Hiding Aircraft Identities – Internationally

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, the potential for anyone to hide their private aircraft and its use from public scrutiny is a reality. This will not make a significant difference to most people, however it will be somewhat anoying for aviation enthusiasts – whether you are a plane spotter or photographer.

The fact that the aircraft that you see on one of the flight tracking sites cannot be identified, may pique your interest or it may not. Although as a spotter I think it is more likely to be the former, finding out after the fact that something really interesting has been at the local field for a Gas and Go is likely to be quite annoying.

The “Robb Report” has a quite good article here which details some of the reasons, for those of you that do not want to read the report there is the following taken from the post on their site.

This will just make tracking more difficult for the plane spotting community, I’m sure that certain of these aircraft will be identified quite quickly – by the local to the departure airfield spotters. But disseminating that information to the wider spotting community will not happen quickly.

The FAA has allocated some 50,000 of these Personal ICAO Addresses, other agencies are likely to make their own allocation. On the plus side, with the code ranges assigned to each country being known – you will be able to asses the nationality of the aircraft if nothing else.

If as is suggested in the report, there are negotiations in progress to allow the PIA to be applied internationally It is likely that there will be very few private jets that can be identified when using the aircraft trackers, after all these just display the information broadcast by the aircraft.

The next step would probably be ADS-Bx, where the transmissions are encrypted – making tracking any or all aircraft near impossible, I would say that this is a possibility, but on the plus site it is a good few years in the future.

So is it just a matter of time, before the tracking tools and the sites like AirNav Radar Box become just so much baggage and of no use to a plane spotter or paparazzi.

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create the downloads available on this site for free, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows. Currently being worked on are a number of lists for types, these are extracts from the US Civil register – these lists will be in a simple check list format or a Comma Separated Values file for these types.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

Other Tracking Sites

Over the time I have researched this series of originally three and now four posts, I have come across a number of tracking sites. This post covers some of them, the ones which I think are better as a source of information for plane spotters – by implication this does include aviation photographers.

Each of these sites does have its own positives and negatives, they may not neccessarily be what you think. I will include the reasons for my choices, these are personal and do not reflect on the sites as there may well be changes underway that I am unaware of. One other thing to bear in mind is that I do not have any kind of affiliation to any of these sites – nor do I have a subscription to any of these sites.

AirNav RadarBox

I have used this site a number of times, in general I find it easy to navigate and it automates a number of functions – like showing tracks when you zoom into a small area. Also of benefit is the ticker displaying the most watched aircraft, where a simple click will focus the map on that aircraft and highlight it. There are a nice range of filters, which are easilly accessible.

What I do not really like, is that the display seems to be very busy with everything being the same colour – it can be difficult to spot aircraft on the screen and you need to hunt around a bit. Also, I should tell you that I personally have a downer on blocked aircraft – of which there are quite a number courtesy of the fact that they take data from the FAA SWIM feed and have to obey the rules..

This site is a great site if you would like to start partcipating by becoming an ADS-B data collector and feeder, you can source what you need and there is quite a lot of help if you are not technically minded. And to be fair their tarrifs for the commercial products don’t seem overly expensive. As the site offers a number of additional features like audio ATC feeds.

ADSBHub

This is good site, but creating an account proved to be troublesome – possibly just me. One of the features that I really like on this site is that you can select one of the feeding stations and look at the aircraft it can see. This gives a great indicator of the coverage that you are likely to have if you are thinking about setting up your own base station.

Again, the display is very busy and the aircraft Icons are nearly all the same colour. It is simple to use but when you take the display and concentrate on a single aircraft from one of the reporting stations, you see just the ICAO code and limited other data – no aircraft registration. So from a spotting perspective not such a great site, from an ADSB network perspective it is a very good site.

The Air Traffic

This is the site created by the ubiquitous Mr Jack Sweeny, it was created after NetJets purchased ADSB Global Exchange. This is his way of making sure that he displays the data he wants to display, good on him. But I would caution that that is how Global Exchange started out before the dollars were flashed infront of the owner.

Anyone who has used ADSB Global Exchange will be instantly familiar with the user interface, all the controls and actions are the same – although some colours have been change to protect the inocent (it also lets you know that you are somewhere else). All the same features are available, nothing has been added except independence – there are now nearly 1300 feeders to the site.

As to the negatives, well as long as Mr Sweeny can resource the time required – they are the same as ADSB Global Exchange without a jet charter business in charge where technically they could selectively filter flights by registration or ICAO hex code and make their own jets very difficult to track. Should time become an issue for someone approaching the final year of full time education, there is the possibility for the site to become a bit of a chore for him.

ADSB Finland

Oh no I hear you say, not another ADSB clone. Well not only did Mr Sweeny setup his own site, another group of enthusiasts did the same thing to maintain independence – I don’t think that there was any communication between the two parties but I don’t know. Anyway, all the functionality of ADSB Global Exchange but with independence and in this case – in excess of 2000 data feeds to the site.

