Why...

[EZ-Aviation]

This has been on my mind for a long time and I thought I would post it here to see what you all think.

Why, as pilots/aircraft owners, is our personal information available to the general public?

If you are driving down the street and want to see where the idiot lives that just cut you off, you can't go to the DMV website and lookup their license plate - right? Why can someone look up my information just because they have my tail number? It makes no sense to me at all.

I don't have anything to hide, but I certainly don't think it is right to have that information available to the public.

How many here realize that I can download a complete list of pilots, with addresses, as well as a/c owners, again, with addresses.

Just a little something on my mind...

Gary

 

[Shipoke]

Good Point Gary. never thoght about it ,but now i'm wondering also
Dave

 

[ausrere]

Actually you can get vehicle registration information via the web from some states. Most of them make you pay a third party for access to it though like publicdata.com. Most professional license information is also available, some for free, from the licensing agencies websites (like the medical boards). It's scary how easy it is to get information on just about anybody.

 

[cherokeeflyboy]

This has been on my mind for a long time and I thought I would post it here to see what you all think.

Why, as pilots/aircraft owners, is our personal information available to the general public?

If you are driving down the street and want to see where the idiot lives that just cut you off, you can't go to the DMV website and lookup their license plate - right? Why can someone look up my information just because they have my tail number? It makes no sense to me at all.

I don't have anything to hide, but I certainly don't think it is right to have that information available to the public.

How many here realize that I can download a complete list of pilots, with addresses, as well as a/c owners, again, with addresses.

Just a little something on my mind...

Gary

Section 715 Public Availability of Airmen Records

Section 715 Public Availability of Airmen Records

Section 44703 is amended by:
(1) redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as subsections (d) through (g), respectively; and
(2) inserting after subsection (b) the following:

(c) Public Information

(1) In General - Subject to paragraph (2) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the information contained in the records of contents of any airman certificate issued under this section that is limited to an airman's name, address, and ratings held shall be made available to the public after the 120th day following the date of the enactment of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century.

(2) Opportunity to Withhold Information - Before making any information concerning an airman available to the public under paragraph (1), the airman shall be given an opportunity to elect that the information not be made available to the public.

How you ask???

Change Your License Information - Add or Delete your Mailing Address from Public View

The Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, in addition to other statutory requirements, requires us to make airmen certificate information available to the public. Airmen meeting the active criteria are sent a notification of these requirements, and are given the opportunity to withhold their address information from release.

If your address appears in this data base and you would like to remove it, or if it does not appear and you would like to add it, you may write or email us your preference. You may provide us with your preference at any time. When corresponding with us, please be sure to include your full name, address, date of birth, and certificate number, so that we may properly identify your record.
see http://faa.gov/pilots/lic_cert/change/
go to http://faa.gov/contact_faa/index.cf...ccbi.gov&subject=Change Address Releasibility

Federal Aviation Administration
Airmen Certification Branch, AFS-760
PO Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0082

Addresses for airmen who do not meet the active criteria and have not been given the opportunity to withhold their address information, are not releasable.

 

[ejensen]

There is opt out for pilots but I don't think that owner's can.

 

[AirBaker]

There is opt out for pilots but I don't think that owner's can.

Thats why I've got an LLC in the works.

Actually, much of my info is out there already. I just have to keep a close eye on identity theft.

 

[EZ-Aviation]

Thats why I've got an LLC in the works.

Actually, much of my info is out there already. I just have to keep a close eye on identity theft.

Between the "opt out" and an LLC, that would just about cover it. What address would you use for the LLC- doesn't it have to be a physical address?

Gary

P.S. I flew out of RHV back in the early 90's, some out of SJC as well - great way to learn, and not be afraid of, congested airspace.

 

[Ken Ibold]

If you are driving down the street and want to see where the idiot lives that just cut you off, you can't go to the DMV website and lookup their license plate - right? Why can someone look up my information just because they have my tail number? It makes no sense to me at all.

