# First try ... fail :)
**URL:** https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384
**Category:** AeroAPI
**Created:** [January 6, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384 "2012-01-06T22:34:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jmhayes](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/jmhayes)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384/1 "2012-01-06T22:34:13Z")
I’m using PHP/nusoap:
```auto
$params = array("ident" => "N534UA", "howMany" = 15);
$result = $fa->call("FlightInfo", $params);
```
This gives me
```auto
no data available
```
But [http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N534UA](http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N534UA) seems to work.
Other API calls work for me, like the example Metar. If I try InFlightInfo for that tail, I get an array of zero values, which I presume is because it’s sitting on the ground presently 🙂
---
### Author:  [@bovineone](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/bovineone)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384/2 "2012-01-06T22:58:51Z")
That tail number does its primary activity under the callsign “UAL720”, so if you change your query to use that instead it will succeed.
Not all of the FlightXML methods currently support lookups by tail number if the flight was using a callsign. InFlightInfo is one that does and its documentation notes “Codeshares and alternate idents are automatically searched”
---
### Author:  [@jmhayes](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/jmhayes)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384/3 "2012-01-06T23:17:56Z")
> [@bovineone](#):
>
> Not all of the FlightXML methods currently support lookups by tail number if the flight was using a callsign.
Hmm, I was hoping to tie up tails to flights; how does the web site do it then?
---
### Author:  [@bovineone](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/bovineone)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384/4 "2012-01-07T00:03:07Z")
Our website has access to more information than what is currently exposed via FlightXML.
You can use “AirlineFlightInfo” with the faFlightID of “UAL720-1325664767-airline-0046” and it will tell you that it is using tailnumber “N534UA”, however at this time there is no easy way to perform a FlightXML lookup directly by just tail number if it was actually operating under a call sign. We may add this functionality in the future though.
---
### Author:  [@jmhayes](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/jmhayes)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/first-try-fail/12384/5 "2012-01-07T00:08:08Z")
> [@bovineone](#):
>
> at this time there is no easy way to perform a FlightXML lookup directly by just tail number if it was actually operating under a call sign. We may add this functionality in the future though.
Ok, thanks.