Plane Spotting Lands Hobbyists in UAE Jail on Grounds of National Security Concerns

Plane spotters take their pastime very seriously and have been known to go to great lengths to catch sight of rare aircraft, but three British nationals in the UAE probably never imagined their hobby would land them in prison.

Three British citizens were arrested and jailed in the UAE after drawing the attention of an off-duty policeman near Fujairah International Airport (FJR) last week. According to a report from BBC, Conrad Clitheroe, Gary Cooper and Neil Munro were excited to visit the airport because of its reputation for hosting seldom-seen vintage aircraft. That excitement quickly turned to dread though when the hobbyists were confronted by police and detained over national security concerns.

Officers allege the plane spotters were using a telescope and taking photographs of aircraft from an area near the airport. However, according to a report from The Telegraph, the trio checked with the authorities before going to the site and they were assured that plane spotting was allowed in the Gulf nation. The three men claim they were aware of restrictions on taking photographs near the airport and limited their activities accordingly, merely logging tail numbers and recording sightings in a journal.

Plane spotting enjoys considerably greater popularity in the U.K. than in other countries around the globe. This has led to misunderstandings even before last month’s incident. In 2001, 12 Britons were arrested on espionage charges after plane spotting near a military base in Greece, and in 2010, a pair of aviation aficionados from the U.K. were arrested on similar charges in India.

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