So the drawback is that it has less feeders tha ADSB Global Exchange, so will have less coverage – although it will have more coverage than The Air Traffic site. However it is another independent site bringing variation to the spotter ecosystem, along with free access to the data.

Other Sites

There are a number of other sites, I have come across some while doing some of the research for these posts – what are they like? Well the ones that I tested went from, didn’t work at all to pretty mediochre.

The OpenSky site covered in one of the previous posts is good if you are looking for something a bit different, the Radar Box site is good from an automation point of view providing you don’t mind the blocked aircraft details. Anyway. I hope this series of four posts has given some insight to the world of tracking aircraft and that you find something of use in them.

Tracking using social media.

This aspect of “aircraft” tracking is, to me somewhat confusing. I can understand that people in the public eye who say they are going to do something and then do something different, should then be called out. As an example, where someone claims to have green credentials and then takes hundreds of private flights – some only minutes long in a private aircraft that would burn thousands of tons of jet fuel.

But in the main these social media accounts seem to me to follow the standard social media model, that is one where the more followers that you have the better and the end justifies the means. That said, there are a number of individuals on various social media platforms who seem to focus on the individual – while tracking their private aircraft seems to be the excuse.

The most prominent of these is Jack Sweeny, who got into spats with both Elon Musk and Taylor Swift. To be fair to Mr Sweeny, when NetJets bought the main ADSB site – he did step up and create his own independent site. But his interest main does still seem to concentrate on individuals, following their jets and publishing the data on social media platforms.

An other social media tracker, although it specifically tracks “Taylor Swift” is the Blue Sky site which can be found here. I have had a brief look at the site and it is an ecellent reminder of the reasons why my use of these social media sites is limited.

There are many other individuals who track the wealthy and celebrities and publish their movements on social media, but in the main they seem to be either fans or people who have their own agenda.

 In Conclusion

Private jet tracking has become an intriguing niche on social media, where enthusiasts and watchdogs alike share information about the movements of private aircraft. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest have become hubs for this activity, with users using publicly available data to monitor the flights of private jets. This practice, while often rooted in curiosity, also intersects with broader societal discussions on privacy, environmental impact, and the lifestyle of the wealthy.

On X, for instance, real-time updates about jet movements are frequently shared using automated bots or manual posts. These posts often include detailed flight paths, estimated times of arrival, and even “speculation” about who might be on board, based on the aircrafts registration and known schedules of its owners. The immediacy of X makes it an ideal platform for those who want to track and discuss these flights as they happen, often fueling discussions about the environmental footprint of frequent private air travel.

Facebook groups dedicated to aviation enthusiasts and watchdog communities also play a significant role in the private aircraft tracking ecosystem. These groups allow members to share and discuss findings, often providing a more in-depth analysis than the brief updates found on X. The collaborative nature of these groups can lead to more comprehensive tracking efforts, as members pool their knowledge and resources to monitor specific aircraft.

Instagram and Pinterest, on the other hand, offer a more visual take on private aircraft tracking. Users on these platforms often share images of the aircraft, either from the air or grounded at various airports around the world. Some posts glamorize the luxury associated with private air travel, while others critique the environmental and ethical implications of such opulence. Hashtags related to private aircraft have grown in popularity, drawing attention from both admirers and critics alike.

The rise of private aircraft tracking on social media reflects a broader trend of transparency and accountability in an increasingly connected world. While some see it as a fun hobby or a way to admire the lifestyles of the rich and famous, others view it as a tool for social and environmental advocacy, calling out the excesses of wealth and the carbon footprint associated with private air travel. Regardless of the perspective, the convergence of aviation data and social media has created a unique space where the movements of private aircraf are no longer hidden from public view, sparking conversations that extend far beyond the runways.

Celebrity trackers.

There are a number of Celebrity Aircraft Tracking sites, both on the web and the deep web and there are probably sites on the dark web. I would like to start by saying that  personally feel that tracking a specific individual is wrong, but I understand that people who have generated an almost cult like personal following don’t really have a right to complain about people following them.

Celebrity tracker users.

Who uses these trackers, probably anyone who is interested in celebrities from their fans – some of whome may have an unhealthy interest, through climate actvists and probably some of these have an unhealthy interest as well, all the way to the generically termed Paparazzi. There are probably many others, who actually have a reason to track a celebrity.

Who is tracked?

The list of people tracked is really long, visiting the tracking sites I mention in this post will give you a view of who is tracked.  But you’ll have to do your own research, this will help you build a fuller picture. I would actually go as far as to say that it must be a bit traumatic for some people to find out that they are not tracked, so contrary to what they think – they probably don’t have celebrity status (sarcasm).

What is the problem?

