FAA Monitoring Of Avionics And Forums?

Greg Bockelman said:
I am not sure anything that is said on a forum can be used for anything other than for an initial inquiry. How can they prove that it is actually me that is posting?
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I believe they can do it through IP address and through the forum itself. That was the issue not long ago with RyanAir and PPRUNE. IIRC, they were successful in getting the info released on pilots who had been badmouthing the airline on that forum and then used that info to sue those posters for slander.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I believe they can do it through IP address and through the forum itself. That was the issue not long ago with RyanAir and PPRUNE. IIRC, they were successful in getting the info released on pilots who had been badmouthing the airline on that forum and then used that info to sue those posters for slander.
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Correct. Hence why hiding your identity doesn't really mean much.

If you don't stand behind what you say, you shouldn't post it.
 
mkosmo said:
If you're helping and he pulled all flights with your tail, then of course it'll show up :)
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When you have ADS-B installed and turned on, your plane is always telling the FAA who you are and where you are. Also everybody else, which is the whole point of it. Some may call it "big brother", but if you really don't want him watching, just pull the breaker.
 
I am giving plane rides at my local field now.
I only charge $40 for the ride, and ask that you pay an hour worth of fuel.

I am making a killing. I have been trying to come up w/ ways to make money lately My medical expired earlier in the year and I figure I saved about $150 by not renewing it then I got to thinking about how else I could make some cash.

It hit me the other day. I was flying and I had just busted bravo. As I was turning off my transponder I looked and realized I had 3 empty seats. Well, the pax seat had a case of coors but there were no people.

That is when I got the idea to start bringing people along. It is good money. I charge $10 extra to fly through the clouds because it is a little more risky but that has helped too.

The kicker is flying people over the open stadiums when their team is playing.
I turn the DME to the sports station and we do a few passes and let them take some photos. You get good tips when you do that.

Also flying cocaine to and from Mexico has proven profitable.
I did have to kill a guy last time I was there but I have not read anything in the Far Aim that covers killing a member of a cartel. Its gonna be a white Christmas!
 
Ted DuPuis said:
When you have ADS-B installed and turned on, your plane is always telling the FAA who you are and where you are. Also everybody else, which is the whole point of it. Some may call it "big brother", but if you really don't want him watching, just pull the breaker.
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A little over a year ago we had a young pilot make some bad decisions and fly into Cook Inlet on a dark, cloudy night. While friends and family spent lots of hours and resources doing searches the authorities stood down fairly quickly. A few weeks later they released a radar track of the young man's last flight. They knew who, what, and where and the plane wasn't pinging anyone with installed equipment. Nobody was paranoid about Big Brother buy many wondered why they let the private search go on without informing anyone of the radar information. In Alaska there's always an AWACS plane overhead somewhere. I've been told that they can trace any flight at any time. Point is, Big Brother's been watching for some time.

Related paranoia alert. I had to renew my AK driver license a few days ago. In the past I've always walked out with a new license. Not this time. They took my picture and gave me a temporary card. The real card will be issued by a central facility only after my picture is mapped and logged into a facial recognition database and the Feds rule out any duplicate driver licenses from other states. The DMV lady commented that the television show Person of Interest is more real than we think. Lots of cameras out there. They know where we are. Yikes!
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I am giving plane rides at my local field now.
I only charge $40 for the ride, and ask that you pay an hour worth of fuel.

I am making a killing. I have been trying to come up w/ ways to make money lately My medical expired earlier in the year and I figure I saved about $150 by not renewing it then I got to thinking about how else I could make some cash.

It hit me the other day. I was flying and I had just busted bravo. As I was turning off my transponder I looked and realized I had 3 empty seats. Well, the pax seat had a case of coors but there were no people.

That is when I got the idea to start bringing people along. It is good money. I charge $10 extra to fly through the clouds because it is a little more risky but that has helped too.

The kicker is flying people over the open stadiums when their team is playing.
I turn the DME to the sports station and we do a few passes and let them take some photos. You get good tips when you do that.

