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The Jetsetters Want Their Privacy [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-02-19

Back in 2020, it became a requirement that all aircraft weighing more than 12,500lbs, having the ability to fly faster than 250 kts, and/or with the ability to to fly under Instrument Flight Rules comply with an FAA mandate for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). This means having a transponder that relays precise, up to the second, information about airspeed, altitude, and position of the aircraft. Many of the advanced safety features like traffic avoidance and terrain avoidance relies upon this broadcasted information.



This information is unencrypted, so anyone can see it albeit for a small fee. This what allows us to use flight trackers to see who’s overhead. It’s apparently allowed airports operators to use the information to collect landing fees. Landing fees are a normal part of a commercial airport’s business, but traditionally, smaller General Aviation airports don’t collect these fees. There is a legitimate rationale behind that IF we’re discussing little piston powered Cessnas and Pipers that don’t contribute to much wear and tear on the airport infrastructure. That’s not this story.



A brief article from Avweb reported that Darren Pleasance, the President and CEO of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) has sent a letter to Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau to complain about the use of ads-b data. Acting Aministrator Rocheleau, btw, is fresh off his stint as COO of NBAA (National Business Aircraft Association), another special interest group.

What they want is not to be tracked. They feel that ADS-B is a threat to their privacy. Well tell ya what Elon, Bezos, et al… the rest of us have to contend with our license plates being read every time we pass a police car. We have to contend with FLOCK cameras. We now have to contend with the certain likelihood that you well heeled big wheels have more of our private data thanks to DOGE stealing it.

This little bit of information that ADS-B data provides is another little tool that might be useful to any Resistance group. The access to this little bit of data needs to be preserved. We need to know where these folks are going since they offer so little transparency otherwise. The key points to ensuring this data is preserved and remains useful is allowing ADS-B data to be public is the need to keep Traffic Avoidance systems and Ground Proximity systems working, as well as for collecting airport fees. These private jets that people like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are, in fact, quite heavy. And with all the cuts to Federal funding, the owners of the jets should chip in for upkeep to the infrastructure.

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