Spotters Arrested in New Delhi, India

[T-Bird76]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100216/wl ... ainairport

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 578911.cms

Stephen Hampston and Steven Martin both of A.net were detained.

[PhilDernerJr]

You folks in the forums are FAST. haha.

Not too much different from the above links, but we'll be following this one closely of course.

:arrow: Two Planespotters Arrested in India for Suspicious Behavior

[NLovis]

Well it happens. Sure sounds like spotters to me. To phil were only fast when we want to be :mrgreen:

[SengaB]

That's my car in your Pic Phil :)

Senga

[Mayi757]

You folks in the forums are FAST. haha.

Not too much different from the above links, but we'll be following this one closely of course.

:arrow: Two Planespotters Arrested in India for Suspicious Behavior

Planespotters wear Levi's! is what I thought when I saw that photo

Don't recognize that spotting location though.

[Matt Molnar]

Any idea if it is legal to carry this sort of equipment in India?

[moose135]

Don't recognize that spotting location though.

Cargo Plaza, 13L arrivals, back when it was open. That's an old picture!

Any idea if it is legal to carry this sort of equipment in India?

That's a good question, laws in India may be very different from what we are used to. If you are spotting at an unfamiliar location, it's always a good idea to check out the local laws.

I did find one quote in the Yahoo article to be amusing:

Other media reports said the men were carrying...equipment for tracking exchanges between pilots and air traffic control...

I suspect most of us would recognize that as a radio...

ETA: From this story, it looks as if they have been released following the investigation.

[SengaB]

India has been known for cracking the whip on aviation photography and coming down hard of people caught doing it. Only recently has there been a change in perception among aviation photographers. I guess some of these people push too far too fast.

Senga

[hiss srq]

WOW...... India is not the place to get in a wrangle with law enforcement either from what I have been reading in my research recently. So much for spotting ambitions if I move there.

[NLovis]

WOW...... India is not the place to get in a wrangle with law enforcement either from what I have been reading in my research recently. So much for spotting ambitions if I move there.

then dont move :borat:

[PhilDernerJr]

Planespotters wear Levi's! is what I thought when I saw that photo

Don't recognize that spotting location though.

I wear American Eagle or Lucky. :-p

The location is a non-public spot that is no longer accessible to spotters anymore.

[T-Bird76]

http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/feb/ ... booked.htm

Update on the situation in India. The Indian gov't wants to use these guys as an example to detere future spotters...glad freedom is alive and well in India.

[hiss srq]

WOW! Just wow........ This is obsurd. If they are booked on anything I would love to put together an organized movement on the issue. Any chance of me going to that sub continent are squashed.

[Mayi757]

While the so called "Indian experts" pretend to be onto something cracking down on British aviation geeks, the real terrorists are laughing at this.

[Vishal Jolapara]

Thats the f***-up, there are no real experts whatsoever, if there were then they would've seen through these two spotters.

Its like exhibiting figure-skating to the Tutsi Tribe in Rwanda, there's just no connection, no one will get anywhere with explaining/understanding.

Eventually the British High-Commission will step-in when the Delhi Police make a big enough fool of themselves & parcel the pair on a BA 744 or Jet Airways 77W to LHR.

Except the Taj Mahal, there would be only a handful of other places where people wont look at you for just holding a camera in public view !!! Its pathetic - thats India for you of today.

You cant blame them as there's been a constant flow of terror attacks here in the last 5 years.
Just before these 2 were caught, there was a major blast in Pune which just upped the terror ante.

If anything, i think they can book these two for stupidity, i dont know what more to say.

I'm infact glad they didnt follow the routine etiquette of emailing the local spotters as thats what the police is looking into right now.

That still dosent rule-out our asses being whooped, they (cops) can just make-up any BS & hold us responsible, we're just very disappointingly/unenthusiastically waiting to see where this circus heads to :oops: