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Posts Tagged ‘Airport’

Fujifilm warns its customers to avoid sending undeveloped film through new airport scanners

19 Feb

Fujifilm has joined Kodak Alaris in warning its customers to avoid sending film through new scanners being deployed by the TSA in many airports throughout the United States. The advisory is brief and simply states, ‘Those machines may [be] more damaging to unprocessed film and Instax film than previous generations of scanners.’

The solution is simple: photographers are encouraged to pack their film products in a carry-on bag and to request a hand inspection of the items.

This is similar to the warning Kodak Alaris published in late January; the company received clarification from the TSA, which said that its screeners are trained to inspect film by hand. As well, the TSA has put warning signs near X-ray machines that may damage undeveloped film. The film should be packed in a clear plastic bag and removed from the carry-on luggage at the security checkpoint.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Kodak Alaris warns the TSA’s new airport CT scanners can damage undeveloped film

29 Jan

Kodak Alaris has alerted its customers to the risks of CT scanners being used by the TSA to scan carry-on luggage in a number of airports throughout the United States. According to the company, it tested the effects of these scanners on film products to determine just how risky they are. The results, according to a long Facebook post from Kodak Alaris, were ‘not good.’

In March 2019, the TSA announced a $ 96.8 million contract that had been awarded to Smiths Detection for 300 CT scanning systems that will be installed in 145 U.S. airports to screen carry-on bags. Some of these CT scanning systems are now in use at select airports and others will go live over the coming year.

‘To better assess the risk to film from the new carry on scanners we brought a small quantity of Portra 400/135 to John F Kennedy Airport,’ Kodak Alaris explains on Facebook. The film was put through these scanning systems one to 10 times and then was later evaluated by Eastman Kodak Research experts.

Kodak describes the results as ‘not good,’ saying:

Just 1 scan shows significant film fogging, leading to smoky blacks and loss of shadow detail. This will be more significant for higher speed films. Although it’s possible that a roll of 100 speed film would show less degradation, we strongly recommend against putting any unexposed or exposed but unprocessed film through a CT Scanner.

In order to avoid this, Kodak tells photographers to keep their film products in a carry-on bag and to request that TSA agents hand-check the film rather than sending it through the CT scanner. The TSA confirmed to Kodak that its agents are trained in hand-checking movie film, roll film and single-use film cameras.

The TSA warned Kodak that ‘a limited number of [carry-on] screening checkpoints’ feature X-ray equipment that may damage film. In these cases, the airports have put up warning signs at the checkpoints to warn passengers who may have undeveloped film in their bags. The majority of X-ray screening equipment used for checked baggage rather than carry-on baggage will damage undeveloped film as well, according to the TSA.

Kodak says it is developing ‘warning stickers’ that photographers will be able to print out at home and put on plastic bags containing their film products when traveling.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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London’s Heathrow Airport installs anti-drone system to prevent threats

16 Jan

Heathrow Airport, based in London, is the United Kingdom’s busiest airfield. After a recent spate of incidents involving drones, including an unsuccessful attempt by climate activists to ground flights, officials have decided to take action. A bespoke anti-drone system, developed by Aveillant Limited, a subsidiary of France’s Thales SA, has been deployed at Heathrow to detect and prevent unauthorized drone use.

‘The safety and security of our passengers and colleagues is our number one priority. That is why we’re investing in this new cutting-edge technology which will enhance our capabilities in the detection and deterrence of drones in and around our airfield. We’re delighted to have this unique system keeping our skies safe and helping passengers and cargo to get to their destinations on time,’ says Jonathan Coen, Director of Security for Heathrow Airport.

A similar system is also in place at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. Rogue drones can be detected at a distance of up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) away. The one installed at Heathrow can also pinpoint the exact location of offending remote pilots. From there, appropriate countermeasures can be deployed, though it’s not yet clear what those will be. Anyone caught flying in a Flight Restriction Zone, which extends out to 5 kilometers of any airport boundary, can face up to 5 years in prison if they have not secured permission ahead of time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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California tourist fined $20,000 for losing control of drone that landed at airport

22 Nov

If you want to fly your drone on the Las Vegas strip, you need to secure approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first. Since the popular tourist destination is in controlled airspace, and its airport, McCarran International does not participate in Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), acquiring a waiver from the FAA, as a Part 107-certified commercial pilot, is mandatory.

In June 2018, California tourist Reuben Burciaga learned this the hard way. He was attempting to capture an aerial perspective of the High Roller Observation Wheel at the LINQ with his drone. That’s when things went horribly wrong. ‘I went up to the parking structure at Caesars Palace and had no problem with GPS,’ Burciaga tells FOX 5 KVVU News. ‘It started acting weird and just took off.’

Burciaga’s drone flew two miles away from its takeoff point, at an altitude of slightly above 450 feet, and landed a few feet away from an active runway at McCarran. Employees discovered the drone and handed it over to the local police. After the FAA conducted an extensive investigation, due to an inaccurate registration number, they were able to identify Burciaga as the drone’s owner. The government agency followed up with a letter outlining his numerous violations, including flying in controlled airspace without authorization and fined him $ 14,700.

