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Tail spotters in the news again

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eagle driver
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Tail spotters in the news again

Post by eagle driver » Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:30 pm

Credit to MSF for link.

“Tail spotter” hobbyists counted on by U.K., U.S. militaries to watch for suspicious behaviour

By William Howard
Stars and Stripes

January 25, 2018

RAF MILDENHALL, England — For U.S. servicemembers bombarded by messages from commands and commercials on the American Forces Network to practice operational security, the idea of civilians regularly tracking planes that may be on sensitive missions can be a startling one.

But in the United Kingdom, it’s part of a system that military officials say boosts security around the bases, thanks to reporting programs offered by the Defense Ministry and the U.S. Air Force.

Aviation enthusiasts, nicknamed tail spotters, have legally taken footage of military operations from outside base fence lines since the 1950s.

“The U.K. has no law for taking photographs of aircraft or structures from outside establishments,” Defense Ministry police constable Paul Glover said.

Glover started Spotter Watch at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall after seeing a similar Defense Ministry program’s success at RAF Coningsby.

In the program, tail spotters are vetted by the ministry with criminal background checks and issued laminated registration cards for quick reference by security forces.

“Spotter Watch is a group of like-minded people,” Glover said. “They generally self-police and the idea is to have extra eyes and ears. If someone strange shows up, then they contact us.”

Glover added he hopes to add a phone messaging option in the future to give people more anonymity when reporting possible terrorist or criminal activities.

More than 250 individuals have joined the group with the incentive of free base tours scheduled throughout the year, but will be removed if they don’t abide orders given by law enforcement or if they’re caught trespassing on private property. Members of Spotter Watch are often seen near the RAF Lakenheath viewing area or at the Nook Campsite next to RAF Mildenhall, looking as though they’re just having a day out at an air show with a cup of tea and a telephoto lens.

Some spend all day or even several weeks on holiday listening to radio communications from the bases’ towers while photographing takeoffs and landings.

“There’s no offense to listen to radio communications,” Glover said. “They generally can’t transmit. but only receive.”

While not as quick to disseminate information or respond to immediate threats, the U.S. Air Force-wide program called Eagle Eyes also provides a 24-hour hotline to report suspicious activity.

“Tail spotters are very interested in our flying operations and we appreciate their community support,” and RAF Lakenheath spokesman said in a statement. “In general, they can be counted on to report any suspicious behaviors, both in the tail spotter viewing area and online."

Still, it’s not difficult to see why spotters could be perceived as a concern, since they publish information online. Information posted by plane spotters inadvertently exposed the CIA’s covert extraordinary rendition program in 2005-06, when London’s The Guardian newspaper published a series of stories on the secret interrogation program. Since then, it’s become even easier to find information on military flights. Anyone can follow a flight path with a free app on a smartphone.

“There’s a couple of websites out there that are like virtual radar screens that work off the aircrafts’ transponders,” said local aviation enthusiast Steve Buckley. “It’s all there in the public domain.”

Buckley began posting flights to and from the bases about 18 months ago on the Mildenhall & Lakenheath Movements Facebook page.

“With Mildenhall closing in the next seven years’ time, I wanted to keep a record of what passes through,” Buckley told Stars and Stripes. “The variety of aircraft that comes through is a major attraction to us.”

Buckley said the online groups he’s involved with know when not to post important flights by following air refueling missions and paying attention to specific call signs used by fighter jets.

“If it’s a tactical mission, what we call a live mission, they’ll use a completely different call sign that doesn’t make sense,” Buckley said. “We have a golden rule that if we see one of those, we don’t mention them. If anyone posts anything it instantly gets deleted.”

Many of the local tail spotters agree their hobby is not worth compromising anyone’s security.

“We do realize that if we go posting the wrong information, we could get somebody injured or even killed and that we don’t want. That’s the last thing we want,” Buckley said.

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Dan D'Air
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Dan D'Air » Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:04 pm

Eh?
Dan
"Shakin the tree boss, shakin the tree"

POL
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by POL » Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:14 pm

Image

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Nighthawke
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Nighthawke » Sun Feb 18, 2018 6:57 pm

:lol: :lol: - although the strange reply has now gone!

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Gary
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Gary » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:05 pm

I deleted him, as Chris said appeared a spammer. If he wasn't, he's welcomed to sign up again
Posh are going to Wembley (albeit for a tin cup)

johnhowe

Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by johnhowe » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:38 pm

viewtopic.php?f=287&t=157785 This item has been posted on the Warton cite for info.

Davef68
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Davef68 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:35 am

eagle driver wrote:C
The U.K. has no law for taking photographs of aircraft or structures from outside establishments,” Defense Ministry police constable Paul Glover said.


“There’s no offense to listen to radio communications,” Glover said. “They generally can’t transmit. but only receive.”
Hmm,
(1) Are Lakenheath and Mildenhall not ' Prohibited place within the meaning of the Official Secrets Act.' - do they not have the signage that used to pepper the outside of airfields?
(2) PC Glover needs to have a look at S48 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

Snoop 95
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Snoop 95 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:20 pm

Hmm,
(1) Are Lakenheath and Mildenhall not ' Prohibited place within the meaning of the Official Secrets Act.' - do they not have the signage that used to pepper the outside of airfields?

