Interesting

[Canonjohns40D]

Don't know if anyone else has seen this item?  

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100216/wl_uk_afp/indiabritainairport

Just thought as most of us are spotters this might be of interest. No mention is made of Radarbox and I'm not inferring it was in question, but, it sorta fits the bill as "sophisticated tracking equipment".



John

[Brimon]

This security situation has gone mad.What next planespotters ending up in Guantanamo?

[Horsham Spotter]

This security situation has gone mad.What next planespotters ending up in Guantanamo?

Hope not I'm taking the box to Tunisia on Sunday for a week?
Steve.

[QF1]

I have often wondered what hotel staff make of the equipment that I leave up and running in my hotel room while I am out.  I try to keep the aerial as inconspicuous as possible, but it must look a bit strange, so I can understand them reporting it. 

Everyone is so paranoid these days.  I was recently taking a photo from the lounge at Melbourne Airport and one of the staff questioned me because she said that other guests had reported seeing me take photos.  Unbelievable!

Cheers
M
 

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Just seen this on another site

Hi, thought i'd share this with you. I went recently and had no problems
> but soem friends are having a spot of bother at the moment;
>
> 2 friends are currently in Delhi spotting from the Radisson. They were
> spotted on airport CCTV looking at aircraft from ther hotel room. The
> authorities were dispatched to check them out and they are still being
> detained in their room (they should of checked out and flew home today)
> some 24 hours later. Apparently there was a bomb blast in India over the
> weekend so security was on high alert and the guys have SBS and this is
> causing some concern to the Indians as they are completely unaware of what
> it is or in fact the whole concept of plane spotting. Their passports and
> log books have been taken at the moment although they still have the
> laptop and SBS.
>
> They have made the local news over there too;
> http://netindian.in/news/2010/02/16/0005353/two-british-men-plane-spotting-gadgets-being-questioned-delhi

John

[Brimon]

I wonder if the CIA black helicopters show up on the Airnav? At least I'll have 10/15 minutes to make myself scarce before they appear over the back fence.

[johnboy]

I go to India every year and you have to be very careful near airports with anything they dont understand even binocs. Some of the smaller airports are still classed as military although used by civilian flights. Even at international airports military aircraft can be found, Egypt is the same as is many other sites in the far east.Security has really been increased since the bombings,but also another factor is, corruption is rife, meaning bribery or blackmail if the police can getaway with it.         Safe spotting.     John.

[DaveReid]

> 2 friends are currently in Delhi spotting from the Radisson. They were
> spotted on airport CCTV looking at aircraft from ther hotel room. The
> authorities were dispatched to check them out and they are still being
> detained in their room (they should of checked out and flew home today)
> some 24 hours later. Apparently there was a bomb blast in India over the
> weekend so security was on high alert and the guys have SBS and this is
> causing some concern to the Indians as they are completely unaware of what
> it is or in fact the whole concept of plane spotting. Their passports and
> log books have been taken at the moment although they still have the
> laptop and SBS.

It's perhaps fortunate that it was an SBS they had.

If they had been using a RadarBox and had forgotten to untick "Share Flight Data" they might have been in even more serious trouble.  I would imagine that India is one of the countries that AirNav had in mind with their warning "In some countries it may be illegal to share flight data.  You have to assume total responsibility for the consequences of sharing flight data".

A lesson for all of us who travel, I think.

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Dave I agree with your sentiments about being careful andt he neeed for individuals to take responsibility.

Likewise with the edit of the quote you used. It now looks like these individuals were friends of mine. Not a complaint just me advising I don't know these two gentlemen and the full quote I used was from another individual.

Regards

John

[radarspotter10]

When in Rome do as the Romans do, common sense is another way of putting it.
from pat

[DaveReid]

Hi Dave I agree with your sentiments about being careful and the need for individuals to take responsibility.

Another report on http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/feb/16/uk-duo-cliamed-to-be-plane-spotting-to-be-booked.htm says:

Apart from the powerful binoculars and other equipment, the Britons were said to be carrying a sophisticated gadget which could be attached to an antennae and monitor air traffic and capture details of any aircraft, including military ones.

"We are verifying their claims. The equipment, believed to have a capacity to track an aircraft which is around 100 km away, was examined by experts. We are also verifying their passport details," a senior police official said.

Police are trying to ascertain if they were in touch with any other person here or other parts of the country. "We are looking into their call details. Their mobile phones and laptops are being examined besides their emails," the official said. Police are also probing an email believed to have been sent by (name deleted).
 

[roadblock]

I agree with the statement that was made about the countires in the far east being on hightened alert for suspiciuos activities.
But the way things have been going lately with the western countries also being paranoid you can expect the same reaction if some one was to call the authorities reporting this kind of activity.
And if it was in the U.S. these guy would probably have been taken to guantanimo eventhough they may have not done anything wrong.
It just takes the over reaction of the law enforcement individuals responding to the reported activity to blow things out of proportion.

[radarspotter10]

Hi all.
What where they doing, ordering a room looking on to the runways, then looking out the windows with binoculars,  taking photos with digital camera,  and last a radio scanner up loud. it does not makes sense to me, nearly forgot about the airnav type receiver/laptop.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8528476.stm

ps:
Sounds as if they where looking to get arrested, or just stupid foreigners to the Indian government.
 from pat

[shaun]

For about three years I go to Stansted on my birthday and use the radarbox in my room in the Radisson BLU and i've never heard people question me about it.

[jannuh]

Hi all.
What where they doing, ordering a room looking on to the runways, then looking out the windows with binoculars,  taking photos with digital camera,  and last a radio scanner up loud. it does not makes sense to me, nearly forgot about the airnav type receiver/laptop.
from pat.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8528476.stm

They were doing things not allowed in India, seems to me very simple!
If you like it or not every country has its own laws..