Flying a drone in congested areas poses serious risks. Signal loss caused by magnetic interference is the top cause of fly-aways. It’s pretty clear that Burciaga didn’t properly calibrate the drone’s compass before taking off in a parking structure. If he did calibrate it where he took off, the significant amount of rebar in the parking structure would certainly cause a compass error. If Burciaga already conducted hundreds of flights, like he claims in the video above, he should have known this would happen.

‘I don’t have the money to fight it, and I wouldn’t even have an idea how to fight it,’ Burciaga said. ‘That’s half of my year’s paycheck for trying to take a picture.’

Besides taking the time to perform basic pre-flight safety measures, he also avoided multiple letters from the FAA along with his chance to appeal. As a result, his fine has been bumped up to nearly $ 20,000. ‘I don’t have the money to fight it, and I wouldn’t even have an idea how to fight it,’ Burciaga said. ‘That’s half of my year’s paycheck for trying to take a picture.’ Appealing the charges is something he could have done for free.

The new amount owed has been turned over to the U.S. Treasury Department. They will deduct the amount from his future tax returns. Burciaga believes the fine is far too harsh, stating an amount between $ 1,000 – $ 3,000 would have been more appropriate. The FAA doesn’t seem to agree. ‘This was really a very serious incident, which is why we imposed such a large fine,’ said spokesperson Ian Gregor. ‘In this situation, the pilot committed a litany of serious violations and really flew the drone carelessly and recklessly.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Camera-friendly Canadian airport cuts holes in perimeter fence for aviation photographers

23 May

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, often shortened to Jean Lesage International Airport, has made camera holes in a range of locations around its perimeter fence to allow photographers an unhindered view of planes taking off, landing and moving along its runways and taxi areas.

The airport has propelled itself to the number one spot for aviation photographers with the project. Metal frames surround the holes to prevent wire scratching lenses and accompanying signs to clarify the area is reserved for photographers.

The airport got together with local plane-spotting group YQB Aviation to identify the best angles for photographers and then created a total of 10 sites all around the airport that provide views of exactly what photographers want to shoot, seen in the image below:

Jean Lesage International Airport which recently won awards for its environmental practices and as an outstanding workplace, and which carried almost 1.8 million passengers in 2018, also hosted a 5km run on its runways earlier this month to offer locals a different view of the airport.

Photo credit: Images by Jean-Lesage International airport, used with permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New extended UK airport no-fly zones will take effect on March 13

13 Mar

Last month, UK officials announced plans to extend the no-fly zone around airports from the current radius of 1km / 0.6mi to 5km / 3mi. The change is in response to the Christmas 2018 Gatwick airport drone incident, during which time more than 140,000 passengers were impacted and more than 1,000 flights were disrupted. The change will go into effect tomorrow, March 13, 2019.

Though the precise threat small drones present to large aircraft remains unknown, a growing body of evidence suggests a mid-air collision between the two could potentially be catastrophic. No-fly zones aim to prevent these close calls, but many drone operators have been caught ignoring regulations.

Gatwick airport no-fly zone via NoFlyDrones.co.uk

In February 2018, a video was published showing a small UAV flying within close proximity of a passenger jet near the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, for example. From February 2014 to April 2018, the US FAA had received 6,117 reports of drones being operated within an unsafe distance of manned aircraft, and Bloomberg reported in February 2018 that a small drone had struck a helicopter mid-flight, ultimately resulting in a crash.

Increasing the no-fly zone around airports will make it possible to use anti-drone technology to take down unwanted UAVs before they get too close to the facilities and runways. According to a report from BBC in January, the UK’s Heathrow Airport had been testing anti-drone systems before the Gatwick incident, but it’s unclear whether a permanent solution has been installed at either airport.

UK drone owners can view no-fly zones in the nation using the NoFlyDrones.co.uk website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Rogue drones cause chaos at London’s Gatwick international airport

21 Dec
Aircraft stands at the North Terminal — Martin Roell from Berlin, Germany CC BY-SA 2.0

London’s Gatwick airport has been in a state of perpetual disruption since Wednesday, December 19, after ‘rogue drones’ forced officials to close down the runways. According to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, the drones would reappear each time officials attempted to reopen the runaway, leaving the airport in a state of ‘chaos.’

Grayling explained to the press that officials were dealing with a ‘very serious ongoing incident in which substantial drones have been used to bring about the temporary closure of a major international airport.’

Gatwick was forced to ground flights around 4PM ET / 2100 GMT after two drones were seen flying in the airport’s airfield. More than 20 police units are searching for the individual(s) responsible for the drones, according to Reuters, and The Guardian now reports that Army officials have responded to aid with the situation.