They are indeed 'Prohibited Places', but as I understand it, only within the perimiter fence-line. The base authorities have no jurisdiction outside.

Supra
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Supra » Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:02 pm

Extract from Section 48 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

Interception and disclosure of messages.
(1) A person commits an offence if, otherwise than under the authority of a designated person—

(a) he uses wireless telegraphy apparatus with intent to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of a message (whether sent by means of wireless telegraphy or not) of which neither he nor a person on whose behalf he is acting is an intended recipient, or
(b) he discloses information as to the contents, sender or addressee of such a message.

(2) A person commits an offence under this section consisting in the disclosure of information only if the information disclosed by him is information that would not have come to his knowledge but for the use of wireless telegraphy apparatus by him or by another person.

(3) A person does not commit an offence under this section consisting in the disclosure of information if he discloses the information in the course of legal proceedings or for the purpose of a report of legal proceedings.


Therefore, if you hear about an aircraft deployment, departure, arrival, IFE, whatever on your Scanner but DON'T tell anybody else...you have NOT committed an offence!
No change there then for the 'Secret Squirrels' Clubs? :whistle: :roll:

Seahornet1
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Seahornet1 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:34 pm

Supra wrote: ...Therefore, if you hear about an aircraft deployment, departure, arrival, IFE, whatever on your Scanner but DON'T tell anybody else...you have NOT committed an offence! ...
I'd have to disagree with your interpretation. In section (1), the conjunction between (a) and (b) is "or" rather than "and". Therefore, according to that wording, doing either of those things is an offence. Furthermore, the offence at (a) is the intent to obtain information, not the actuality. As it applies to us is, this would be no more than operating a scanner with an ATC or similar frequency set, even if you haven't actually heard anything.

We all know that in reality, no-one ever (...?) enforces these rules, but it's as well to know where you stand in law. :whistle:

welshandy
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by welshandy » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:55 pm

Supra wrote:Extract from Section 48 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

Interception and disclosure of messages.
(1) A person commits an offence if, otherwise than under the authority of a designated person—

(a) he uses wireless telegraphy apparatus with intent to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of a message (whether sent by means of wireless telegraphy or not) of which neither he nor a person on whose behalf he is acting is an intended recipient, or
(b) he discloses information as to the contents, sender or addressee of such a message.

(2) A person commits an offence under this section consisting in the disclosure of information only if the information disclosed by him is information that would not have come to his knowledge but for the use of wireless telegraphy apparatus by him or by another person.

(3) A person does not commit an offence under this section consisting in the disclosure of information if he discloses the information in the course of legal proceedings or for the purpose of a report of legal proceedings.


Therefore, if you hear about an aircraft deployment, departure, arrival, IFE, whatever on your Scanner but DON'T tell anybody else...you have NOT committed an offence!
No change there then for the 'Secret Squirrels' Clubs? :whistle: :roll:
I used to work for BT(Post Office Telecommunications) back in the 1980's & had to sign the "Official Secrets Act". As working in a Exchange you do over hear conversations. I was based at Aldershot,so you can imagine what I could listen into. anything from male calling 100 & asking the Operator what she was wearing to the Military & with the IRA etc active back then, the occasional Bomb Threat. When I started I was told somebody at a nearby Exchange had tapped into a Royal's private Line & when he got caught Special Branch & "other" agency's swooped :ninja:

Davef68
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Davef68 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:44 pm

Supra wrote:Extract from Section 48 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

Interception and disclosure of messages.
(1) A person commits an offence if, otherwise than under the authority of a designated person—

(a) he uses wireless telegraphy apparatus with intent to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of a message (whether sent by means of wireless telegraphy or not) of which neither he nor a person on whose behalf he is acting is an intended recipient, or
(b.


Therefore, if you hear about an aircraft deployment, departure, arrival, IFE, whatever on your Scanner but DON'T tell anybody else...you have NOT committed an offence!
No change there then for the 'Secret Squirrels' Clubs? :whistle: :roll:
Listening to broadcasts you know you are not the intended recipient of! It's almost unenforceable these days, but a cop shouldn't say it's not an offence when it plainly is!

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Nighthawke
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by Nighthawke » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:53 pm

Supra wrote: Therefore, if you hear about an aircraft deployment, departure, arrival, IFE, whatever on your Scanner but DON'T tell anybody else...you have NOT committed an offence!
Unless it is on this forum - well in some people's eyes anyway :P

filmman
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Re: Tail spotters in the news again

Post by filmman » Tue Feb 20, 2018 4:53 am

The Official Secrets Act applies whether or not you sign the pro forma "pledge"; the pledge was merely a useful reminder. Pulic servants usually never made disclosures, but Ministers did - often during drinking with the media or in their memoirs. Embarrassing leak enquiries started with officials who often knew who had blabbed and said so to avoid wasting time. Whilst officials who leaked (rarely) other than as instructed, were subject to punitive penalties, investigations abruptly ceased when a politian was the culprit. Peacetime enforcement against spotters is virtually non existent but war dramatically change the situation. Merely listening is an offence - the Act was designed to be easy to enforce.
Filmman

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