But if you want to know how much your new neighbors paid for their house, you can easily look that up on the web in most places, and probably can even tell how much of a mortgage they took out.

Public records laws have always been hit and miss.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

I use a PO box for that reason.

 

[Maverick]

This has been on my mind for a long time and I thought I would post it here to see what you all think.

Why, as pilots/aircraft owners, is our personal information available to the general public?

If you are driving down the street and want to see where the idiot lives that just cut you off, you can't go to the DMV website and lookup their license plate - right? Why can someone look up my information just because they have my tail number? It makes no sense to me at all.

I don't have anything to hide, but I certainly don't think it is right to have that information available to the public.

How many here realize that I can download a complete list of pilots, with addresses, as well as a/c owners, again, with addresses.

Just a little something on my mind...

Gary

That's why I don't post pictures of my airplane that show the tail number to any online message board.

Jeannie

 

[mikea]

There is opt out for pilots but I don't think that owner's can.

CorrectO!

I asked about that at Oshkosh. The AIRCRAFT registration division has different rules.

BUT you are NOT required to have the address where YOU can be physically located in the aircraft registration.

Thus, a lot of celebrities have the aircraft registered to a Delaware or other corporation and/or at an office address.

I'm going to change mine.

Note though that there has been a recent panic by the Dept. of Homeland Security et. al. to chase down "invalid" registrations. It's good idea to check yours to make sure it's current and real.

Is it legal to use a P. O. Box?

 

[ejensen]

CorrectO!

I asked about that at Oshkosh. The AIRCRAFT registration division has different rules.

BUT you are NOT required to have the address where YOU can be physically located in the aircraft registration.

Thus, a lot of celebrities have the aircraft registered to Deleware on other corporations at an office address.

I'm going to change mine.

Note though that there has been a recent panic by the Dept. of Homeland Security et. al. to chase down "invalid" registrations. It's good idea to check yours to make sure it's current and real.

Is it legal to use a P. O. Box?

I think as long as it is an address where you will not miss any mail you OK for the registration. Your pilot's certificate has to be a physical address. Didn't some guy on avweb fight that real hard about 10 years ago?

 

[ejensen]

That's why I don't post pictures of my airplane that show the tail number to any online message board.

Jeannie

Yeah, I really should get admin to change my username. I wasn't thinking. Still not too hard to find, less than 5 minutes. Really hard to hide these days without dropping out.

 

[fgcason]

Your pilot's certificate has to be a physical address.

What if you don't have an actual physical mailing address at your residence? IOW something like living in a remote cabin in Alaska and use a POBox in town. I thought the rules allowed a pobox address however you must also supply physical directions to your residence under those circumstances. Then if that's the case, does the directions to your house show up in the public registry along with your pobox address?

 

[JasonCT]

Let not be honest here - for about 29.99 people can find out just about anything on us.

Not that its right, but we are all out there for the picking.

 

[EZ-Aviation]

Let not be honest here - for about 29.99 people can find out just about anything on us.

Not that its right, but we are all out there for the picking.

You are absolutely right, but my original point was that it is WAY TOO EASY to find out about us and our airplanes - all you have to do is type the N-number in google and you can get every bit of info you would ever want.
For example, it took me about 3 seconds to find out what street N234 lives on - what possible good can that do?

G

 

[ejensen]

What if you don't have an actual physical mailing address at your residence? IOW something like living in a remote cabin in Alaska and use a POBox in town. I thought the rules allowed a pobox address however you must also supply physical directions to your residence under those circumstances. Then if that's the case, does the directions to your house show up in the public registry along with your pobox address?

That sounds right. In the areas where addressing isn't implemented I think you can provide the directions. I have now idea if it shows in the registry. I bet not probably a remark or comment in the database.

 

[ejensen]

For example, it took me about 3 seconds to find out what street N234 lives on - what possible good can that do?

