Remove my photo or else?!?

Ztex · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:08 am

I post quite a few photos on airport-data.com

I received this e-mail telling me to remove a photograph form the database. (The spelling errors are his)

Does this guy have leg to stand on?
Me thinks he's blowing hot air. If the subject is on public property (city owned airport) or in the public airspace it's fair game. I didn't go into this guys house and take his picture..

What should my response be?
If you care to offer your opinion or advice it would be appreciated., and I won't hold you to it's validity...

Re: Aircraft photo on http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/127476.html

Mr. Adams, I see that you have posted a photo of aircraft N365BC. Request that
you remove this photo from the enternet immediately. You do not have my
permission to distribute my aircarft photograph. You will be contacted by my
leagal department if you do not honor my request.

C.

Bluedharma · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:03 pm

Zane,

I saw your post up on http://www.airport-data.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=451.
This guy doesn't have a leg to stand on.

But I would avoid the headache. Is it really worth it?
If this guy is ultra-sensitive about his aircraft... then I would just take the thing off. Otherwise he is going to annoy you.

It really comes down to: Are you willing to be annoyed or not.
If he is that sensitive… then he will keep emailing you.

Best Regards,

muddyboots · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:17 pm

Oh don't ignore him. BEG him to contact is legal department, where he will waste a lot of money to be told that there is nothing he can do. Make sure you ask him to email you back and tell him how much that advice cost him. :twisted:

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

Who wants to see a picture of a Mooney anyhow? :lol:

Ztex · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:48 pm

I moved the photo and sent him a note saying...

Thank you for contacting me about the photograph of N365BC.

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... dfind.y=10

Per your request I will remove the photograph from airport-data.

I am removing the photo as a courtesy to you, not because of any legalities.

That being said, I would like to have your permission to post it.

...etc

Who knows, maybe he will understand...

I hate to give in to this kind of stuff...but my attorney advised me that although I am in the right and that he has no case... I can still be sued for anything and everything and that it would be a case of who has the most money to fight it to the end....and who wants the hassle...

I'm in this for the fun of the hobby, I have been for a long time. I have the right to do what I am doing and take care not to make folks mad...but I do not have the means to fight off every T D & H that wants to be go around threating the little guy with legal action.

Thanks guys
Zane :roll:

skybolt2003 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:39 pm

I just googled my N number. It came up with a picture of it on jetphotos.net taken earlier this year as I was taxiing to the gas pit. I'll admit it was a strange feeling, I felt weirdly violated. There were links to other forums and people were discussing my plane and the picture. Mostly I guess it's harmless but you really have no privacy. Of course the FAA database will give you my name and address (why is that?) and there are other websites that will tell you all the registered plane owners in your zipcode.

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:57 pm

You can have your address and some of the other info blocked from public view on the FAA database. I don't remember the exact process, but it was suppoed to be pretty easy. Check their website and it should have the info.

Bluedharma · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:00 pm

Skybolt2003.
I understand your concern.

I take pictures on a regular basis at a local airport... mostly as a hobby.
It is much like train spotting, or any other hobby.
I only take pictures when the aircraft is in the open and in plain view. (Public property)

I guess I would feel the same way if someone took pictures of me when I drive my car around.
But then again... if I had a cool car (if) it would be nice to have someone talk about it.

What I do not do is "stealth" my way around an airfield and takes pictures of people fueling up...

When I am asked by a pilot or an aircraft owner to not publish a particular picture of an aircraft, then I do not publish it as a courtesy to them.

I have a few rules:
I also will not publish any wrecks as they happen, or the aftermath.
I will not publish Drug Enforcement Agency aircraft.
I will not continue to show any picture that I have been asked to remove.

This really is only a hobby, and not some type of forum to hurt people.
But you are correct. Privacy is becoming a thing of the past. I don't really understand why the FAA has to give out the address. The home address has nothing to do with my pictures.

Best Regards,

Warhawk · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:11 pm

Just this past weekend I was looking through pictures on The NERAIL New England Railroad Photo Archive ( http://photos.nerail.org/ ) and I found a picture of my house taken three years ago. I was surprised to say the least but after I thought about it a moment it made perfect sense. I myself have done rail photography right here and I certainly cannot fault someone else for doing the same thing.

I guess there really is nothing that you cannot find on the web. Below is a link to the picture in question. He was taking a picture of the track condition and you can see what he captured.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 20Railroad

CH2Tdriver · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:18 pm

skybolt2003 wrote:

I just googled my N number. It came up with a picture of it on jetphotos.net taken earlier this year ...

