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Anybody Ever "Googled" Their N Number?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------So I tried it w/N198G and found some photos of my airplane somebody else took. Creepy? Yes. But this one I really liked! I have very few in-flight pics, and the photographer did a great job on this shot. Here's the interesting question, though - the image says "copyrighted" by the photographer. So can someone actually own a copyrighted image of ME and MY AIRCRAFT?
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Yes, Think about celebrities and the thousands of dollars people get for pictures of them...
 
JordanGrant said:
But this one I really liked! I have very few in-flight pics, and the photographer did a great job on this shot. Here's the interesting question, though - the image says "copyrighted" by the photographer. So can someone actually own a copyrighted image of ME and MY AIRCRAFT?
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Yes. That's how copyright works. Just like if a photographer takes a picture of a tree, house or anything else. I suspect if you send him an email, he'd be happy to give you permission for use.
 
Rick6a said:
The Internet has just made accessing public records easier and more *democratic.* For instance, anyone with a keyboard can access the local gov and pull up records of home ownership, who owns what, what the house it worth, how much the owner pays in taxes, etc. etc. The only thing that has not changed is the inquirer does not have to physically visit the county court house in person anymore. We may not like it but there it is, warts and all. Technology, especially information technology always was and will always be a double edged sword.
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Are auto ownership records available online using a licence plate number? There are a few cars on my way home from work yesterday I would like to look up the owner and explain driving rules and regulations.
 
Because of this thread I Googled my old aircraft VH numbers here in Oz. I was amazed that I actually found pictures of my old Cessna and my old RV6. I had no idea that any pictures of my old aircraft existed. One even showed my son driving, (my old Cessna) with me as a passenger. Thanks for allerting me to this feature.;)
 
Interesting thread and found ppics of my 8

I found this thread very interesting and I had no idea this information was out there with images. I have gone to such sites before to look at photos, just never thought my 8 would be one of them.
I have contacted the photographers to see about getting copies as a couple I like...fresh Polish job!
THanks for starting this thread...
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/387377.html
 
kevinh said:
Yes. That's how copyright works. Just like if a photographer takes a picture of a tree, house or anything else. I suspect if you send him an email, he'd be happy to give you permission for use.
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Yep - then they'd link your email or phone number to the airplane photo posting(s).
 
JordanGrant said:
So I tried it w/N198G and found some photos of my airplane somebody else took. Creepy? Yes. But this one I really liked! I have very few in-flight pics, and the photographer did a great job on this shot. Here's the interesting question, though - the image says "copyrighted" by the photographer. So can someone actually own a copyrighted image of ME and MY AIRCRAFT?

N198G%20in%20VGT.jpg
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Jordan i read all the other posts about how people can copyright the photos they take, but in this instance shouldn't you know who took the picture and with your prior arrangement? It looks like an in flight photo, i don't think it was taken by a non pilot. I'll have to look closer at the photo. maybe it was right after take off?
 
Danny7 said:
Jordan i read all the other posts about how people can copyright the photos they take, but in this instance shouldn't you know who took the picture and with your prior arrangement? It looks like an in flight photo, i don't think it was taken by a non pilot. I'll have to look closer at the photo. maybe it was right after take off?
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He took it while we were doing some patterns at North Las Vegas. IIRC, they have an observation deck at the FBO, that's probably where he was.
 
Jordan- the photographer can copyright the photograph, any photograph he takes. He can not , however, use it comercially, IE sell the image, unless he has signed model release from you, if you, or your passenger are recognizable or your airplane is identifiable, IE N number or a unique paint job, etc. So, he has your picture, but can not legally sell the image.

Contact the photographer and tell him you would like to purchase the picture if he has a signed model release of the person in the right seat, and the airplane owner. See what his answer is. Or just ask if you can purchase a print without mentioning a model release. See how ethical he is. It looks like his contact email is found at:


www.pbase.com/oracle0017/image/109741027
 
It's only a more...

Flying Scotsman said:
Frankly, the whole thing about taking pictures and posting all the detailed info about each and every aircraft and the owner is, well, creepy.

It's one thing to post pictures of pretty paint jobs or nicely done interiors or just unique aircraft. But pictures of airliners? And pictures + personal data of unpainted RV's?

Well...I've heard of some odd hobbies, but this one is up there. Freakish.
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...modern version of teenagers train-spotting, or for aviation minded kids, plane spotting.