Also flying cocaine to and from Mexico has proven profitable.
I did have to kill a guy last time I was there but I have not read anything in the Far Aim that covers killing a member of a cartel. Its gonna be a white Christmas!
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Boy are you in trouble. You mentioned a religious holiday.

:nono:
 
Fearless Tower said:
I believe they can do it through IP address and through the forum itself. That was the issue not long ago with RyanAir and PPRUNE. IIRC, they were successful in getting the info released on pilots who had been badmouthing the airline on that forum and then used that info to sue those posters for slander.
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They can prove that it was my device but how can they prove it was me actually posting? I don't see how that is possible.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I believe they can do it through IP address and through the forum itself. That was the issue not long ago with RyanAir and PPRUNE. IIRC, they were successful in getting the info released on pilots who had been badmouthing the airline on that forum and then used that info to sue those posters for slander.
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Some Internet service providers default to dynamic IP addressing, in which case identifying the poster, even with a subpoena, would depend on whether the forum had information on who it was.
 
I don't think the question is whether they need proof or not. I think it's whether you can or want to afford to try and get out of it.

So you do something, make a post about it, and somehow they find out it's you. You get a letter, or maybe an invitation. Fine, suspension, whatever.

Are you going to take what they give you for what you did? Or are you going to open up your wallet and try to fight them to track down your IP address, prove it's really you, prove you did that thing you posted?

I think few here (but certainly not all, and not everywhere) have the time, resources, or audacity to do that. So it looks like you did the crime...you do the time, IMO.
 
The better question is have they ever actually taken any action based on a forum posting? Even a YouTube video?

I'm betting not on the former, doubtful of the latter.
 
cowman said:
The better question is have they ever actually taken any action based on a forum posting? Even a YouTube video?



I'm betting not on the former, doubtful of the latter.
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I think I'd agree with you, and whoever said earlier that it's more likely (but not a given) that they'd use something from a video or forum to follow up or match on what they already know or suspect, but not use them as grounds for starting something.
 
cowman said:
The better question is have they ever actually taken any action based on a forum posting? Even a YouTube video?

I'm betting not on the former, doubtful of the latter.
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What happened to Tonyair? Did he get any grief from the FAA?
 
I doubt the FAA has people whose "defined job duty" is "monitor social forums and tattletale to us".

However, that being said... somebody saw or reported SOMETHING...

Post 57 on this thread and post 1 of this subsequent thread, about the Heathrow 777 that landed short (and in which I used the word "FAA"; oops, I just used it again!) got me into a very interesting "letter dance" in February / March 2008 with the FAA.

Their office (DOT/FAA - ASW-752) was "conducting an investigation regarding information posted on a pilot community website regarding the Heathrow 777 incident." They advised that they would 'like to meet with me to discuss the information currently posted on the website.'

I received two letters from them, on 2/15 and 2/28, and had a telephone conversation with them between the two letters. In my phone conversation, I was cooperative and told them I'd be happy to answer their questions if they would simply indicate in writing the nature of their inquiry and how it relates to me, as well as what questions they would like to discuss. Their 2/28/2008 letter addressed none of those requests, but simply reiterated their desire to meet with me in person.

My 3/1/2008 reply informed them that the only possible reason I could see why they would want to meet with me is because they might feel that the "industry insider" I referred to in post 57 of the 1st thread listed above might be an FAA employee. I assured them that it was not, nor any other government worker, but a friend who is also a 777 pilot and who shared "jibber jabber" he'd heard on a professional pilots forum...

That's the last I heard of it. But I do think it indicates that SOMEBODY monitors, scans for keywords, or otherwise snoops around, or acts on snitch reports.

P.S.--They figured out my home address by matching my signature (which has first name, last initial and city/state) to airman records, I presume.
 
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I know of one situation years ago in which the FAA came to a discussion of Sport Pilot/LSA with questions about the attitude of the community toward proposed changes based on posts they'd read on the internet. I doubt it's useful in many civil cases.

That said, I'm amazed at how many people stand in the virtual public square and post openly about what they know to be offenses, or ask, "Is what I did legal?"

