
Airport Made Fence Holes for Planespotting Photographers - sohkamyung
https://petapixel.com/2019/05/22/this-airport-made-fence-holes-for-planespotting-photographers/
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Stratoscope
Scroll to the end for a frightening contrast with the TSA poster of a
terrorist photographer:

 _Don 't let our planes get into the wrong hands. If you question it, report
it. Call local law enforcement. Report to your airport manager._

And you know he's a terrorist because he is pointing a telephoto lens at an
airplane!

~~~
dx034
At London trainstations, police asks you to notify them if you're a train
spotter. That way they won't bother you (unless you start taking pictures of
the infrastructure instead of trains) and you can help them reporting
suspicious behaviour (as someone waiting for trains most of the time).

It's all about communication. If people see the police as their partner,
they'll be happy to help them do their job (at least in the UK).

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Nextgrid
Why would taking pictures of the infrastructure be illegal?

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mc32
It’s why we can’t have good things. Someone will abuse the privilege.

Just earlier we had a post about people pulling the emergency brakes on NYC
subway cars. For decades it was fine. Suddenly people are causing some chaos.

That’s about it. People will exploit weaknesses and we all lose.

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dontbenebby
I don't think they'll remove emergency brakes. I think they'll beef up CCTV
and enhance patrols so they can respond quickly next time it happens.

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ccffph
So everyone now is surveilled en masse and patrolled by agents of the state,
great solution. Is that really what we want?

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dontbenebby
In the article I read, the suspect exited the carriage and went down an
employees only tunnel. Those sorts of tunnels seem like a place it's OK to put
CCTV, since the general public doesn't even use them.

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CaptainZapp
Zurich airport had this for (literally) decades.

They also put a page together specifically for plane spotters.[1]

[1] [https://www.zurich-airport.com/passengers-and-
visitors/shopp...](https://www.zurich-airport.com/passengers-and-
visitors/shopping-and-attractions/excursions-at-the-airport/highlights-for-
spotter#_ga=2.248049351.1341392730.1558589679-783662582.1558589679)

~~~
config_yml
They built a little hill so spotters can overlook the runway and fences from a
higher position. There‘s also an old MI-8 next to it that was converted to a
snack bar, it‘s pretty sweet to hang out for the day.

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mxfh
Whatever happened to observation decks open to the public? Tegel has one, and
I remember one in Frankfurt

Looking at this they seem somewhat of a german specialty, but now with entry
fees at bigger locations.

