Sheperd One

[Sam26K]

Has anyone else noticed that the Pope's plane is traceable on all the trackers if you know the flight numbers and/or the tail number?
If any flight should be blocked from public access it is those Papal flights.
Thoughts?

[SoCalBrian]

You can watch playback of the flight to the United States from Cuba.
The aircraft was EI-EJG on flight AZA4001

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/az4001/#77f261e

[Sam26K]

Yes, I dd know that and was not my intention to post that specific information.

Maybe it's not a big deal but with all the security around the Pope you would think that public tracking information might be a concern.
The thing that is different in this case is that Pope doesn't have his own personal plane and uses what ever AZA makes available to him so there is no way to block a specific tail number for the Pope with the classical tools.

But the flight numbers are the same (at least for AZA). IMHO FR24 and the other public trackers should voluntarily block those flight numbers if possible.

[fungus]

Yes, I dd know that and was not my intention to post that specific information.

Maybe it's not a big deal but with all the security around the Pope you would think that public tracking information might be a concern.
The thing that is different in this case is that Pope doesn't have his own personal plane and uses what ever AZA makes available to him so there is no way to block a specific tail number for the Pope with the classical tools.

But the flight numbers are the same (at least for AZA). IMHO FR24 and the other public trackers should voluntarily block those flight numbers if possible.

Sam,

You've got the bull by the tail. The 'BARR' list is an opt out deal. Otherwise any aircraft can be publicly tracked. See the link below and you'll understand a little more. It's the aircraft operators/owners responsibility to have the aircraft blocked and to my knowledge any aircraft will be blocked by FR24 if requested.

https://www.nbaa.org/ops/security/asdi/

I can remember in the old days before FR24 the Pope visited Australia in an Alitalia 777 and I tracked him into RAAF Base Richmond (northwest of Sydney) with the use of my scanner. Are you suggesting we ban those or wristwatches because we all new the time of his arrival from news bulletins? ...... I guess he has more faith in God than some. Perhaps you need to contact the Vatican and put your question to them.

Also worth noting. Anyone with a receiver can track them in any case.

Regards,
Gregg

[Sam26K]

Thanks for that link and I do understand the Barr rules. I'm just asking FR24 (and other public trackers) to make an exception for the Pope's flights for voluntary review and flight number blocking

I do appreciate the nostalgia but this is a very different world we are living in now since September 11, 2001.
There is a huge difference from a local who has direct radio contact and a website that transmits that info world wide. FR24 and other public websites have an obligation to release that as public information via the internet to the world in a responsible fashion.

[fungus]

I do appreciate the nostalgia but this is a very different world we are living in now since September 11, 2001.

9/11 was an indescribable tragedy and I certainly don't want to trivialise the circumstances of it but we cant all go and insert our heads down a dark hole, life has to move on. Perhaps there is a message in the Pope's trip afterall, one you may not have considered.

Regards,
Gregg

[Sam26K]

BTW, did anyone notice that if you show up in GulfStream Jet you can bypass all the local laws if kept in moderation?

[KyleG]

I've tracked the Mexican president, the UK Prime Minister, the Russian President, Foreign Minister and Prime Minister all on FR24. If the security risk was deemed too great for them to be able to be tracked then they wouldn't be broadcasting Mode S. FR24 could block them, but other sites would still track them, and of course your own receiver could as well.

If anything extra on FR24 requires blocking at this time, it would be, in my opinion, operational combat and surveillance flights over areas like Iraq and Syria which have shown on FR24 multiple times recently, but again if they really do not want to be found then they shouldn't be using their Mode S transponders.

[SoCalBrian]

We also tracked Air Force One on FR24

http://forum.flightradar24.com/threads/5158-Air-Force-One-18-02-13

[SoCalBrian]

This American aircraft flew from Dallas/Fort Worth Intl (KDFW) to Joint Base Andrews (KADW)
N776AN / AAL9750

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/N776AN

Looks like the next flight for the aircraft is AAL9420
FlightRadar24 might not show the flight to New York.

[Oblivian]

/cleaned thread/

Lay off the personal to-and fros. Un-necessary. A users profile pic is what it is and not for public scrutiny unless it is offensive. In which case you take it to the board administrator.