If a law or regulation gets in the way of an activity you believe is your right to pursue, and you're not risking harm to others, lots of iffy behavior can be rationalized. It doesn't mean you need to turn it into high-profile civil disobedience by bragging about it publicly.

If using your real name would expose you to prosecution, you really shouldn't be bragging online. If they need to find you, they'll find you under your alias.
 
Personally I like the FAA, and the FBI, CIA, NSA, ATF, IRS,NASA, FDA, FCC and anybody else who is listening
 
Fearless Tower said:
I believe they can do it through IP address and through the forum itself. That was the issue not long ago with RyanAir and PPRUNE. IIRC, they were successful in getting the info released on pilots who had been badmouthing the airline on that forum and then used that info to sue those posters for slander.
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That's assuming PoA caves to their requests and gives them such information. I can't speak for the MC as a whole but personally I would close down the whole operation before I agreed to cave to RyanAirs legal scare grams.
 
jesse said:
That's assuming PoA caves to their requests and gives them such information. I can't speak for the MC as a whole but personally I would close down the whole operation before I agreed to cave to RyanAirs legal scare grams.
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That works for private interests, but government?:dunno: I would bet they can get what they want without asking.
 
Henning said:
That works for private interests, but government?:dunno: I would bet they can get what they want without asking.
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Not really. Certainly not just because the faa is upset about some pilot using non-pma lighting.
 
Henning said:
That works for private interests, but government?:dunno: I would bet they can get what they want without asking.
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Not legally they can't. I don't doubt in the least that there are some alphabet agencies that would do it, but legally they need a warrant.
 
cowman said:
Not legally they can't. I don't doubt in the least that there are some alphabet agencies that would do it, but legally they need a warrant.
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Since when do government agencies appear to be following any of those laws?:dunno:
 
Unregistered said:
The FSDO rep said that the FAA (the friend said the FSDO) has people who's job is to monitor online media such as forums, YouTube and similar venues for the purpose of finding citable infractions.
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Well, if this is true it might explain why everything else in the FAA's list of regular duties takes such a long time to occur.
 
No one has asked the most important question: How do I get a cushy federal job watching youtube aviation videos?:lol:
 
Ted DuPuis said:
When you have ADS-B installed and turned on, your plane is always telling the FAA who you are and where you are. Also everybody else, which is the whole point of it. Some may call it "big brother", but if you really don't want him watching, just pull the breaker.
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Precisely! Since I don't have ADS-B yet, nobody can prove anything without supporting evidence (photos, video, audio, discrete code) without my help.

Also, the ADS-B implementations I've been looking at would give me the option to disable, but I'd leave it on for the enhanced safety factor.
 
If the FAA investigated the claims made on this forum, I expect they would find that less than 20% of the posters have actually flown an aircraft in the last year. Just my guess.
 
Alexb2000 said:
If the FAA investigated the claims made on this forum, I expect they would find that less than 20% of the posters have actually flown an aircraft in the last year. Just my guess.
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I would venture to say this forum (and a few others) give the FAA some comic relief, especially the ensuing threads on regulations and "interpretations", as well as some of the wild claims made by some about engine outs, crashes, encounters with the FAA, etc. :rolleyes:
 
Alexb2000 said:
If the FAA investigated the claims made on this forum, I expect they would find that less than 20% of the posters have actually flown an aircraft in the last year. Just my guess.
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I think you are right. Lots of "fisherman" stories around here. :lol:
 
Unregistered said:
I think you are right. Lots of "fisherman" stories around here. :lol:
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Lots of outright
BS.gif
 
What??? You mean, not everything I read on the Internet is true??? :eek:

Next, you're going to be telling me there's no Santa Claus!!! :yikes:
 
I'm finding this very entertaining.....is it time to call the men in the black helos yet?:D
 
Btw little safety tip... especially if you fly a low wing. When scud running, always do so inverted to get a better view of the ground. This also helps shake loose money and other items your passengers are carrying which can really subsidize your discounted airfare.
 
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