Yikes! My plane is on their too!! LOL! (After a google search)

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=357829&nseq=2

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... rch=N314LF

Cheers,
Pete

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:04 am

Although this home page isn't impressive (see link below), this site covers the entire CA coast, minus Vandenberg AFB and a few other restricted areas. I can see all my friends homes along the coast by searching through this site, sorry guys, the days of privacy are gone. Cameras at nearly every intersection, along the highways. I got a notice from Cal Trans that my vehicle had been spotted on Highway 580 last year (I was driving to the Merced Air Show), and received a questionaire about my drive, where to, how many in the vehicle, etc, etc. No I didn't reply.

http://www.californiacoastline.org/

Ztex · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:17 am

Skybolt,

That is one nice looking 195 you have there...

As far as the photo thing goes, look at it this way. If you had a beautiful 1957 Corvette out running around you wouldn't mind if someone snapped a picture and posted it on a hot rod site? The only difference is the registration number...and the internet that makes the information so readily available...15 years ago we would have to send in a request, in writing, to the FAA for this kind of info, that would take a month...or more...

Of course we had to wait a month for our Air Classic magazine to come in th email to get our Warbird updates too... :wink:

Part of my point is that we airplane nuts now have a way to share the things we love like never before.

A Cessna 195 is way better than some Chevrolet any day!

CAPFlyer · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:53 pm

I'm sorry guys, but privacy when in a public place never existed anyway. When you can be seen by someone else there is no expectation of privacy. "Privacy" as is defined in popular lore is something that was created by a bunch of lawyers, not something that is in the Constitution or an intrinsic right. What you do WITHIN your home is private. What you do when no one else can see you is private. Otherwise, it's public, and thus open to public scrutiny, including things like your car being photographed and you being sent a questionnaire. Now, you have a right not to respond, but the government certainly has a right as well to monitor public traffic just as Joe Public also has a right to take pictures of anything from public property that is visible from that property.

I also agree that making ownership information freely available to the public doesn't totally sit kosher with me, but the fact is that a law was passed by the duly elected government officials that said the FAA had to publish the data, so they do. As was said above, you can have the FAA remove that information and I know a lot of people have, so there is at least some relief to the issue.

Bluedharma · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:10 pm

This is an open question to the pilots on this board:

I don't think the FAA should make the address available, but is there really anything wrong with taking pictures of aircraft as a hobby?
How do people feel about this issue?
On some forums I get the feeling that my hobby is related to being some type of Paparazzi. Relentlessly shadowing aircraft owners movements and stealing any privacy.

I am just taking a few shots on public land as people come into to land.
Not the person, but the aircraft. Is this really something that should be frowned upon?
As long as I follow common courtesy, and not publish personal information, there really shouldn't be any problem right?

I am interested in your opinion. (at least this type of hobby is better than counting rivets.)

Best Regards,

p51 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:37 pm

I once looked up my own WW2 Jeep's registration number, trying to find a photo of it I had posted and had forgotten the site. I found three sites with photos of my own Jeep, none of which I had taken. One was a photo with me sitting in it, in a parade. Yes, it's an odd feeling, but they were all enthusiast or hobby sites, so they were done in a way that made perfect sense to me.
It does irritate me greatly that this guy feels some kind of right to be able to demand you remove a photo taken legally. If he'd been at a public event and you took a photo of his face (think paparazzi), you can do anything you want with it, what's the difference with his airplane? I probably would have ended my note to him with, "…and the horse you rode in on," and called it good. But that's just me.
If you have never seen it before, here's a good guide on photographer's rights. As with all things legal, most folks repeat incorrect info they've heard over the years and it often runs against what the legal standard really is: http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm I might just get a copy of this book as I've been rousted by railroad officials when taking photos of trains from public areas like parks and sidewalks overlooking tracks. I've told the RR cops to go stick it when they ask me who I am or what I'm doing. His isn't because I'm one of those, "I know my rights" kind of people, but I don't feel I must justify myself to anyone when I'm being legal. Sadly, within the last 20 years or so, we've seen an increase of "self appointed" types who feel their authority extends to everywhere and everything. Being on the receiving end of folks like this in the past, I no longer recognize anyone other than legally appointed representatives as having any authority in anything I do. In other words, if you're a cop or a guard (and I'm on your property), then I'll listen to you. Otherwise, I'll tell you where to stick it.

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