Airport law: what spotters are allowed to do

Airline logos and trademark law: can you use aircraft photos commercially?

A painted aircraft almost always carries a registered trademark. When that doesn’t matter for your photo, when it gets tricky for sales, advertising or merchandise, and what role copyright and freedom of panorama play.

Right to roam: using fields, meadows and paths at the airport

Farm tracks, meadow edges, fallow land: around many airports the best photo locations are in open countryside. The guide explains what the right to roam allows, when fields are closed and which limits apply at the airport.

EU aviation security law explained: Regulation 300/2008 and 2015/1998

Security screening, airport pass, fence and patrols: almost all of it goes back to two EU regulations. How 300/2008 and 2015/1998 work together, what is public, what stays secret and what it means for you as a spotter.

Selling aircraft photos: business registration, taxes, usage rights and releases

From your first fee to the stock agency: when a hobby becomes an activity that matters for tax purposes, which usage rights you grant and when you need model or property releases.

Photography in the terminal: what applies at German airports from check-in to the gate

In the terminal, the rules of the street do not apply, the airport’s house rules do – and at the security checkpoint, aviation security law as well. The guide takes you zone by zone from check-in to the window at the gate.

House rules at the airport: where the operator may restrict photography

On airport grounds, the operator decides what is allowed – but not without limits. This guide explains where house rules come from, what applies in the terminal, the parking garage and on the observation deck and how to avoid trouble.

Sky lanterns, balloons and fireworks near airports: bans and permits

Sky lanterns are banned practically everywhere in Germany, balloon releases and rockets in controlled airspace need air traffic control clearance, and fireworks near airports need early notification. The rules at a glance – and why spotters should know them.

Is plane spotting legal? What applies at airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Watching and photographing aircraft is generally allowed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland – within clear limits. An overview of house rules, restricted areas, the military, drones and personality rights.

The 2001 Kalamata case: when plane spotters in Greece were treated as spies

An open day at an air force base, a few notebooks full of identifiers – and suddenly espionage charges are on the table. The 2001 Kalamata case at a glance and the lessons that still apply today.

Laser pointers aimed at aircraft: why it is a crime and what you face

A laser beam in the cockpit can blind a crew on approach. In Germany it is a dangerous interference with air traffic under Section 315 StGB. Hazards, penalties and what to do as a spotter.

Ladder, step stool and tripod at the airport fence: what is allowed and where trouble starts

A ladder at the fence is no crime – but no free pass either. Where you may set up a step stool and tripod, which rules apply on sidewalks, airport grounds and the observation deck, and where trouble regularly starts.

The Aviation Security Act (LuftSiG) explained: what spotters need to know

The Aviation Security Act sounds like counterterrorism – and it is. But a few sections are very practically relevant for spotters: the ban on entering the airside, prohibited items, fines and penalties. An overview without legalese.

Luftverkehrsgesetz and Luftverkehrs-Ordnung: German aviation law for spotters explained

LuftVG, LuftVO, LuftSiG, SERA: German aviation law looks like a jungle of abbreviations. This overview shows how the layers fit together and which rules actually affect you at the airport fence.

Parking at spotting locations: no-stopping zones, towing and fines

Most tickets that spotters get aren’t at the fence but at the roadside. No-stopping zones, motor roads, shoulders, private airport lots and towing costs – explained clearly.

People in spotter photos: KUG, GDPR and pictures of crew and passengers

A pilot in the cockpit window, passengers at the boarding stairs, visitors on the terrace: when you may show such pictures, what exceptions the Kunsturhebergesetz (KUG) allows and where the GDPR comes into play.

Spotting abroad: high-risk countries, preparation and what to do when there’s trouble

What is routine at your home fence can end in suspicion of espionage elsewhere. Which countries are considered sensitive, how to prepare your trip and how to behave during a check or an arrest.

Removal orders and house bans at airports: what applies, how long, what follows

A Platzverweis (police removal order) and a Hausverbot (house ban) sound similar but come from two different legal worlds. The guide explains legal bases, duration, consequences and how to react correctly as a spotter when it counts.

Police checks while spotting: ID requirements, your rights and the right behavior

If you stand at the airport fence with a long lens, you will be checked at some point. What the federal and state police may do, what information is mandatory, what applies to photos and your phone and how to get through the check in a few minutes.

Landside, airside, security restricted area: airport zones explained

Every airport is divided into zones with different access rules. What landside, airside and the security restricted area mean, where the boundaries run, who may cross them and why this matters to you as a spotter.

Plane spotting in Austria: legal situation, airport rules and special features

Plane spotting is allowed in Austria – but the law works differently than in Germany. Interference with possession instead of trespass, the Restricted Areas Act at air bases, image protection under the Copyright Act: the overview for spotters.

Plane spotting in Switzerland: legal situation, military sites and airport rules

Watching aircraft is allowed in Switzerland – but military airfields have their own rules. This guide explains Art. 329 of the Criminal Code, the Facility Protection Ordinance, house rules at Zurich and Geneva, personality rights and the special case of EuroAirport.

Copyright in aircraft photos: who owns the picture and what you can do about image theft

Your spotter photo is protected from the moment you press the shutter – even without a watermark or registration. Who the author is, which rights you grant to photo sites and how to respond step by step when your picture turns up without permission.