So, when did they start hiding the tail numbers of owners that request it? I was watching Troy Aikman’s (N408RT) flights to and from his games just in the last couple of weeks, and now it is not visible. Have they just started doing this, or did Troy just catch on?
I think Troy got the memo. Check out the last post from this thread:
discussions.flightaware.com/view … hp?t=10073
Yep…those were the flights that I was tracking too. That’s pretty funny. Maybe we need to come up with some sort of code or encryption so that when we are discussing a plane, someone can’t google it and get a hit on this message board, assuming that we are the reason they picked up on it 
And we can have a secret handshake, too!
Oh, and Google requests that you say a “search on Google” or something similar. They don’t Google turned into a verb.
Yeah I agree. I think somebody just stumbled upon the thread from Google and told them about it.
Maybe if we post in code like this it won't pick it up?
Hmmm, now that didn’t work…
Pictures are one way that’s not easily searchable:
I made that by pasting the text into a blank image in MS Paint.
I probably shouldn’t have named it aikman.png though, because that name appears in the URL to the photo. But this is just a demo.
Why not spell it out? November one two three four five.
Tango hotel alpha tango ’ sierra … alpha … golf romeo echo alpha tango … india delta echo alpha!!!
Under the assumption that they are reading these threads or anything with their name in it… I’ve heard the likes of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are narcissists and they Google themselves more than once a day.
I’ve long been an opponent of blocking tail numbers. They use an array of public services and for the same reason we can track any plane we should be able to track all planes, in the USA. USA USA USA!!!
actually, google has a function called “google alerts”. you simply subscribe (for free) and google will email you an alert whenever your name is searched or referenced online. good for ego and good for security…everyone wins… 8)
By the way… In phonetic, alpha is spelled alfa. 
I’ve never heard of that before. I looked it up so I could bust you, but you’re sort of right - I think. I’ve looked in different places and seen it spelled both “alfa” and “alpha”. WTF is “alfa”?
dynamoo.com/technical/phonetic.htm
usmilitary.about.com/od/theorder … phabet.htm
It says alfa on wiki. And it says alfa on one of my FAA runway safety books. But I guess it don’t matter…
And don’t forget the phonetic doesn’t have a 9 or 5 - they are niner and fife.
Zero, Wun, Too, Tree, Fower, Fife, Six, Seven, Ait, Niner.
The proper spelling in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and maybe a half-dozen other languages.
When you think about it, WTF is “alpha”? The PH is a nonsensical letter combination inherited from another language – like most of the English/American language.
So I’d say “alfa” makes at least as much sense in an international context. The proper pronunciation is unmistakable.