Ramstein - infra discussion

[michel N]

Is it so difficult not to post pictures with infra on scramble? How hard can that be? Whether you'll have the law on your side or not, the Americans don't like it, and it can only ruin a lot for the spotting community.

[luit0029]

I visit Ramstein each year regulair (at least 30-40 days). German police is always saying: taking pictures in the air is okay with us, no pictures on te ground! Police is always friendly!
Because, so I think, I try to act accoording to the rules of good spotting! It is that simple!
Act with respect to our interests (goodwilling people). Thanks! If not: Ramstein will be history!! The last nice airbase.

[Erik_7Xi]

Funny guys, the Americans, but IMHO they cannot fine me for doing something while not being on their territory, and therefore not under their jurisdiction.

It's not about fines although if you really do piss off the US Government, you may find that US law enforcement has very long arms indeed. Hosting stolen classified information on your website may find yourself living out of an Ecuadorean Embassy for over six months. Or you may find your house invaded by police and yourself arrested for extradition when running a company that is the hosting provider for illegal software (as a certain Mr. Dotcom experienced).

Now that is of course far, far, far away from publishing some pictures of Ramstein infrastructure (Google Maps anyone?) but provoking the Public Affair Office (or the AFOSI for that matter) is in no one's interest. The US Air Force is not above taking draconian measures against aviation enthusiasts. It's all fun and games until you pay thousand Euro to get to Osan Air Base and find that all Dutch people have been banned from the air show .. and all that because some other group of people, who you may not know at all, somehow really and truly =censored= off the WRONG person within the USAF.

[pjotrtje]

The quote above is about photographing US military objects, from US soil. So not applicable in Europe. There may ofcourse be a local law that also prohibits taking pictures from US military objects, so still be carefull!

In Germany that's called Militärischer Schutzbereich. No photograhy within that area (usually extending approx. 1/4 mile from the fence) and certainly no pics of infrastructure. The fact that we're allowed to shoot pics from inside that Schutzbereich of flying aircraft is an exemption to the prevailing law...

[aviodromefriend]

Funny guys, the Americans, but IMHO they cannot fine me for doing something while not being on their territory, and therefore not under their jurisdiction.

I'm afraid you can't be more wrong. For the Americans, people acting against their interests can be arrested anywhere in the world, according to their all overruling laws, which in their case is the American Law. Contrary to european countries they don't have some articles in their Constitution about prevailing international treaties or laws (like Human Rights) over their own laws, as quite a number of non-americans are finding out at the moment in US jails. (Also for crimes or seen as such by the americans that have not been commited on or even in the vicinity of US soil.)

[evhest]

Funny guys, the Americans, but IMHO they cannot fine me for doing something while not being on their territory, and therefore not under their jurisdiction.

I'm afraid you can't be more wrong. For the Americans, people acting against their interests can be arrested anywhere in the world

While it is true that international treaties or laws or seldom part of US-law, the above is simply untrue or at best a very simplistic world view.