If you believed USA Today and other papers, you'd think the gov't is wasting millions upon millions of dollars maintaining airports too.

 

Some Jack Whole is sitting down with his computer watching flightaware.com wondering why he can't see all the traffic coming into his town.

Believe me, if you were an operator of a 135 operation on a field where there are 2-3 other operators, would you want them to see where you are going everyday?

Cry to Obama and Pelosi...oh I guarantee her plane is blocked!

 

[quote=III Corps;798233][quote=UCLAbruins;797830]right on Boiler

Is not about safety or security, its about privacy...well that might be, but I'm sure when Coca Cola's CEO flies around in a bizjet, he worries a lot more about his investors than anything else...

 

The April, 2010 flightbrief from FltPlan.com Flight Planning & Flight Tracking for General Aviation.

Short version- If you used the NBAA to block your tail number-- you still retain privacy.


A recent Federal District court ruled that a list of FAA blocked tail numbers must be made available to the public. Naturally, many FltPlan.com users wonder how this affects them.

First of all, only those aircraft with tail numbers blocked at the FAA level will appear on the list. If your tail number is blocked at the ASDI vendor level, you are not affected.

Secondly, even if your N number is on this list (which is only available by filing a Freedom of Information Request with the FAA), your aircraft is still blocked from live tracking. This list does not make your travel plans public knowledge; it only shows that your tail number is blocked from view on tracking websites.

Why block your tail number at all?
In the not-so-distant past it was possible to fly your aircraft in relative privacy. Flight tracking vendors didn't release information to the general public - only to those in some way connected to the flight. This has all changed. Now your flight information and history are easily available from any internet computer or smartphone. Anyone who knows your N number can track every move that your aircraft makes. This could include the press, your competitors, your neighbor, disgruntled employees, banks, governmental agencies, etc. If you feel your flight schedule and history should remain private, you might want to block your tail number.

Blocking your tail number is a free process
Don't be fooled by companies that want to charge you hefty fees to block your tail number. This is a free service provided by NBAA. NBAA manages the BARR program, or Blocked Aircraft Registration Request. The BARR program is available free of charge to both members and non-members.

How to block your Tail Number
Operators with privacy and industrial security concerns resulting from the availability of Aircraft Situation Display to Industry (ASDI) data have two options for blocking aircraft flight tracking data:
Option #1 - Blocked by ASDI vendors
NBAA, through the BARR Program, centrally coordinates with all ASDI vendors to have your aircraft registration number blocked from their respective programs. Blocking the aircraft registration with the ASDI vendors removes the aircraft registration from view of all non-authorized persons. If your aircraft is blocked at this level, you will be able to track your own flights through an ASDI vendor.
Option #2 - Blocked at FAA source
For an additional level of security operators may choose to block their aircraft flight data at the FAA Source, which will remove all aircraft flight data before it is transmitted to the ASDI vendors. This means the information never reaches any ASDI vendor and therefore is not incorporated into their system. You will not be able to track your own airplane if blocked at this level. This list is available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Anyone foolish enough to think your flight can't be tracked by blocking your tail number is fooling themselves.

Every single blocked aircraft can be tracked using 'acars'.

There are enthusiast groups all over the world tracking flights worldwide, just google 'acars'. ACARS decoders are available to download for free.

Doesn't matter if you block using the BARR program or not. Even military flights are easily tracked.

As for ProPublica obtaining a list of blocked BARR aircraft, companies such as JETNET provide a list of every bizjet worldwide. They list the lessee, lessor, owner, operator. Other free services like LAAS, airlinerlist.com, FAA, Canadian Civil Aircraft Registry - provide aircraft info and production lists.

There are other free services that tie up Flight Numbers - to their tail numbers.

So for example, I could enter a free flight alert on FlightAware for Global XRS. Every US Global that isn't blocked will show up. If one is blocked, either their tail number or flight number will state the owner has requested this aircraft blocked. If it doesn't show up at all - then it has been blocked using the BARR program.

So all the court battle by the NBAA vs. ProPublica - the information was always available for free on the internet!!!

 

FWIW, I used to know some guys who flew for Coke and asked once about their activities. One said, "Can you think of a higher business target for kidnapping than the head of Coke?" The security begins with their hangar. So, no. It is more than worries about investors.

 

How would an "ACARS decoder" track a business aircraft that isn't equipped with ACARS?

If you knew where to look; a single, all-inclusive list wasn't ever available until this lawsuit.

 

There wasn't a list because nobody bothered to make one. Very simple to do!!

Also I might add, blocked aircraft from tracking services, still show up on the maps. So it is still possible to track them there.

There are also multiple aviation groups that track arrivals and departures at specific airports - something the CIA never thought of when their 'secret' terrorist flights to Cuba where photographed and logged.

I also find it odd, that all foreign aircraft other than Canadian are automatically blocked by FAA, they must apply to be added, and all U.S. and Canadian aircraft must apply to be removed.

An example would be after 911 when all the Saudi private jets departed the U.S. when everybody else was grounded - would now be automatically blocked.

 

There are ACARS 'spotters' (enthusiasts) who monitor ATC, and track all overhead flights depending where they are located and add them to there movement lists.

Basically there are very few areas in the USA that somebody isn't watching, and I might add, there are afew ATC staff who their work is also their hobby and fill in the blanks when required.

So if there was a specific aircraft that somebody, could be a repo company, press, propublica or whoever, it wouldn't be hard to find. You might miss the odd flight, but generally it isn't too hard to find.

This aviation groups as a whole, also have access to multiple sites that fill in the blanks, just a matter of knowing where to look and filling in the blanks.

 

You seem assured that you (or anyone else) can track a blocked tail number.

Save filing the F.O.I.A request; if I were to PM my tail number to you, could you tell me where my aircraft is right now?

Our tail number is blocked via the NBAA BARR program.