Ok,
So I live about 20 minutes away from KHPN (Westchester County Airport) and have been there many times to go flying with Peter Levine in his Piper, anyway I decided last week it would be cool to go spotting there and get some shots of the Embrears, Airbuses, CRJ's as well as all the GA traffic coming in and out of the airport. last Monday I called the Airport and talked to a very nice person who said I could come and spot from the Observation deck in the main terminal, I also called the local Flight School and FBO (also where Peter Levine keeps his plane) to see if I could walk around that part of the airport to take pics and watch the aircraft departing and taxiing. Both People (At the Main airport and FBO) told me that It was fine for me to do that the only condition was that I check in at both places before spotting. Ok thats fine.
Today I went to go spotting and I got there, with the name of the people I spoke to and a reason for wanting to spot and I checked in at Panorama Flight School and told them who I talked to and what I wanted to do. I was told that I would not be allowed to do this, and I would be arrested and that I would have to leave. Huh???? I was told It was fine. Anyway, so I went to the main terminal after that and I talked to the same person I had talked to on Monday and I got the same answer that I had gotten from the guy at Panorama. So just like that my whole day was ruined and I had no chance of spotting.
So, my question is, when people go spotting at major airports and they make videos and take pictures where do they go, and how do they not get arrested? If I cannot go at my tiny regional airport then how in the world do people go spot at places like JFK or IAD or EWR or LGA? I would really like to go to JFK to spot, as well as to my airport HPN which is 20 minutes away!