Spotters Arrested in India

[Biggles]

The latest news that yet two more of the spotter fraternity have been arrested whilst going about the hobby without much concern of current terrorist threats in that country, won`t help others partaking in the pastime.

How anyone in their right mind could go to India armed with bins,sbs and scanners, book into a hotel and ask for a runway view at airport where bombers have struck recently and then not leave the room for 24 hours and not expect a visit. Sadly one of the men from the picture shown in the press looks suspicious anyway with his unkempt beard

After the previous arrests in Greece and now this add to that the UK news pushing that using a scanner IS illegal, I guess we all need to be wary from now on.

[Nick Bartley]

Surely it would be best to wait for the full facts to come out rather than relying on the hype in the press and on the twenty four hour news channels ? Some say they were using scanners to listen to air traffic control , some say they weren't !
and didn't think having a beard was a criminal offence (good job I haven't got one ;D)
Can't remember any bombers striking Delhi airport recently although might be wrong - they did strike another per of India.
As for asking for runway facing rooms I think you will find a lot of enthusiasts request rooms like this or airport facing rooms throughout the world , I for one have done so throughout USA, Asia and Europe and no problems yet although of course no-one knows exactly what these two asked for etc - only time will tell but don't condemn them until the facts are out

[Deleted]

I think I must be missing something here or as Nick says you can't believe everything you read in the press. Surely an air traffic control scanner picks up conversations between ATC and pilots. Don't think its going to take long for the judge too long to work that one out.

Heres a link to the BBC's article.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8530062.stm

[Biggles]

I am not naive and believe all the press report. The facts seem to be that two UK plane spotters have been arrested whilst sitting in a hotel room overlooking the runways of a large international airport. The airport just happens to be located inside a country on a very twitchy level of terror threat, so far in this what part of my comments are not true or naive.

As for stating that a Judge in India will soon realise that the scanner only picked up chat between pilots and ATC Just because in the UK the illegal widespread use of these scanners is tolerated in most foreign countries they may well hold a far different view and leave you locked up in the mean time, which won`t be like a trip to Pontins Jails similar to the UK.

As for the beard I am an expert in them as I have had one for over 30 years. If you have one that makes you appear to be a reject from a fundamentalist group it won`t help your cause however innocent.

The only point I am missing is that some people seem to think this may not be a true report and that behaviour like this, in a country like India, may have been misreported,I personally don`t think so though. I am only suggesting that some spotters be less naive about travelling in these places. That was all.

[Nick Bartley]

Biggles
I believe that two plane spotters have been arrested while spotting in India but the reports in the UK press/ news agencies has been contradicting themselves) first they have been using scanners to listen to ATC then they haven't - it wouldn't be the first time UK press have hyped something up !
Anyway they don't appear to have been too good at letting people/authorities know what they were doing (although no-one knows that for sure) and that is something that really should be done no matter what country us spotters are in !
Having spent quite a few trips visiting Asia , I've found it very useful to contact people in charge/security first - and it usually is quite helpful ;D
Perhaps I'm being naughty here but it wouldn't be the first time that local security/authorities have tried to "save face" - a very important part of society in Asia -- Ooops hope that isn't my chance of any more spotting trips gone
Lets hope for their and their families sake that they are back home soon with the small fine rather than the long prison sentance.
cheers
Nick

[ronturner]

The Indians are very twitchy indeed, and rightly so. They are under attack from neighbours to the North, and unfortunately they see the UK as a place where terrorists are recruited, groomed and even, to some extent, protected by our legal system. The British Passport is no longer seen as a badge of respect, so badly has it been abused. Advice, already given here about announcing your intentions may or may not have been followed. Hopefully yes, in which case all will be well. Indians are fair people, unlike their Northern neighbours.

I would imagine that nobody using this forum, being so well informed, would be so silly as to go spotting in any foreign country without the local authorities having been informed or permission sought.

[Deleted]

Biggles,

I think you may have misinterpreted my post. I wasn't having a go at you but merely commenting on paragraphs 11, 12, and 13 of the BBC report I posted as a link. Knowing full well what scanners are used for I agreed with Nicks comment about 'relying on the hype in the press and on the twenty four hour news channels' to illustrate his point in relation to that article but rather than quote him word for word I took its general meaning and reduced it to; 'you can't believe everything you read in the press'

BTW. On a personal note, I totally agree about the beard. I have no objections to the well kept tidy examples but If that one isn't illegal it jolly well should be. ;D

[Biggles]

In the paper today, they pleaded guilty to a lessor offence than espionage, recieved a fine of around £350 had all their equipment confiscated. Bins,radio and somethi that still sounds like SBS to me ? That is if this report true of course.