In general the problem cited by celebrities is personal safety and security, something that everyone should look to but celebrities have to look harder and more diligently as they become more high profile they have to increase their personal security. It is part of their way of life, as you cultivate a greater following you need more security – so the simple fact of the matter is that the celebrities themselves created their own problem, if they want “people” to follow their lives. They probably have to accept that it will be the full spectrum of “people” and that will include individuals right across the spectrum.

These celebrities and wealthy individuals are entitled to feel safe and secure, but seem to at some point want both the exposure and the mutally exclusive privacy. The balance can be very difficult, but in some cases there are double standards applied that equate almost to a do as I say not as I do view point from some celebrities. In simple terminology, when using any aircraft not just private ones. People knowingly and willingly broadcast their positional data, anyone who has the correct equipment can receive this information and do what they want with it – whether the celebrity likes it or not!

What is the result?

At the moment, the result is the loss of more digital freedom for the citizens of the USA – but it should be noted that other governments are looking at removing this freedom through legislation. Put simply, any aircraft owners or operators can apply to hide the identity of an aircraft – but this only applies in US controlled airspace and currently for US registered aircraft. However in the future that feature may not just be restricted to the United States, or to United States registered aircraft.

What sites track celebrities?

There are too many to cover in a short post, so as with the previous post I’ll just cover a few just the top hits from a search engine to give an example of whats out there. There are also cross reference links which I’ll mention for the sites below, for any of the sites below – clicking on the image should take you to the site.

Celebrity Private Jet Tracker.

This is a simple to use tracker, allowing the information to be ordered in a number of ways. The focus seems to be around the carbon foot print of the celebrities, there is quite a limited cover of celebrities – but the fact that you can order the presented tables in a number of ways makes the site easy to use and the information easy to find.

A point worth noting is that there are a number of active links dotted around the site to other tracking sites, these I have not investigated. It is also well worth reading the Frequently Asked Questions page provided on the site, as there ia a weallth of information in the questions along with quite a number of links to other  sites.

Celebjettrack

I have included this site just to show the variance in the quality of these sites, this site simply displays a map with a small list of celebrities down the left hand side of the screen. It does offer a flight replay function, but in truth it is quite restrictive in the information it provides.

JetSpy

To me this is by far and away the most concerning of the sites, it offers tracking information on literally thousands of individuals, families, corporations, government agencies among a number of other classifications.

The site seems to look at a number of classes of private and corporate aircraft users, but what is most concerning is the reference to many high net worth people and their families – this must be a significant security concern for these people. These are not people who have cultivated a public following, they are people who in general have been successful in business or have inherited significant wealth, these people probably have no reason or desire to be tracked.

The one saving grace that the site has is that it charges a subscription, ranging from $24.95 for a single aircraft to $249.95 for everything so most individuals probably wouldn’t bother – the press may be another matter. Looking at the site does show an extensive Frequently Asked Questions page, where it mentions the LADD programme – stateing that the site does not take the FAA SWIM feed. It also mentions the PIA programme and the obtuse terminology used would lead you to believe that they will be unaffected, this is patently not true – they will be able to display the PIA data but not the correct ID of the aircraft.

So as you can see from this and the previous post, there are a number of sites that offer aircraft, celebrity, wealthy people, goverment agency tracking services. The sites in this post just scratch the surface, in the next post I’ll be looking at the celebrity trackers on social media.

Tracking Sites

There are a number of tracking sites, from the ubiquitous Flight Radar 24 all the way to the somewhat concerning JetSpy. For the average person with an interest in aviation, the sites like Flight Radar 24 are generally good enough.

Other sites have advantages, like they don’t take the FAA SWIM feed – so can display all the data that the aircraft transmits. This bypasses the restrictions placed on sites like Flight Radar 24. A typical example would be an aircraft not showing the departure and arrival airport, or some other information. In the screenshot below, you can see that there is little information available, this aircraft is subscribed to the LADD programme so the data displayed on FR24 is restricted.

To view these images at full resolution (they are simple screen shots), right click on the image and select open in a new tab.

If we now look at the same aircraft on ADSB, we can see that there is more information. Which is why when I’m looking at these web sites I will normally use the following site “globe.adsbexchange.com”, none of the tracking sites are perfect – there are sometimes reasons for using more than one at a time.

The above two sites are the basic sites that will suit most peoples needs, another site that I use that is a little more difficult to navigate and has slightly more restricted graphical interface is “opensky-network.org” which unlike the other sites does require you to create an account for access. When all three sites are used in conjunction, it is generally possible to find all the information that I require.

All of these sites will be affected by the PIA programme, as the actual aircraft will broadcast a fake identity – they will display only the data based on tracking the temporary ICAO Hex code. But for aircraft other than these they deliver sufficient information to identify the aircraft and its routing.

In my next post I will cover the sites that concentrate on tracking the private arcraft of the wealthy.