The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented a program strongly advocated for by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) that allows aircraft owners to request that certain personal information be kept private, including their name and address.
AOPA advocated for pilot privacy in last year’s FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Starting today, as a result of this congressional action and the FAA’s implementation, pilots can now submit a request through the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) to have their information withheld from public display on all FAA websites.
“This program is long overdue and a significant win for pilot privacy,” said AOPA President and CEO Darren Pleasance. “This is a direct result of our advocacy efforts and our continued push for privacy. We are very appreciative of Congress and the FAA for taking this big step. It will most certainly have a positive impact and AOPA will continue to work with Congress and the FAA to ensure a pilot’s private information is fully protected.”
On a related note, Pleasance also sent a letter to Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, urging the agency to stand by its commitment to ensuring data emitted from an aviation safety tool onboard an aircraft, known as ADS-B, which allows aircraft and air traffic controllers to determine location, speed, and other parameters, not be used by third parties to collect airport fees from private pilots.
Pleasance also noted that in addition to ADS-B data being used for billing pilots for airport fees without their consent, they “are increasingly being targeted with enforcement actions and frivolous lawsuits—things that are far from the ADS-B equipage mandate’s original purpose.”
