Off the Radar: Private Planes Hidden From Public View

[rsmith6621]

Televangelist Kenneth Copeland faced a congressional inquiry after flying his ministry’s tax-exempt jet to Maui and the Fiji Islands.

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds has been questioned about his use of state planes for political and personal trips.

And after getting a $180 billion federal bailout, the insurance giant AIG caught flak for its fleet of corporate jets.

To prevent the public from seeing where they fly, all have over the years turned to a little-known program that lets private plane owners block their flights from view in the government’s system for tracking air traffic.

The owners don’t have to meet any test to keep their flights secret. They merely submit a request to the National Business Aviation Association <1>, a trade group that lobbied to set up the program on the grounds that secrecy is justified to protect business deals and the security of executives.

http://www.propublica.org/feature/off-the-radar-private-planes-hidden-from-public-view-040810

[ixion]

1. Yeah, the TSA BS is just for us peons

the real players fly at their leisure, and don't have to suffer the TSA in the process.

[napi21]

2. They HAVE to be tracked by the ATC system. Otherwise there

would be many mid air collisions. If you mean that they don't have to file a flight plan, that MAY be true,but they absolutely tracked.

[rsmith6621]

3. ATC controllers can see them on their radar...but

...you the Joe q Public cannot see them on online flight tracking services like Flightaware.com

[hootinholler]

4. It depends

If they can make the entire trip under Visual Flight Rules, then there's no requirement for a flight plan.

-Hoot

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Where does privacy kick in on this issue?

Note that ANY general aviation plane can request that service, including (in theory) a Piper Cub.

[jakefrep]

6. What is it that we're supposed to do with this information?

I don't see the problem with keeping this information private. As long as the air traffic controllers can track these planes, who cares?