Please don't take photos

[Robert Zweck]

Some years ago I was flying SYD-ADL QF735 on VH-EAQ, I took about 6 shots of the cabin around me, the flash would have gone off several times.

An FA came and politely / firmly told me..." I have had a request for you to not take any more photos "


A request from the CSM ?
A request from a passenger who was "sensitive " to flashguns ?


What do others think?

[Edward Terry]

You say 'some years ago', I'm guessing it would be before about 2003 when the 767-200s were pulled out of service? If this happened after 2001 perhaps there was still some (unfounded) latent post 9/11 anxiety about this sort of thing.

When I do cabin shots I try to avoid using flash. If I do take flash photos I take at most 2 or so and if they don't turn out, well, bad luck. I haven't drawn any complaints this way. I think it's important to keep on good terms with the crew and other passengers! Even better, I would try to find a flat surface on which to rest the camera, eliminating the need for a flash - if you are using the flash to avoid a blurry image caused by camera shake. In the shaded environment of a cabin a flash can be very annoying so someone probably got irritated in your case (I assume you didn't take any shots towards the back of the cabin!). Asking permission is always a good strategy.

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Some years ago I was flying SYD-ADL QF735 on VH-EAQ, I took about 6 shots of the cabin around me, the flash would have gone off several times.

An FA came and politely / firmly told me..." I have had a request for you to not take any more photos "


A request from the CSM ?
A request from a passenger who was "sensitive " to flashguns ?


What do others think?

Did you ask her?

[Liz E]

Some people are photosensitive as a result of various medical conditions.
Most people would be irritated by multiple bright flashes in confined spaces though. Understandable.

[Mike Scott]

A very reasonable request and these days you'd be best advised to comply or risk loosing the camera or worse still getting the plastic handcuff treatment. I'm familiar with a similar incident where two people had been watching "adult movies" on their DVD player and were less than happy when told to cease and desist by the F/A's. Next they decided they wanted to take "fun pictures" of each other in various stages of undress and in various positions (in First class). They lost the camera and the dvd player...and the Fed's met the flight at the gate promptly charging them with interfering with a flight crew and public indecency.... so a word to the wise when it comes to camera use on board aircraft.

Sorry..;)

MS

[D Chan]

the only problem i could see is the 'flash'. Would be perfectly ok if you don't use the flash.

[Robert Zweck]

Andrew,

No, I did not ask the F/A a reason why.....

It occurred in October , 2000.

Is it currently " illegal " for pax to use a small Video Camera during take-off?

I know of someone on MH who was told to put their video camera away And the F/A came by a few minutes later to check they had complied.

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Some airlines (Virgin Blue for example) consider cameras to be "electronic devices" and so don't let you use them on take off or landing, only in cruise, were as others don't seem to mind at all...???

[Greg McDonald]

I've used my camera numerous times on DJ during takeoff and landing without trying to hide it and haven't been asked to stop. Maybe I just got lucky as I've been told by a few people now that they don't like it!!

[Craig Murray]

I don't have one in front of me, but someone may be able to locate the exact text. Qantas safety cards clearly indicate that photography for personal purposes is permissable at any stage during the flight including take off and landing. I can't clearly recall if this also applies to small personal video cameras.

Like others, I think the flash may have upset other passengers and that has been the origin of the complaint.

As for Furbies, leave them at home because they're not welcome on board Qantas jets :D

[Torin Wilson]

I don't have one in front of me, but someone may be able to locate the exact text. Qantas safety cards clearly indicate that photography for personal purposes is permissable at any stage during the flight including take off and landing. I can't clearly recall if this also applies to small personal video cameras.


Jetstars safety card says the same, and it does apply to video cameras. (At least the version before the current safety card did)

[Robert Zweck]

Some airlines (Virgin Blue for example) consider cameras to be "electronic devices" and so don't let you use them on take off or landing, only in cruise, were as others don't seem to mind at all...???

Is this also the reason Virgin Blue prohibit photography by pax walking across the tarmac to / from the rear stairs??

I recall we had this debate on the old board.....tarmac photography with / without a flashgun during refuelling, etc.

[Brendan Lawrence]

I think the Qantas/Jetstar exemption of digital cameras/video recorders from the PED policy is great for enthusiasts and it means that I don't have to tell someone off for something I personally have done in the past as a passenger :o (video recorded a takeoff/landing) - but I do find it a bit strange.

