Registration numbers are secure.

[maddingomike]

I was wondering if someone could just copy your registration number, put it on their Drone and have you accountable for their actions? People come up to me all the time when I fly and ask questions. Perfect opportunity for someone to get my registration number. Maybe I'm paranoid but you never know. For this reason I think I will be marking my number in the battery compartment or maybe even on my batteries themselves.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[msinger]

The battery compartment is a good place to affix a label. Here are a few places that'll work:

 

[StumbleBee]

The reg. no. is undoubtedly encoded to match your name just as credit cards are encoded to cross match expiration dates, cvv codes and names.
Someone would also have to know the name you bought your registration with to have any possible use for the number. Regardless, your number is probably going to be public record just as 'N' numbers are public record.

 

[maddingomike]

The reg. no. is undoubtedly encoded to match your name just as credit cards are encoded to cross match expiration dates, cvv codes and names.
Someone would also have to know the name you bought your registration with to have any possible use for the number. Regardless, your number is probably going to be public record just as 'N' numbers are public record.

I'm more concerned with someone using my number on their Drone and doing something unlawful like crashing on the Whitehouse lawn and the authorities trace the Drone to me.

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[TrynFlyn]

I'm more concerned with someone using my number on their Drone and doing something unlawful like crashing on the Whitehouse lawn and the authorities trace the Drone to me.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Then just show the FAA your bird when they show up.

 

[StumbleBee]

Then just show the FAA your bird when they show up.

Not a good defense. No one's drone is registered, only the pilot. Someone who 'steals' your number can put it on any drone. And anyone can get another drone and say that it was the one they had all along.

 

[FotoGeek]

Not a good defense. No one's drone is registered, only the pilot. Someone who 'steals' your number can put it on any drone. And anyone can get another drone and say that it was the one they had all along.

The odds of that are slim. However, if it does happen...I'm sure you can come up with a pretty good alibi if it wan't you flying on a particular day, time and place...

 

[Chuck Young]

Except from what I understand the serial number of the aircraft will cross with the FAA and registered name of said owner. Harder to fake the MFG. serial number.

 

[StumbleBee]

Except from what I understand the serial number of the aircraft will cross with the FAA and registered name of said owner. Harder to fake the MFG. serial number.

No one recorded my drone's serial number when I purchased it. I suppose that it is possible a serial number is automatically sent by the controller when you first log onto a website for an update... But you don't have to give your real identity at any point, either to purchase or update your drone. Of course, your computer and IP address may be recorded when you update or log on.

 

[barefootbeachcombing]

Except from what I understand the serial number of the aircraft will cross with the FAA and registered name of said owner. Harder to fake the MFG. serial number.

From where would the FAA be obtaining said information?

 

[Chuck Young]

From where would the FAA be obtaining said information?

My bad,just registered, they don't care what bird you put it on. If you are scared someone will steal it and get you in trouble with big-brother hide it in your battery compartment. My number I will fly on a huge 6' X 20' banner!

 

[480sparky]

Then just show the FAA your bird when they show up.

Reg. numbers are not always for just one bird. You can own 50 birds with one reg. number.

 

[Chuck Young]

So with N numbers being displayed so blatantly, shouldn't A/C owners be afraid of N thieves using their numbers to get away with big capers?

 

[Hjones62]

@StumbleBee Apparently you have an answer for everything. I don't know who's worst somedays, you guys or the FAA. You guys worry about to darn much these days! Just fly responsibly and stop all the whining!

 

[StumbleBee]

@StumbleBee Apparently you have an answer for everything. I don't know who's worst somedays, you guys or the FAA. You guys worry about to darn much these days! Just fly responsibly and stop all the whining!

You'll find no whining or paranoia in any of my responses. I calmly, logically and factually responded to some concerns by others.

 

[Darmie]

The battery compartment is a good place to affix a label. Here are a few places that'll work:

That's a cool FAA number you ended up with.

 

[msinger]

That's a cool FAA number you ended up with.

Ha. I'm not paranoid, but I don't want to post my number online either

 

[DAP-UAV]

All this, YES WHINING about registration and these conspiracy theories, enough already. Don't register, who cares. What goes around comes around. Know what I'm Saying?

 

[WetDog]

So with N numbers being displayed so blatantly, shouldn't A/C owners be afraid of N thieves using their numbers to get away with big capers?

The big problem with your line of thinking is that the UAV registration is for the PERSON. N registrations are for the aircraft. And aircraft ownership is often obfuscated. FWIW, people have put invalid N numbers on aircraft prior to illegal operations. It would take some doing since do it correctly would mean you would have to steal a number from the same type of plane. The concern for UAV operators (which I think is rather overblown) will be that some nefarious terrorist will still your FA number and paint in on the drone they flew into an aircraft.

My take on that is 1) if you do something really bad with a Phantom sized UAV, it will likely be in ground glass size particles by the time the FAA gets around to analyzing it. If they did find your number, it would just be the very early start of an investigation. Even the feds would not likely send the SWAT team to your house based on that. They're not that stupid.

 

[Darmie]

Hey, I was told that our Phantoms have a black box in them anyway. Also a voice recorder too. I seen my friends number. It's kind of long actually. So, instead of an N number, we get an F number?