They wait for hours near an airport and then, suddenly, they are propelled by the scruff of their collar. Some are slapped, others beaten. Some are branded terrorists, others hauled to the police station. And all because they love taking photos of airplanes. Welcome to the world of planespotting - an innocent pursuit whose followers are now being forced to do it surreptitiously, thanks to the ignorance and short-sightedness of authorities.
For many of them, capturing a majestic A-380, a dreamy B787 or a noisy IL-76 on film is as heady as flying. Mumbai-based financial analyst Vishal Jolapara says, "Planespotting is an enthralling obsession world over. But what few realize is that not only are we capturing aviation history, but we can often also be the eyes and ears of the police and the airport community."
A case in point: On February 15, 2010, two British planespotters were detained from a hotel near IGI airport, Delhi. The police claimed they were tracking flights. The duo insisted they hadn't done anything illegal. They were released, of course, but the incident just proved how risky, especially in these days of high and incessant security alerts, planespotting can be.
Rutvij Talavdekar, a 23-year-old who lives in Mumbai, remembers being questioned inside a police jeep in 2010 while he was shooting. "The police tried to confiscate my camera and it was only when I began speaking in Marathi that they let me go."
26/02/12 Shobha John/Times of India
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