# Tail numbers not resolving correctly

**URL:** <https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323>\
**Category:** AeroAPI\
**Created:** [September 24, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323 "2012-09-24T02:08:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![trodery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@trodery](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/trodery)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323/1 "2012-09-24T02:08:56Z")

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Hi,

When attempting to do a lookup on a specific tail number using your API I get different results from using your web interface. For example:

stdClass Object  
(  
[InFlightInfoResult] =\> stdClass Object  
(  
[faFlightID] =\>  
[ident] =\> N319AA  
[prefix] =\>  
[type] =\>  
[suffix] =\>  
[origin] =\>  
[destination] =\>  
[timeout] =\>  
[timestamp] =\> 0  
[departureTime] =\> 0  
[firstPositionTime] =\> 0  
[arrivalTime] =\> 0  
[longitude] =\> 0  
[latitude] =\> 0  
[lowLongitude] =\> 0  
[lowLatitude] =\> 0  
[highLongitude] =\> 0  
[highLatitude] =\> 0  
[groundspeed] =\> 0  
[altitude] =\> 0  
[heading] =\> 0  
[altitudeStatus] =\>  
[updateType] =\>  
[altitudeChange] =\>  
[waypoints] =\>  
)

)

Using the tail number of the aircraft (N319AA) I get no results returned where as if I use your actual web interface I get “N319AA / AAL20” which is the correct flight number. Looking up the flight number directly gives the correct data but I want to look up based on tail number and not flight number.

stdClass Object  
(  
[InFlightInfoResult] =\> stdClass Object  
(  
[faFlightID] =\> AAL20-1348205176-airline-0150  
[ident] =\> AAL20  
[prefix] =\> H  
[type] =\> B762  
[suffix] =\> Q  
[origin] =\> KSFO  
[destination] =\> KJFK  
[timeout] =\> ok  
[timestamp] =\> 1348451799  
[departureTime] =\> 1348439880  
[firstPositionTime] =\> 1348439940  
[arrivalTime] =\> 0  
[longitude] =\> -89.51611328120000621311191935092210769653  
[latitude] =\> 42.55666732790000139630137709900736808777  
[lowLongitude] =\> -122.3333358760000066922657424584031105042  
[lowLatitude] =\> 37.6500015259000022638247173745185136795  
[highLongitude] =\> -89.51611328120000621311191935092210769653  
[highLatitude] =\> 42.61694335939999689344404032453894615173  
[groundspeed] =\> 469  
[altitude] =\> 390  
[heading] =\> 92  
[altitudeStatus] =\> C  
[updateType] =\> TZ  
[altitudeChange] =\>  
[waypoints] =\>

–snip–

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**Author:** ![bovineone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/bovineone/32/117631_2.png) [@bovineone](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/bovineone)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323/2 "2012-09-24T06:03:27Z")

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Searching by tail number when the flight is operating as an ident is not currently supported via FlightXML. (Yes, there are implementation differences between the website and FlightXML.)

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**Author:** ![benursu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@benursu](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/benursu)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323/3 "2013-03-26T15:43:50Z")

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Has searching by Tail Number been enabled via FlightXML2 yet? Any ETA on matching the website functionality?

If not, is there a way to query what “ident” to use for a specific tail number so I can eventually return that complete dataset? I don’t think GetFlightID will work for me because it requires a departure time. Using a Search query also doesn’t work since it only returns airborne aircraft.

I’m trying to track just a specific airplane.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![bovineone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/bovineone/32/117631_2.png) [@bovineone](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/bovineone)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323/4 "2013-03-27T17:10:55Z")

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This functionality is expected to be available in FlightInfo and FlightInfoEx after March 29 00:00 UTC. Thanks

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**Author:** ![benursu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@benursu](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/benursu)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/tail-numbers-not-resolving-correctly/13323/5 "2013-03-28T17:41:46Z")

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Great Thanks! I’ll let you know if I run into any problems.

Thanks,  
Ben