The Little-Known US Law That Makes Photographing Military Aircraft A Federal Crime

The vast majority of aviation enthusiasts are well aware of the fairly straightforward principle that photographing aircraft from public land is usually legal. However, there is a very specific exception to this rule that most planespotters are well aware of. Federal prosecutors have indicated that Tianrui Liang, a 21-year-old Chinese national studying aeronautical engineering at the University of Glasgow, crossed into the United States on a valid B1/B2 visa, traveled to several military sites, and photographed aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, which is home to the United States Strategic Command. He was ultimately arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York on April 7, 2026, while allegedly trying to leave for Scotland.