If iPods/music players are to be switched off during takeoff and landing then I don't see why digital cameras/video recorders should be any different - in that they still are a portable electronic device - and if anything I would think a camera/recorder would have more of an electronic charge (if that's the correct term) running around inside it than an iPod. :confused:

But I ain't complaining about that, keep the cameras rolling I say - just don't be video recording a takeoff or landing on my flight with your mobile phone, that'll be a different story! ;) hehe.

[Torin Wilson]

But I ain't complaining about that, keep the cameras rolling I say - just don't be video recording a takeoff or landing on my flight with your mobile phone, that'll be a different story! ;) hehe.

You guys not do the whole 'flight mode' thing?

[Brendan Lawrence]

A lot of passengers have that same way of thinking Torin, that because it's in "flight mode" it can remain on during all stages of flight. When I tell people to switch their mobile phone off during cabin secure (prior to takeoff) many of them will insist "ohh but it's in flight mode so it's ok".

But even though the transmitting function of the phone is disabled by switching to flight mode (which makes it acceptable during cruise), it still falls under the classification of a portable electronic device. Therefore it needs to be completely switched off from leaving the terminal if at a stand-off bay, or from cabin door close if at an aerobridge until seat-belt sign off during climb. And then switched off again from top of descent until vacating the runway if arriving at aerobridge, or until inside the terminal if arriving at a stand-off bay.

[Torin Wilson]

Thats what I meant really, its ok to use in cruise like any other electronic device. Air NZ say switch to flight mode then turn-off, and you can turn it back on when the seatbelt sign goes off. Also, they make an announcement that you can turn it on again pretty much the second after touchdown. Haven't even taxied off the runway and they've made that call.

Does Jetstar have the same policy? I don't recall hearing the flight mode call on my last few flights.

[Brendan Lawrence]

Well the Jetstar (and Qantas) policy doesn't sound much different to that. We also inform passengers that they must switch their phones to flight mode prior to turning them off on the ground, otherwise they must remain off for the entire flight. It's included in the welcome aboard PA; "...if your mobile phone features flight mode, then flight mode must be selected prior to switching off. All other mobile phones must remain off for the duration of the flight..."

Once the seatbelt sign is turned off during the climb, then flight mode enabled phones can be switched on - as per what you said about Air NZ. And if arriving at an aerobridge, then you can switch mobile phones on once the aircraft has vacated the runway (normally just a few seconds after landing anyway) - this is about the 3rd piece of information the cabin manager will include in the arrival PA.

So it sounds pretty much the same as what you've described for Air NZ. :)

[Greg McDonald]

It's all crap anyway isn't it? As long as the device you're carrying is not transmitting a signal it can't possibly hurt the airplane or it's systems.

[Erik H. Bakke]

Any electronic device that is running would emit a signal, however faint it may be.
Electronic devices are running from pulsed signals, and emit a tiny RF impulse every time one of the signal lines switches state.

[damian f]

Sorry for dredging up an old topic, but on this whole turning off electronic devices business, I flew recently with two flight deck crew repositioning as pax seated next to me, and they happily continued to use their IPads during the whole entire flight - including taxi, take-off and landing.

I can confirm that the crew member seated next to me did have his IPad in Flightmode for the entire time.

Cabin crew did not say anything at any time to them.

Thoughts?

I did not question the crew members about this use of an electronic device, because being a teacher, we have a similar situation in that our school kids are (say) banned from using a mobile phone in class, yet we can. One rule for some, another rule for others?

Incidentally, at no stage was I asked to not use my camera at any stage during the flight!

Cheers
Damian

[Owen H]

Damian,

They have probably just forgotten they should have turned it off!

When you do it all the time, it is reasonably easy to forget

Some flight crew are now issued iPads for use in the cockpit during takeoff and landing. It would be pretty easy to forget that you can't use it at the same time in the cabin.

And before anyone says that proves iPads are safe for use, they should remember that they have gone through the appropriate tests in the cockpit area, and if any erroneous indications occur the flight crew have quick access to be able to turn them off immediately.

[Philip Argy]

I know it's approriate to be risk averse but, frankly, there's more risk of electro-magnetic interference from solar flares than there is from anyone's laptop, phone or tablet.

It will be very interesting to see the outcome of NTSB testing on this issue.

[Jacob P]

I use my IPAD during the cruise with the GPS reciever on and can track the flights progress good fun for those aircraft that dont have a moving map. And nobody ever asks anything but then again its only ever during the cruise and im usually up the pointy end.