FAA CARES: block ownership info on aircraft registry portal

[MikeOH]

20 minutes ago, EricJ said:

If you have a few bucks to hire a PI you can do most of those things.   Privacy is largely an illusion these days.

Sure, but how many people are going to go to that expense and trouble?

And, more to the point, will Vector go to the effort?

[Matthew P]

48 minutes ago, EricJ said:

If you have a few bucks to hire a PI you can do most of those things.   Privacy is largely an illusion these days.

You completely missed the point...go around.

[FlyingDude]

I submitted my request on CARES,  now checking the registry site till my details disappear. I also don't understand how adsb exchange is still allowed to operate. Though adsb signals are "public", they're intended for Aircraft safety. Why should they be online? I think we need a class action and get back all the money they earned by selling our peace of mind. 

We have our own town's crazy guy that bought a condo directly on the rwy centerline and yet complains about all sorts of things. He apparently has been filming planes and posting videos hashtagging the N number, owner's full name and #Aerostalker. I reported him to the police for online harassment. 

The cops said they'll look into it but one report will not do much, except to prove a pattern down the road, if needed. However, they said that a lot of people annoy others tiptoeing on the boundaries of legality for a reaction. Pretty much like they're tapping you on the shoulder hoping that you'll punch them, so that they can sue you. This guy's house is 1300sqft (small by Michigan standards) and cost him 170k.... it really makes you think that he needs/ wants money.

So there's that. A lot of lead fighters and noise opposers are just looking for gold.

[EricJ]

18 hours ago, Matthew P said:

You completely missed the point...go around.

I don't think I did.   Your example of similar data being private isn't really an example of data that is kept private.   The changes for the CARES case just removes the easiest path to the data, which you are correct doesn't really exist comparatively (as much) for things like license plates.  I think it remains to be seen how private it really winds up being for typical users.  

[FlyingDude]

 

[Rick Junkin]

My request was also successful.

HOWEVER, somehow this database https://www.aviationdb.com/Aviation/AircraftQuery.shtm, which presumably uses the FAA database, still has all of my personal info displayed. Maybe it will eventually time out?

[PeterRus]

Wow. I submitted my "paperwork" June 11th. As of today, Jun 15th my information is not displayed on the FAA site. 

@shawnd -- thanks a lot!

Edited June 15 by PeterRus

[hammdo]

57 minutes ago, Rick Junkin said:

My request was also successful.

HOWEVER, somehow this database https://www.aviationdb.com/Aviation/AircraftQuery.shtm, which presumably uses the FAA database, still has all of my personal info displayed. Maybe it will eventually time out?

Ditto… did mine a month ago

[Matthew P]

So, when I submitted my request I ALSO asked for my personal information to be removed from the FAA Pilot Registry, and as of today, my name and information does NOT shoe up when entering registration number or pilot name in the Pilot Registry database...PROGRESS

[Chris B]

5 hours ago, Matthew P said:

So, when I submitted my request I ALSO asked for my personal information to be removed from the FAA Pilot Registry, and as of today, my name and information does NOT shoe up when entering registration number or pilot name in the Pilot Registry database...PROGRESS

I wish I would have thought to do that.

@Matthew P, is asking for your data to be removed from the FAA Pilot Registry the same process as I followed to get my information removed the FAA Aircraft Registry or is there a different site/procedure?  If you had to write something up, would you mind sharing the verbiage that worked for you?

Thanks

[shawnd]

You can remove the address on the airmen information page through this site:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/lic_cert/change/releasability

See the "If you address appears in the database and you would like to remove it, or does not and you would like to add it, you can change the releasability status online" portion of the page.

[Matthew P]

7 hours ago, Chris B said:

I wish I would have thought to do that.

@Matthew P, is asking for your data to be removed from the FAA Pilot Registry the same process as I followed to get my information removed the FAA Aircraft Registry or is there a different site/procedure?  If you had to write something up, would you mind sharing the verbiage that worked for you?

Thanks

I just added, "please also remove my information from the FAA Pilot Registry Database."

[DXB]

+1 that the FAA, to their credit, does follow through on the registration data removal request . In my case it took a couple of weeks. Thanks again to @shawnd for posting how to navigate the website to submit the request!  For all the folks who consider an LLC simply to hide their info (which can be circumvented with a little effort), this seems like a MUCH better solution.  

I submitted a request to https://www.aviationdb.com/ that they update their online information to reflect the public FAA information for my tail number, but I will be surprised if they do anything - anyone else have success on that front?

 Nevertheless, this is progress...

[201Mooniac]

1 hour ago, DXB said:

+1 that the FAA, to their credit, does follow through on the registration data removal request . In my case it took a couple of weeks. Thanks again to @shawnd for posting how to navigate the website to submit the request! 

It's been a couple of weeks and I'm still waiting.  I'm glad to hear that even if it took awhile they did follow through, this makes me hopeful.  This thread has been really helpful with this otherwise opaque system.

[Max Clark]

On 6/15/2025 at 8:10 PM, Rick Junkin said:

My request was also successful.

HOWEVER, somehow this database https://www.aviationdb.com/Aviation/AircraftQuery.shtm, which presumably uses the FAA database, still has all of my personal info displayed. Maybe it will eventually time out?

Took a few weeks for the FAA to update their site, all the third party sites still have my personal information listed (~3 months later).

If anyone figures out the next step in this process please share!

[Justin Schmidt]

2 hours ago, Max Clark said:

Took a few weeks for the FAA to update their site, all the third party sites still have my personal information listed (~3 months later).

If anyone figures out the next step in this process please share!

No requirement for them to scrubbtheir data. 

[Max Clark]

Is there a list of all the sites that we need to request removals with?

[Fly Boomer]

5 hours ago, Max Clark said:

Is there a list of all the sites that we need to request removals with?

There are around 400 million active websites.  Any or all of them may have scraped your data from the FAA site, and few, if any, are likely to remove it.  That's why we tell our children "once your info is on the Internet, it can never be removed".  Nice gesture by the FAA, but essentially useless,

[Nico1]

On 7/9/2025 at 3:00 PM, Max Clark said:

Took a few weeks for the FAA to update their site, all the third party sites still have my personal information listed (~3 months later).

If anyone figures out the next step in this process please share!

Not going to happen, no requirement for 3rd party sites to take down. Like everything online, once posted its there forever... That doesn't rule out asking politely for them to take down the info  

[Jackk]

On 7/9/2025 at 12:30 PM, DXB said:

+1 that the FAA, to their credit, does follow through on the registration data removal request . In my case it took a couple of weeks. Thanks again to @shawnd for posting how to navigate the website to submit the request!  For all the folks who consider an LLC simply to hide their info (which can be circumvented with a little effort), this seems like a MUCH better solution.  

I submitted a request to https://www.aviationdb.com/ that they update their online information to reflect the public FAA information for my tail number, but I will be surprised if they do anything - anyone else have success on that front?

 Nevertheless, this is progress...

 Just depends on how you ask 

 

 

i sent a stating this 

 

“Greetings,  

Please remove the ownership history for N—— from your website, as this aircraft has been approved for data suppression under Title 49, United States Code, Section 44114. 

 Retaining this information undermines the statute’s intent. For security purposes, we request prompt removal from your website.

 Thanks

Jack

Member

——-”

 

However my batting average is not perfect, some sites just ignore this request, the best way to fix this would be to change the mailbox and or ownership after you are 44114ed