A new X-ray machine at Heathrow airport, which sees through passengers’ clothes, has been attacked by civil liberties campaigners as a “voyeur’s charter”.
The machine uses low-level radiation to see through clothing, producing an anatomically detailed black and white image of the body underneath.
Capable of detecting solid objects concealed under clothing, it started a four month trial in October.
Randomly picked passengers are asked if they will volunteer to be scanned by the machine.
“I stood in front of the screen and they took three pictures in different positions,” said passenger Pernille Nielsen.
“I don’t mind if the pictures are a little more personal as long as I’m safe in air — that’s what matters,” she told Reuters.
Another passenger, Maria Love, said: “It’s all about being safe, and I really have no problem with it.”
A spokeswoman for BAA Heathrow said 98 percent of participants gave positive feedback.
But civil rights group Liberty called the X-ray images unjustified and intrusive.
“We obviously do not object to taking security measures, but I remain totally unconvinced that it is necessary,” a spokesman said.
To justify the intrusion, the airport should show current detectors are inadequate, he added.
“It’s an obvious invasion of people’s privacy — it’s a voyeur’s charter.”
The American Transport Security Administration, which has considered using the machines at U.S. airports, echoed Liberty’s concerns.
“There are a number of privacy issues that need to be addressed before we would do field tests,” a spokeswoman said.
Scanners currently looking for concealed weapons or explosives on passengers have shown limitations in the past.
Traditional X-ray machines used to scan baggage have often struggled to identify plastic explosives, accidentally sounding alarms when detecting chocolate, cheese and peanut butter because of their similar density to the explosive Semtex.
Heathrow, which for security reasons declined to say how the new X-ray machine improves on current scanners, denies the machines could cause embarrassment.
“It’s a very low dose X-ray, the images are not stored, it’s same sex operated and the operator that sees the image will not see the person,” said the airport spokeswoman.
“There will not be a situation that could cause embarrassment,” she added.
Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports, handling around 64 million passengers a year.
By: Robert Hamilton - 12th November 2004 at 10:21
i dnt think its an airline 🙁 this belongs to the flying bulls! this is somthing to do with the drink so after a bit of researc i came up with this The DC-6B, built in 1958, is the latest “addition” to the Flying Bulls family. An aircraft that has a special, honourable past, it is somewhat unusual to expect it to have a bright future ahead of it after 40 years. However, it is just because of its history, as well as a number of other remarkable factors, that it is well known in aviation circles all over the world.
The first delivery left the manufacturers in Santa Monica on 22 October 1958, and went to what was at the time the Yugoslavian airline JAT (Jugoslovenski Aerotransport) in Belgrade, where it operated for three years as YU-AFA before being handed over to the Yugoslavian Air Force in 1961. The DC-6B now flew under military serial number 7451, refurbished exclusively and at short notice, as a VIP aircraft for Yugoslavian president Marshall Tito.
Later, during 1975, the aircraft went to the Air Force in Lusaka/Zambia, where it was also used as a special aircraft for President Kenneth Kaunda. At some point, the DC-6B’s operational time came to an end while it was in Zambia, and it was simply parked and forgotten.
It was not until 1992 that Chris Schutte, manager of NCA (Namibia Commercial Aviation – which also operated DC-6A’s) in Windhoek/Namibia, stumbled across the slumbering DC-6B in Zambia. It then became apparent why this aircraft is so important to today’s aviation enthusiasts: this DC-6B, serial number 45563, is the “sister” of the DC-6B, serial number 45564, and the two were the last aircraft in the DC-6 series to be built.
Both were delivered to JAT at about the same time, passed on to the Yugoslav Air Force, and then freighted to Zambia, where they waited patiently for their fates to be decided. Until now, the only difference has been that the “last” aircraft to be built – serial no. 45564 – was not used for the Yugoslav president. It is assumed that these two are the only ones of the type that are still suitable for passenger use today. An additional point of interest is the extraordinarily low number of flying hours: just 11000 for the 45564, and 7000
this was found at: http://www.geocities.com/airlinerhomepage/dc6.html
there are lots more pics there
By: Robert Hamilton - 12th November 2004 at 10:21
i dnt think its an airline 🙁 this belongs to the flying bulls! this is somthing to do with the drink so after a bit of researc i came up with this The DC-6B, built in 1958, is the latest “addition” to the Flying Bulls family. An aircraft that has a special, honourable past, it is somewhat unusual to expect it to have a bright future ahead of it after 40 years. However, it is just because of its history, as well as a number of other remarkable factors, that it is well known in aviation circles all over the world.
The first delivery left the manufacturers in Santa Monica on 22 October 1958, and went to what was at the time the Yugoslavian airline JAT (Jugoslovenski Aerotransport) in Belgrade, where it operated for three years as YU-AFA before being handed over to the Yugoslavian Air Force in 1961. The DC-6B now flew under military serial number 7451, refurbished exclusively and at short notice, as a VIP aircraft for Yugoslavian president Marshall Tito.
Later, during 1975, the aircraft went to the Air Force in Lusaka/Zambia, where it was also used as a special aircraft for President Kenneth Kaunda. At some point, the DC-6B’s operational time came to an end while it was in Zambia, and it was simply parked and forgotten.
It was not until 1992 that Chris Schutte, manager of NCA (Namibia Commercial Aviation – which also operated DC-6A’s) in Windhoek/Namibia, stumbled across the slumbering DC-6B in Zambia. It then became apparent why this aircraft is so important to today’s aviation enthusiasts: this DC-6B, serial number 45563, is the “sister” of the DC-6B, serial number 45564, and the two were the last aircraft in the DC-6 series to be built.
Both were delivered to JAT at about the same time, passed on to the Yugoslav Air Force, and then freighted to Zambia, where they waited patiently for their fates to be decided. Until now, the only difference has been that the “last” aircraft to be built – serial no. 45564 – was not used for the Yugoslav president. It is assumed that these two are the only ones of the type that are still suitable for passenger use today. An additional point of interest is the extraordinarily low number of flying hours: just 11000 for the 45564, and 7000
this was found at: http://www.geocities.com/airlinerhomepage/dc6.html
there are lots more pics there
By: airband1 - 12th November 2004 at 08:33
What airline are they from
By: airband1 - 12th November 2004 at 08:33
What airline are they from
By: EK. - 11th November 2004 at 17:14
I wouldn’t mind being around when these three go through… 😉
Looks cold there :p
By: EK. - 11th November 2004 at 17:14
I wouldn’t mind being around when these three go through… 😉
Looks cold there :p
By: Robert Hamilton - 11th November 2004 at 11:11
again with the picture LMFBO the r 3 georgous!!!!! i need 2 fly that airline!
By: Robert Hamilton - 11th November 2004 at 11:11
again with the picture LMFBO the r 3 georgous!!!!! i need 2 fly that airline!
By: 4 engines good - 11th November 2004 at 10:56
I wouldn’t mind being around when these three go through… 😉
By: 4 engines good - 11th November 2004 at 10:56
I wouldn’t mind being around when these three go through… 😉
By: Robert Hamilton - 11th November 2004 at 10:25
i remember reading somthing like this before were they said they would cover the private parts lol!!
By: Robert Hamilton - 11th November 2004 at 10:25
i remember reading somthing like this before were they said they would cover the private parts lol!!
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November 10, 2004 at 5:00 pm