Are all pilots in the FAA-searchable database?

You can search for them but the "published" information may not have an address.
I do believe it will show you if they have a medical. Best bet is to search for yourself to get a feel for the site and then look up who you want.

https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/
 
I beleve that we are all in there. Some people have their data "blocked" for some reason or another, but are still in there.

edit: Perhaps not, I can't find a listing for "Old Geek"
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
I beleve that we are all in there. Some people have their data "blocked" for some reason or another, but are still in there.

edit: Perhaps not, I can't find a listing for "Old Geek"
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The search engine is very fussy. Try "Ancient Geek".:D
 
I think they have to have a current medical to be searchable on the database.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think they have to have a current medical to be searchable on the database.
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not true. i've looked up plenty of glider pilots and airplane pilots that don't have current medicals.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think they have to have a current medical to be searchable on the database.
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For sure you don't need a current medical to be searchable. There are plenty that say "no medical" or give a medical date that would be expired by a lot. I searched for someone I knew back when I was learning to fly and his last medical date was given as 1979.
 
FAA mechanics are also searchable. I don't have a common last name and me and my uncle show up (he's a mechanic). After I received my student pilot certificate I received a letter in the mail to block my address.
 
No. Pilots can opt out of being included in the database so that they are not listed at all. Edit: By "pilots" I mean anybody in the database (parachute riggers, mechanics, etc.)
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think they have to have a current medical to be searchable on the database.
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Everskyward said:
There are even long deceased people in the database.
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Everskyward said:
For sure you don't need a current medical to be searchable. There are plenty that say "no medical" or give a medical date that would be expired by a lot. I searched for someone I knew back when I was learning to fly and his last medical date was given as 1979.
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My grandpa has been dead for ..I don't even know..probably 15 years now and he is still in there.

My dad had his commercial pilot's certificate revoked like 20 years ago and he still comes up as a commercial pilot although it says: "FOR INFORMATION ON THIS AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE YOU MUST CONTACT THE AIRMEN CERTIFICATION BRANCH
TOLL FREE AT (866) 878-2498."

My uncle had a private pilot's certificate but went to prison for drug charges. He comes up with the same above warning as my dad.
 
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jesse said:
My grandpa has been dead for ..I don't even know..probably 15 years now and he is still in there.
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My grandfather passed away as well and is still in there. His last medical expired in the 60's.

I also have a friend who is a current pilot with a major airline and you will not find his name in the database.
 
jesse said:
My grandpa has been dead for ..I don't even know..probably 15 years now and he is still in there.

My dad had his commercial pilot's certificate revoked like 20 years ago and he still comes up as a commercial pilot although it says: "FOR INFORMATION ON THIS AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE YOU MUST CONTACT THE AIRMEN CERTIFICATION BRANCH
TOLL FREE AT (866) 878-2498."

My uncle had a private pilot's certificate but went to prison for drug charges. He comes up with the same above warning as my dad.
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Just curious but do you know why it was revoked?
 
Anyone with an FAA cert (including flight attendants, dispatchers, etc) is in the database but...each has an option to be displayed to the public. In addition to the US list, the FAA also has a second list of Foreign pilots with US privs. For example, look up Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt or Leonard Nimoy. Most public figures will either be blocked or have an address such as their lawyer.
 
Its not always a sure fire find either. I can look myself up by name and I'm not there but if I do a search on only the last name I'm in the pile. I can't search by address either.....kinda funny that neither my mechanics or pilots cert shows under a search by name....crappy search engine and poorly setup database.

Frank
 
Here's an interesting quirk. If you include the state in the search parameters and the person has his/her address hidden, they won't show up on the search results. Take away the state and they show up.
 
Old Geek said:
Here's an interesting quirk. If you include the state in the search parameters and the person has his/her address hidden, they won't show up on the search results. Take away the state and they show up.
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Last time I played with it you could determine their state by process of elimination. Once you selected the correct state they live in they suddenly show up. I emailed the FAA but they never replied.
 
Last time I played with it you could determine their state by process of elimination. Once you selected the correct state they live in they suddenly show up. I emailed the FAA but they never replied.
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I think you mean "suddenly go away".
 
Old Geek said:
I think you mean "suddenly go away".
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When I played with it - with the correct state selected - they would appear as a result with the address hidden. With the incorrect state they wouldn't return at all. Just sloppy programming.

So basically you could figure out what state someone lived in even if their address is hidden.
 
