I happened to be on Oahu yesterday, and was performing my civic duty of taking snapshots like this one of a JAL 747 launch. I was at that little parking area at the end of Lagoon Drive. A guy sitting in his car eating a hamburger told me, "You better be careful; just the other day a couple guys got arrested right here for taking pictures like that." Sounds a little crazy to me, but I wondered what you guys that live there thought about it.
9 comments:
Yeah, I always wondered about that. Are mortals who are not employed at the airport and have no official access to the ramps and all that still allowed to snap photos from the end of Lagoon Drive? Tell us regular photo posters at this blog.
I don't see how they could arrest you for such a thing, but then again, I wouldn't put anything past them. Outside the fence in a legal parking area. Difficult to believe that would be illegal. Hopefully someone local will have some info.
According to the powers-that-be @ HNL, it's up to the officers or deputies discretion.
Technically, there is no law against photographing from the parking lots.
I personally have received warnings from deputies saying it was a "national security" issue.
... if they only knew how many millions of airliners photos exist on the airliners.
A friend of mine who tried to photograph one of those big Soviet freight planes from a parking lot was chased away by security.
So those of you who do go to the end of Lagoon Drive to photograph, do you keep on going there despite repeated warnings?
Couple years ago, I was at HNL boarding a NW red tail to Seattle and took a picture of my plane parked at the gate. A security person told me I couldn't do that. She then checked with her supervisor and came back and told me it was OK.
Over here at OGG there are signs on the fences that say to stay 4 feet away from the fence. I obey that, but still interface with the cheerful security staff on a regular basis.
Pretty much a bad idea to take any pictures anywhere that might include security checkpoints. Personal note: especially in Saudi Arabia.
My approach has always been that any aircraft out in the open is "fair game."
Currently 1.25 million pics on Airliners, and 1.0 million on Jet Photos ...
I was scolded by a military guard with an automatic weapon once but it was in a foreign country at a joint use field. He didn't take my camera, stomp on it or throw me in jail, so I guess it's really not a big deal.
Except at the end of Lagoon drive!
Nice 744 shot by the way!
Except for air shows or when I am actually at the airport to go somewhere are about the only times I have successfully shot something at HNL. I really like the pictures I see on this blog as well as on Airliners.net and elsewhere. I've gotten a few published there and to my Flickr site where there seems to be a growing spotters presence (read Airliners.net rejects)....
That said I've found it fairly good to take in-flight photos from the ground at Kakaako Waterfront Park on Kona wind days.
I think Hilo Airport may be good too, since the landing path takes them practically over lower downtown.
Both areas well away from airport security people.
Still it sucks to think that at the best public areas for aircraft photography, that people are harassed by security.
OK, I made an error when I changed the title of this image prior to uploading. JA812J is a 747-346. My apologies ....
That parking lot at the end of lagoon drive is a nice spot to hang out. Being an airport worker a number of people use it as a turn around for their daily jogging routines, a place for lunch, or a place to take the kids. Being that I visit here quite often (im a lunch or enjoying my morning coffee and reading my paper visitor)i see a number of photographers take tons of shots. What it comes down to is "who is on duty" Many times the security does not even care and photographers just snap away. Other times they are a little more anal and will tell you to leave or even threaten arrest. I have seen a polite asking to put the camera down to a downright jerk threatening federal offenses. I know at night they are a lot more strict. Ive come to the conclusion that in this day and age theere are national security issues but come people are more lax than others.
Lagoon drive is a nice place...i sure hope they dont close it down.
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