Request to fellow photographers
If you think that what happened to me at Nellis was wrong (Details here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allenrockwell/2444562197/) and you do not want the same thing happening to you some day, please help me by expressing your opinions to the Las Vegas media and the authorities at Nellis AFB.
This is a matter of protecting your rights as a photographer.
I think it's important for these people to realize that I am not just one lone wacko out here writing letters ... there are several of us wackos 
<-- that was a joke.
What we need from Nellis (or the Air Force) is answers to the following 7 questions: (feel free to cut and paste these into your emails)
1. Do the Air Force police have jurisdiction over civilians outside of the air base?
2. Do the Air Force police have the authority (without a court order) to look at my photos? If so, under what authority?
3. Do the Air Force police have the authority (without a court order) to force me to delete my photos (Seizure of my private property)? If so, under what authority?
4. Do the Air Force police have the authority to detain and question a civilian on public or private property that happens to be in the proximity of an Air Force base?
5. Do the Air Force police have the authority to force me to move from private or public land just because I can see the air base from where I am standing.
6. Does the Air Force in fact have regulations regarding photography of “less common” aircraft? I’m not referring to secret or classified aircraft, but rather aircraft in the USAF inventory (as the officer stated) “in lower numbers”.
7. Does the Air Force have regulations concerning civilians photographing aircraft from public or private land outside of air bases?
You may submit your opinions on this matter to any or all of the following:
Las Vegas Sun Newspaper
[email protected]
[email protected]
KTNV ABC 13 Las Vegas
[email protected]
[email protected]
KVBC NBC 3 Las Vegas
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Nellis AFB Public Affairs Office
[email protected]
[email protected]
Col Howard Belote's office, Commander Nellis AFB
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Here is a sample letter that you may want to use as a starting point for your letter to the people at Nellis AFB ... feel free to modify it any way you see fit http://www.allensphotoblog.com/Sample.txt
Comments
Holy shit man, I just stumbled on to this site, but do you realize what you took a picture of?
I understand why they stopped you, you took a picture of something that you shouldn't have, not the planes, but something else, mainly what said planes are LOADED WITH!
You should know better as a photographer than to take random pictures from outside a secured airforce base.
Posted by: Colonel | July 18, 2008 08:15 AM
Is there something secret about 600 gallon fuel tanks and a a Sargent Fletcher centerline cargo pod?
The SP made mention about any of that. What's the big deal?
BTW, during JEFX most of the planes taking off were fully loaded with ordinance ,,, nothing classified, just bombs and missiles. Since when is it a problem for civilians to take photos of bombs and missiles?
Allen
Posted by: Allen | July 18, 2008 10:09 AM