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jesse said:
When I played with it - with the correct state selected - they would appear as a result with the address hidden. With the incorrect state they wouldn't return at all. Just sloppy programming.
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Low bid Government contract.
 
Old Geek said:
Here's an interesting quirk. If you include the state in the search parameters and the person has his/her address hidden, they won't show up on the search results. Take away the state and they show up.
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Yep, just tried it. I am normally blocked, but last name and birthday brought me up, along with a few others.
 
I'm pretty sure that some noteables and celebrities can get themselves opted out from the public listings. I believe some astronauts have successfully done that in the past.
 
Well it's nice to know there's only one other person with my last name in the DB and he was a military ATC guy in the 80s.

Having a strongly unique last name will make you either completely paranoid or completely not care about databases and personal privacy in the modern world.

I've helped DBAs find record import problems by telling them to trace my name through their broken code. I'm a good Primary Key for finding broken records. ;)

On the flip side... Whenever someone points out a database search that leaks as much as this hunk of crap does, I get to easily find my own record and check it for accuracy. ;)
 
According to FEDERAL LAW everybody should be able to opt out of listing. However, the FAA erroneously interprets their exemption to the privacy act be limited to only allowing people to opt out of their postal address being shown. I've been fighting this for years and it's going to take a federal case to make the FAA comply with the law I think.
 
Gotta keep Federal lawyers busy, you know. Employment numbers are bad. And if you sue, that'll be ten more lawyers we all get to pay to keep working! And some Judges too! Bonus!

Fire it up, man. It'll only cost you one bankruptcy to keep us all paying for at least ten people to have jobs fighting you and the law they themselves passed!

While this one's working its way thought the Courts, they'll pass three or four more laws they have no intention of following so a few more lawyers can keep their jobs. It's brilliant, really.
 
One thing I've noticed over the years is that the data base does not show the Original Date of Issuance.
When I requested a replacementment back in 2005 it now shows a DOI of 2005.
 
denverpilot said:
Having a strongly unique last name will make you either completely paranoid or completely not care about databases and personal privacy in the modern world.
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Haha, I have a fairly unique first and last name combination. I used to think it was creepy that people could find things that were posted on the internet. Now I don't care. I have nothing to hide anyway and I don't try, other than I don't use my whole real name on message boards. I do on FB, though.
 
It's not the name that bothers me, it's the fact that the FAA let every person in the world know I had a special issuance for a while which is an outright invasion of my privacy. They don't even have authorization to disseminate the medical information, but the FAA doesn't believe federal law actually applies to them.
 
flyingron said:
It's not the name that bothers me, it's the fact that the FAA let every person in the world know I had a special issuance for a while which is an outright invasion of my privacy. They don't even have authorization to disseminate the medical information, but the FAA doesn't believe federal law actually applies to them.
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That's actually a very interesting point.....and one that would suck if you were ever involved in a high profile accident/incident.....media would be all over "this pilot had a 'special issuance'....must have been something unusual about him....we'll see what extra dirt we can gig up at 10"
 
I'm new here but I'm a member of many pilot boards. Sorry for the bump but I want to comment on this exact subject.

I was looking up old pilot friends and noticed some of them were not in the database at all, even though they are still active pilots. In this thread some of you said there were some lawsuits to be able to be completely blocked at the FAA pilot database (even though the website states you can only withhold your address). I did just request to have my address hidden but it's not instant, I can still pull myself up and all is still visible. I did look throughout the website and they do not offer the option to be completely removed, only your address. Just curious!

I'll head over to the introduction section now.

Retired: AA/TWA/Comair/Wheeler (Raleigh long time ago)
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think they have to have a current medical to be searchable on the database.
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That is not so; I can attest to that fact! They do have to have had a medical at one point, but they can have been dead for a decade and still be there.
 
Glasspilot said:
I'm new here but I'm a member of many pilot boards. Sorry for the bump but I want to comment on this exact subject.

I was looking up old pilot friends and noticed some of them were not in the database at all, even though they are still active pilots. In this thread some of you said there were some lawsuits to be able to be completely blocked at the FAA pilot database (even though the website states you can only withhold your address). I did just request to have my address hidden but it's not instant, I can still pull myself up and all is still visible. I did look throughout the website and they do not offer the option to be completely removed, only your address. Just curious!

I'll head over to the introduction section now.

Retired: AA/TWA/Comair/Wheeler (Raleigh long time ago)
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You must get the name exactly correct. Many people go by different names than their legal name (as I do.) You can search by last name and state, and get a list.
 
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