Mojave Bans Photography
Posted by admin | Posted in Miscellaneous Spotting, North America, Spotting News, USA | Posted on 22-10-2009
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Following complaints from aircraft owners over the taking and subsequent use of photographs of their stored airliners at Mojave Airport, photography by spotters on their airside tours are now firmly banned.
The airport has run tours on request for many years, giving spotters the chance to ride out to the lines of stored airliners at the desert airfield in California. This offers the chance to catch up with many older types stored here either permanently or temporarily. It can be difficult to log registrations from the perimeter road, so this tour is a major bonus.
Being able to step out of the van and take photographs at close quarters was also welcomed by spotters, but owners are apparently sick of seeing their aircraft in YouTube videos and social networking sites. It is not clear whether this is a result of malicious use, or simply enthusiasts sharing photos and videos.
The airport now encourages spotters to leave behind video and photo cameras before getting in the van to take a tour.
If after this news you are still interested in taking a tour at Mojave, you can do so by reporting to the Control Tower and asking at reception. In most cases the driver (Javier) can accommodate you for a spontaneous tour immediately.
So just fly in, walk the ramp and snap away. You won’t be near any of the boneyard, but it’ll be worth it just to piss off someone!
Thats just the kind of statement that will get the airport tours stopped altogether! It only needs one person with that kind of attitude to spoil it for everybody else! Think about other spotters/photographers for once!
I am very disappointed that this gets supported. Those airliners who complain should go somewhere else if there feel so embarrassed. I don’t think so that photographers have any intention to discriminate airliners. We travel hundreds of miles to try our best making some nice pictures of planes. Shame on you airliners if you feel that way! I found it more embarrassing seeing American airliners on high-tech airports with their old fleets next to all those modern and still proud airliners with excellent customer service.
What happened to America being a free country. We are almost to the police state that was predicted in the book “1984″. Where pervasive government surveillance, and the voiding of citizens’ rights takes place. Just remember BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.
Since when did a public airport that takes United States tax money become top secret, it’s not like it’s Area 51 or Edwards Air Force base.
Thewatcher: America was not, is not, and will never be a country. It’s the name of our continent: North (Canada, USA, Mexico), Central (Guatemala, etc.) &
South (Colombia, etc.)!
So Mojave has now gone the same way as Marana, real shame, but I am sure the enterprising will start using a local charter company for overflights !
At least tours are still available for the number crunchers.
Yet another nail in the coffin for spotters. It makes me wonder if this sort of approach will be taken at non boneyard airports. I remeber one of my friends was stopped at belfast and told that he neded to write to every airline that served the airport asking for permission to photograph/video thier aircrafts.
It just gets worse and worse.
Hey folks,
Just tumbled on this site and your comments on “picture banning at the Mojave Airport.
The Mojave Air and Space Port is a research and development air field and the majority of the tenants are building and flying things that they don’t want to be out in the public’s view until they are ready to put it out. I’m sure most of you can understand this considering the money they spend on their projects and not wanting someone else to take advantage of their endeavors.
Don’t let the picture ban hamper your visit this airport. There is some much to see and learn from this area.