[https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/hobica/2013/1...](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/hobica/2013/11/19/airport-
observation-deck-plane-spotting/3628587/)

~~~
theseanz
RDU (between Raleigh and Durham, NC) has one:
[https://www.rdu.com/observation-park/](https://www.rdu.com/observation-park/)

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ohsonice
also conveniently the best spot to wait to pick up an arrival (as they like to
keep traffic flowing outside the terminal)

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softgrow
Not a new idea, Tokyo Narita has had holes, benches, vending machines etc for
ages [https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/fun/view/](https://www.narita-
airport.jp/en/fun/view/) The only thing they could possibly do more are cabins
for the cold in winter. Still low cost and makes the airport's position on
photography clear, friendly...

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Tor3
I was just thinking about Narita and then I saw your post come up. I've spent
a lot of time there, I used to fly through Narita and I had to wait six or
seven hours for my next flight. My body was at night time biologically, and
after a long flight it was a very hard wait. Until the time I found that open
air view deck. Fresh air, daylight, all of it made it easier. And I noticed
the photo-friendly fence too. Gave me something to do.

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andrewjmyers
In my hometown we actually put a park on airport property with a great view of
both of our runways. It has a raised "tower" that streams a live feed of the
local ATC. Benches, picnic tables, shaded areas, it's honestly one of my
favorite spots locally.

Video (city government quality):
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReeLuUh8qB4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReeLuUh8qB4)

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stunt
Also an example of design for safety or prevention through design. It is much
easier for them to monitor 10 whitelisted spots and mark everything else as a
blacklist.

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Theodores
Actually the design of the fence is wrong, every gap should be big enough for
a camera lens. If they don't want people in some areas they need a solid wall
or dense vegetation.

A few decades ago someone decided chain link fences should be at a 2" hole
size which worked well for keeping tennis and other balls going astray. In
other applications they just use the standard stuff. Nobody had cameras in
1941 or whenever it was this fencing became popular, so 2" holes have
persisted, QWERTY style.

You would need a different machine for making a 10cm hole size but it would be
cheaper.

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michaelt
Perhaps they chose a hole size that's hard to fit a shoe into, to make
climbing over difficult?

Of course, dense vegetation would be even better, as you say.

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Theodores
True, that is probably the reason why 2" is the hole size. It has been a while
since I have bypassed a fence and it would be negligent to have something that
worked as good as a ladder!

Normally you find an area that can be lifted up and you can expect barbed wire
at the top, climbing is out the question though.

I would go for the bigger holes if it was my fence just so people don't
vandalise it by lifting it or cutting the wire.

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mgramsey
I wish more airports embraced planespotting! I enjoy planespotting at SFO
regularly- I go to Bayfront park and get decent views of traffic
departing/arriving the 28s (longest runways).

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joezydeco
The best is Frankfurt, where you can actually go out onto the roof of the
terminal without needing a ticket. It costs a small fee and you need to pass
through a metal detector, but it beats sitting in a parking lot trying to get
a view of the traffic.

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souprock
The best is a house near an airport. I just look out my back window. So far
the interesting ones have been the An-225, the Piaggio P.180 Avanti, the E-4B,
the F-35A, the F-22, the V-22, the CH-47, the A-10, the B-25, the B-2, powered
parachutes, Air Force One, Trump Force One, and all the teen series fighters.
We didn't see it fly, but the YAL-1 also seems to have visited.

When I lived in previous houses: the Goodyear blimp, the Space Shuttle (up and
down)

I bet you never get the Space Shuttle in Frankfurt.

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maxxxxx
Isn't that brutally loud? I used to have relatives living in the flight path
of Frankfurt airport and for a little while it was fun to watch the planes but
the noise got old very quickly.

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souprock
Usually it isn't.

The Goodyear blimp was a weird buzzing noise, not that loud.

The Space Shuttle launch was at some distance, otherwise the brutally loud
noise would have killed me by ripping my internal organs loose. I had about 30
miles of safety margin, giving a house-shaking rumble. Landings were quiet
except for a BOOM BOOM as the shockwave passed over. That would rattle the
windows.

The An-225's six engines got me running to the window, though more for the
oddity of the sound. At the time, that was the world's largest operational
aircraft.

The V-22 is another one that sounds really weird, but it isn't actually loud.

All the fighter jets are loud. We get lots of them for about 3 days per year,
during an airshow. Four or even six of the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds
making a turn around my house is quite noisy. Otherwise, the rare fighter jet
flies through maybe once or twice a year.

The most awful noise was actually not on my list, because it isn't
interesting. Delta likes to fly a decently large jet (probably 737-NG, 717,
MD-80, or MD-90) at around 6:55 AM.

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SmellyGeekBoy
> The An-225's six engines got me running to the window, though more for the
> oddity of the sound. At the time, that was the world's largest operational
> aircraft.

So jealous. I'd love to see one of these things in the metal, let alone see /
hear it taking off and landing.

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souprock
I'm about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) off the end of the runway, and about 1000 feet
(300 m) off the centerline. Arrivals usually have gear down, while departures
usually do not.

I saw the An-225 departing. I heard it, felt that the sound wasn't typical,
and ran to the window. I spotted the six engines and the distinctive H-tail
just in time. That was a jolt. I see that and, well, there can be only one
plane. It's that one, unique in the world.

It turns out that my local airport (MLB) sometimes does maintenance for the
An-225. I'm not sure why this would be done in the USA at all, but we do have
a 10,000-foot runway and huge hangars that I suspect were built for the
Convair B-36 Peacemaker. The An-225 has probably been here more times than I
know. Maybe I could see it often if there were some way to get notified in
advance. Maybe there is even a predictable schedule.

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aplc0r
Minneapolis (MSP) has a decent viewing area. No holes in the fence, but most
spotters just stand on the tables or benches. The location is the best part
since it is essentially in the center of the airfield.

[https://goo.gl/maps/3UnYMTtBo77va5qu7](https://goo.gl/maps/3UnYMTtBo77va5qu7)

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Multicomp
I recently discovered jetphotos.com and I have to wonder if airports doing
things like this help that and similar sites due to convenient positioning, or
if it makes all the photos 'the same' and thus quickly loses most of it's
usefulness?

Not a plane spotter myself... My 18-55mm Nikon lense can barely see straight.

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elicash
Reminds me of
[https://www.pinterest.com/pin/252342385347648601/](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/252342385347648601/)

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widforss
Interesting that the uppermost photo depicts what is decidedly not a hole in
the fence. Great idea otherwise!

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dsl
If you scroll down to the second photo it has the hole cut out. I think the
first image was an installation shot.

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dmolony
I'm pretty sure Australia has done this for 40+ years.

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stephen_g
We don't have holes at ours (BNE/YBBN) but there is an area with free car
parking and a concrete pad on a raised area where you get a pretty good view,
and can put a ladder to get an unobstructed view. If there's a really
interesting aircraft movement you often get six or seven people with ladders
and a whole bunch of others around.

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perilunar
Same at Sydney Airport (SYD/YSSY). There's even a guide with a map:

[https://www.sydneyairport.com.au/corporate/sustainability/co...](https://www.sydneyairport.com.au/corporate/sustainability/community/aviation-
enthusiasts)

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Amboto2205
If that's the height at which they are placed, isn't it a bit low for most
shooters?

