...not at celebrities, just the airstrip, as it was featured in a couple of episodes of Season 2 of LOST (yes, three years later and I'm still a LOST-o-holic). No one chased me away, but then again no one chases anything for very long in Hawaii...

I'm sure you mean PHDH. There are no airports in the Islands with a "K" identifier.
 
Tell your friend if he gives in a little piece of america dies.
 
With all the 'security theater' going on these days it's not just people photographing airplanes who are coming under unlawful scrutiny. There are people, myself included, who's hobby is photographing trains from public property. Two in New Jersey were arrested for doing so, and the judge laughed the cops and railroad management out of court.

Not trying to get this in the SZ, so I'll stop here.
 
100% bipartisan both parties and the guy who lost the last big seat popularity contest are all on record(either through voting or speeches) as supporting all of this. And worse.
 
With all the 'security theater' going on these days it's not just people photographing airplanes who are coming under unlawful scrutiny. There are people, myself included, who's hobby is photographing trains from public property. Two in New Jersey were arrested for doing so, and the judge laughed the cops and railroad management out of court.

Not trying to get this in the SZ, so I'll stop here.

The problem is that a mere arrest will cause them untold grief going forward.
 
It would be a PERFECT time for the local Tea Party group to show up at that spot and conduct a "photography lesson"..;););)

Notify the media too so it gets the lead story on the evening news...:yes::)
 
It would be a PERFECT time for the local Tea Party group to show up at that spot and conduct a "photography lesson"..;););)

Notify the media too so it gets the lead story on the evening news...:yes::)

The media is scared ****less. They either won't show up or spin it against freedom.
 
Make it an open carry AND photography demonstration for maximum riled-upitude.
 
Two issues. First, just being outside the fence doesn't make you off the airport property.

You've got part of it. After further discussion he's on their property.

Here's the interesting thought of the day that could backfire. If we assume it's legal for the Airport Authority to require him to get a background check to stand there on public property, and I'm not willing to fully concede that one yet...

If they don't require everyone on the property, including me, an aircraft owner with an access badge, to have a background check, can they be opening themselves up to a massive anti-discrimination lawsuit?
 
hahahahaha

this is colorado though.. they probably have laws against that

You don't know how sad and angry it made me to read that. We were once Free here. Now our politicians wear pretty clothes and suckle at the Bloomberg teat. :(
 
Get the town to close the airport. People want to act like third world tyrants then we will have third world infrastructure.
 
With all the 'security theater' going on these days it's not just people photographing airplanes who are coming under unlawful scrutiny. There are people, myself included, who's hobby is photographing trains from public property. Two in New Jersey were arrested for doing so, and the judge laughed the cops and railroad management out of court.

Not trying to get this in the SZ, so I'll stop here.

I've been "detained" a few time for photographing railroad properties despite having been asked by the railroad to do so, and having a signed letter of authorization on my person. The RR wanted portal and span views of every bridge along a certain section of track. After my having been "detained" three times, they just issued me a temporary ID card.

-Rich
 
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