Eurocontrol, the European aviation agency, at this time states that Gatwick will not reopen until 10PM local time at the earliest. Though police sharpshooters are on site, they were not authorized to shoot down the drones due to the risk of a stray bullet causing injury. Tens of thousands of passengers traveling over the holiday season have been impacted by the closure and more than 800 flights have been cancelled.

Gatwick airport chief executive Stewart Wingate has released a statement on the matter, saying in part:

Although not for today, these events obviously highlight a wider strategic challenge for aviation in this country which we need to address together with speed – the aviation industry, Government and all the other relevant authorities. It cannot be right that drones can close a vital part of our national infrastructure in this way. This is obviously a relatively new technology and we need to think through together the right solutions to make sure it cannot happen again.

Nations around the world have scrambled to develop regulations covering consumer drones and the potential risks they pose, including possible damage to commercial aircraft. Many countries have restricted the use of drones in the airspace near and above airports to avoid collisions during takeoff and landing.

Earlier this year, the University of Dayton Research Institute published a controversial video showing the damage a small drone caused to an airplane wing in a simulated environment. Though there haven’t been any substantial incidents resulting from drone-plane collisions, there was a helicopter crash earlier this year that may have resulted from a wayward drone.

A number of methods for deterring and capturing unauthorized drones have been developed, but few are in use. Existing methods include net-based drone take-down launchers and systems that disrupt a drone’s ability to communicate with its operator. No single, universal, rapidly deployable system has been developed, however.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Film crew arrested for allegedly trying to sneak a ‘fake bomb’ through airport security

24 Jan

A Dutch television film crew was arrested last Thursday at the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after attempting to take what is being called a ‘fake bomb’ through security. The alleged fake bomb was composed of a PVC pipe, wires, and a motor, according to law enforcement sources speaking to ABC News, though the crew’s production house claims it was actually ‘vacuum compression luggage.’

The arrests involved nine cast and crew members working on an upcoming series called “Staten Island Hustle” for Endemol Shine North America and Left Hook Media, according to a statement released by Endemol Shine.

You can watch the short news report by ABC News and see a picture of the ‘fake bomb’ from the TSA below:

Photo: TSA

In a statement given to NJ Advance Media, the company said the device wasn’t a fake bomb, but rather a prototype for vacuum luggage able to accommodate a larger number of items than ordinary luggage:

Unfortunately, there appears to have been a misunderstanding, and we regret any inconvenience to TSA and other authorities on the ground for complications that may have been caused.

However, TSA officials allege that the crew attempted to sneak the contraption past security officials while secretly recording the incident for a TV episode, and that the vacuum luggage system had all the indicators of being an IED. According to NJ.com, all nine individuals have been charged with conspiracy, creating a false public alarm, and interference with transportation.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Camera battery explosion causes chaos at Orlando International Airport

14 Nov
Photo by Ashim D’Silva

An exploding lithium-ion camera battery caused a panic at the Orlando International Airport on Friday, resulting in 24 flight cancellations as well as temporary chaos as a terminal was evacuated. Witnesses say the exploding battery made a sound similar to a gunshot, prompting people to flee the area.

Though frightening, the situation proved mostly harmless as officials discovered the source of the sound: a camera battery that had exploded inside of a traveler’s bag, which began smoking as a result. Orlando Police have since posted tweets advising the public that no shots were fired in the airport, but instead that “a lithium battery in a camera exploded in a bag … the bag was smoldering.” No one was hurt in the incident.

The incident follows a recent recommendation by the FAA that airlines ban passengers from checking devices with lithium-ion batteries in bags due to their volatility and the fire risk they pose, instead suggesting they pack them in their carry-on luggage.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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This animation shows the chaos a drone caused at a London airport

03 Nov

The sequence of diversions and re-routing caused when a drone was sighted close to one of London’s busiest airports has been turned into an amazing animated map by the UK’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS), to demonstrate the level of disruption even short airport closures can create.

The video map shows what happens to normal air traffic at Gatwick airport when the runway was closed in response to a drone in the vicinity. The closure lasted only nine minutes, but in that time two holding areas away from the airport became congested and some aircraft had to divert to alternative airports over fuel concerns.

The incident happened on a Sunday during the summer when the airport was particularly busy with summer holiday traffic. A drone was spotted close to the runway, but seemed to disappear before returning when the runway reopened, causing it to be closed again for another five minutes. In total, the runway was only closed for 14 minutes, but the level of disruption is easy to see on the map as aircraft circle and shift into safer holding areas with other planes waiting to use the airport.

In all, four holding areas had to be used, and four planes needed to land at different airports because it wasn’t clear how long the closure would last.

“The disruption was significant and took hours to clear; it was around midnight before everything was fully ‘back to normal’ and even then, hundreds of passengers had ended up away from their intended airport and thousands of passengers had been delayed,” reports the NATS blog. “All as a result of one drone pilot flouting the rules. “

NATS encourages all drone pilots to read the Civil Aviation Authorities’ Drone Code and to download the Drone Assist app to ensure they fly safely.

You can find out more about the incident and air traffic control on the NATS website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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