I recently found my books from the 60's --

planes001.jpg


planes002.jpg


It has been going on for decades, the present version is just upgraded by the Information Age...:)

Looking at the price listed on the book, it was expensive -
A Keil-Kraft rubber powered scale balsa model kit at that time was 3/6 IIRC (modern translation from old UK currency to current US money -- 2/6 = 20 cents -- 3/6 = 28 cents) -- equivalent to a US Guillows kit... and we had to pay a fee to get to the airport observation deck.

Yes.. I know I was a nerdy kid...:D
 
wil said:
Jordan- the photographer can copyright the photograph, any photograph he takes. He can not , however, use it comercially, IE sell the image, unless he has signed model release from you, if you, or your passenger are recognizable or your airplane is identifiable, IE N number or a unique paint job, etc. So, he has your picture, but can not legally sell the image.

Contact the photographer and tell him you would like to purchase the picture if he has a signed model release of the person in the right seat, and the airplane owner. See what his answer is. Or just ask if you can purchase a print without mentioning a model release. See how ethical he is. It looks like his contact email is found at:


www.pbase.com/oracle0017/image/109741027
Click to expand...

You know, this picture and the others this person took don't bug me very much (if you look at his aviation gallery)...it's what I was talking about...he took pictures of different kinds of planes doing aerobatics, neat paint jobs, classic planes, formation flights, etc. Sort of like what a lot of people would do at airshows, or if they saw a sporty, pretty plane at an airport. AND, he didn't post name, address, phone number, etc., of the owner. This seems much more "normal" to me than the guys who seem to be on a personal quest to photograph every single aircraft in existence, and post the personal data of the owners, to boot. Which, I'm sorry, I just find weird (and a tad creepy).
 
Actually, it doesn't bother me all that much either, really. The photographer that took the picture of me/my plane has an extensive library and he just likes to take pictures of airplanes. It's a compliment on my machine, really. The creepiness is just how it makes the lack of privacy in the modern age so real and obvious. It's something you know intellectually, of course, but seeing a picture taken by someone I've never met, alongside my name, my wife's name, my address, etc. really brings it home. (The photographer didn't post the info, it's just automatically pulled from the FAA database by the website).

As for the copyright question, I was just curious about the legalities. It makes sense, really, that he couldn't use the image commercially without my permission, but the copyright also ensures nobody ELSE could use it without permission, either, so that's good.
 
Toobuilder said:
The Google street view is a great tool, and somewhat creepy- I agree.

But, the big difference with that is that it does not show your wife or kid standing in the front yard for some perv to get his jollies from. Am I the only one who has had his family and friends "published" on the web by an overzealous aviation photographer?
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ACtually I have a freind that was out working on his daughters car and is in his home's pictures complete with plumbers crack...

I might add that much of this information has always been public information (anytime you step out of your door). It's just that now days there is the internet to make sure that public is truely public.
 
az_gila said:
...modern version of teenagers train-spotting, or for aviation minded kids, plane spotting.

I recently found my books from the 60's --

planes001.jpg


planes002.jpg


It has been going on for decades, the present version is just upgraded by the Information Age...:)

Looking at the price listed on the book, it was expensive -
A Keil-Kraft rubber powered scale balsa model kit at that time was 3/6 IIRC (modern translation from old UK currency to current US money -- 2/6 = 20 cents -- 3/6 = 28 cents) -- equivalent to a US Guillows kit... and we had to pay a fee to get to the airport observation deck.

Yes.. I know I was a nerdy kid...:D
Click to expand...

Half a crown - now that was real money - it's been all down hill since decimalisation in 1971 :)

Jim Sharkey
 
The courts have held that there ?is no expectation of privacy while in a public place?, other than in a restroom or some other such place. Wikipedia has a fairly good but brief description of the issue.

Try driving around in Charlotte, NC or down the freeway to Atlanta, there are cameras at almost every intersection and along the freeway. (Also, there are video cameras all through the "Uptown" area so the "authorities" can track people (or a purse snatcher) as they walk around.

And I'm not confusing "traffic cameras" with red-light cameras or the funny looking things to allow the lights to change for emergency vehicles.

Charlotte got the public buy-in because they are supposed to help with traffic flow but I really wonder what good it does having a video camera on an intersection one mile from the freeway where there is limited traffic.

Not to sound paranoid but this is just another way for our government to watch and track us.
 
Excuse the thread drift but:

It is interesting to note that Norman Jones the founder of Tiger Club is mentioned several times on the page posted by az_gila.

Tiger Club

I converted to tailwheel at the Tiger Club back in the early 1990's. Christopher Reeve of Superman fame was a member and produced a great video on G-ACDC the oldest Tiger Moth (75 years old) on the British register. I am proud to say I have 10 hours flying time in CDC.

G-ACDC
 
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