It gets me a post card every few weeks offering to buy or sell the plane. I really have no idea why that information has to be public. You can also find be just about as fast by my name and city.

 

[fgcason]

That sounds right. In the areas where addressing isn't implemented I think you can provide the directions. I have now idea if it shows in the registry. I bet not probably a remark or comment in the database.

Here we go:
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/update_address/
A Post Office Box is not acceptable as a residence address. A residence address must be furnished. If you want us to use your P.O. Box rather than your residence as your mailing address you may provide both.
If your residence address is listed as General Delivery, Rural Route, or Star Route, you must provide directions or a map for locating the residence. We do not require that you get a new certificate when updating your address and we won't issue one automatically.

As far as having the FAA list your information, you can have it added or removed on request:
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/change_releasability/
Weird. The rules require them to release the information in this day and age of identity theft, terrorism, fraud and whatever else you can dream up. I haven't looked into the rules but on the surface it seems like a fairly bad plan to have what is essentially private information plastered up on the internet.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

That's why I don't post pictures of my airplane that show the tail number to any online message board.

Just as an exercise, I decided to see if I could find it anyway.

Five minutes, four seconds to find your tail number, full name, home address, that the plane is co-registered with someone else apparently in your family, that you are apparently on the board of MADD in your state, and you are a trustee of your local Democratic Club.

Scary, huh!

(Too scared to look myself up... I just don't wanna know what the world knows about me.)

 

[Maverick]

Just as an exercise, I decided to see if I could find it anyway.

Five minutes, four seconds to find your tail number, full name, home address, that the plane is co-registered with someone else apparently in your family, that you are apparently on the board of MADD in your state, and you are a trustee of your local Democratic Club.

Scary, huh!

(Too scared to look myself up... I just don't wanna know what the world knows about me.)

You got all that from the little bit of information that's in my profile? I know it's easy to find information online but even that surprises me.

I just did my own search and I see how it's possible with just a little information. I'm assuming you got your start from the aircraft owners database?

 

[ejensen]

You got all that from the little bit of information that's in my profile? I know it's easy to find information online but even that surprises me.

I just did my own search and I see how it's possible with just a little information. I'm assuming you got your start from the aircraft owners database?

That's what I did, Cardinals by zip code.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

You got all that from the little bit of information that's in my profile? I know it's easy to find information online but even that surprises me.

Actually, it's worse than that. I didn't even have to look in your profile.

I just did my own search and I see how it's possible with just a little information. I'm assuming you got your start from the aircraft owners database?

Yup. That and Google.

 

[judypilot]

I had a PO Box address on my certificate for years. I did have to provide a map to my house, though. I was in an area that didn't have addresses yet, and I received no mail at the house, only at a PO.

I don't like the fact that information is so readily available, but I also think that horse done left the barn long ago, so I don't try to hide it. I do know you can opt out of putting your address in the airman registration because I just tried to look up the former owner of my airplane to send him a picture of the new panel. He wanted to be kept updated on the airplane (it had emotional value to him), but my letter to him was returned with no forwarding address and his address isn't listed.

I didn't think to look him up under a/c registration, though. Last I saw him, he had a Bonanza, so I'll try that.

Judy

 

[ScottM]

Just as an exercise, I decided to see if I could find it anyway.

Five minutes, four seconds to find your tail number, full name, home address, that the plane is co-registered with someone else apparently in your family, that you are apparently on the board of MADD in your state, and you are a trustee of your local Democratic Club.

Scary, huh!

(Too scared to look myself up... I just don't wanna know what the world knows about me.)

did not see that you had already done this but I was able to do it as well very easily and added the ham radio callsign to the list of stuff. I started with Cardinals in Michigan and then a search for 'clair' after that.

it just goes to show that even with a common last name such as Jena has you need only one little piece of info to open up the search and start focusing the search towards a person. My last name is pretty rare and it is very easy to find stuff on me just from that. I gave up a long time ago trying to protect that type of info.