I wouldn't go back to Greece if they paid me...

[p_p_man]

Great ain't it.

A group of plane spotters went to Greece last November to indulge in their hobby of plane spotting. They had all the relevent permission to take down the numbers of planes at various airports.

A strange hobby I know, but people like it and do it and it's very popular.

Suddenly they were arrested on espionage charges. After spending several weeks in prison (have you spent time in a Greek prison?) the political machine in the UK got itself into gear and they were eventually released on bail and allowed to return to the UK on the understanding that they would return to Greece to hear the verdict of the court.

This band of everyday Joes, one of just many plane spotting clubs throughout Europe (two of their members are in fact Dutch) returned a few days ago expecting the whole misunderstanding to be cleared up.

What happened. Two were sentenced to 3 years imprisonement and the others to eighteen month each.

Why? Apparantly plane spotting is an unknown hobby in Greece and the authorities had a hard time understanding the concept.

Myself I think the whole thing has turned political in which the club members have become pawns.

They have lodged an appeal and are arriving in the UK today pending a hearing of the appeal when they will be expected to return to Greece.

Would I go back a second time?

Not fucking likely...

ppman

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

I'd love to go to Greece. And what the hell is plane spotting?

 

[p_p_man]

I'd love to go to Greece. And what the hell is plane spotting?

The same as train spotting but with planes.

People form themselves into clubs to write down and record plane numbers, type, where seen etc and that way compile an on-going record.

In Northern Europe it has its followers (known as anoraks or "sad" people - a joke which anoraks themselves laugh at)

The simplest of investigation by the Greek authorities could have discovered the innocence of this particular group and what plane spotting is all about.

Since yesterday it has come out that Greece do, in fact, have plane spotting clubs. Not many and not great in membership numbers, but they exist.

Naah this incident has turned political.

You still wouldn't get me back there if I was one of the group.

 

[Myrrdin]

Vice versa.

I imagine if a group of people of Eastern Meditteranean appearance turned up on the fringe of a UK military base armed with binoculars, notebooks and radio scanners tuned to military fequencies, the results would be much the same.

 

[bluespoke]

Re: Vice versa.

I imagine if a group of people of Eastern Meditteranean appearance turned up on the fringe of a UK military base armed with binoculars, notebooks and radio scanners tuned to military fequencies, the results would be much the same.

Nope. However, if they turned up the museum housing the Elgin Marbles, armed with cranes, who know what would happen!

 

[p_p_man]

Re: Vice versa.

I imagine if a group of people of Eastern Meditteranean appearance turned up on the fringe of a UK military base armed with binoculars, notebooks and radio scanners tuned to military fequencies, the results would be much the same.

Come on you know better than that.

The airports in Greece are shared by both miltary and civilian aircraft. Planes fllying in over nearby towns coming in to land can have their markings clearly seen from any High Street.

A great play has been made of Greece's problems with Turkey but that's nonsense in this case.

I reckon the Greeks made arseholes of themselves over this and just don't know how to say 'sorry'.

They feel they've got to make it into a big international incident to save face.

And what's more my Greek hairdresser agrees with me.

 

[Myrrdin]

What kind of aircraft would be worth flying to Greece to photograph, anyway.
The Greeks haven't had a state of the art method of flight since the flight surface adhesive failed on the prototype Icarus.

 

[p_p_man]

Re: Re: Vice versa.

Nope. However, if they turned up the museum housing the Elgin Marbles, armed with cranes, who know what would happen!

Hey that's an idea. We could threaten to smash them into smithereens unless the Greeks drop all charges.

Might not please the archeologists among us but what the hell...

This is WAR!

 

[Myrrdin]

Re: Re: Vice versa.

The airports in Greece are shared by both miltary and civilian aircraft. Planes fllying in over nearby towns coming in to land can have their markings clearly seen from any High Street.

Even worse.

Imagine if a group of people of Eastern Meditteranean appearance turned up on the fringe of London's main airport armed with binoculars, notebooks and radio scanners tuned to air fequencies.

The skies would be closed down. Tower blocks cleared. Armed Anti terrorist police everywhere.

 

[p_p_man]

Re: Re: Re: Vice versa.

Even worse.

Imagine if a group of people of Eastern Meditteranean appearance turned up on the fringe of London's main airport

I live near Heathrow Airport and it is as you say...

But we call them asylum seekers...

 

[BustyTheClown]

What kind of aircraft would be worth flying to Greece to photograph, anyway.
The Greeks haven't had a state of the art method of flight since the flight surface adhesive failed on the prototype Icarus.

That sums up exactly what kinds of nerds these people are.