Tail numbers
Just seen this rather disturbing article;
Barcode technology set to defeat bird watchers
A new security initiative has sprung from the US Department of Defense. Fed up with constant detailed reports on the Internet of the movements of military aircraft, the US Air Force has decided that the practice of painting serial numbers on the vertical fins of their aircraft is to cease.
“There is really no need to have this feature on our fleet in this day and age” said a spokesman “After all, whose benefit is it for? Using 21st century technology, a pilot or ground crew member can easily ascertain the identity of the aircraft he is about to fly, or perform maintenance upon.”
The spokesman went on to say that as aircraft pass through depot maintenance and repaint in the future, they will have sensors embedded in the external skin, which will allow hand-held readers to be used to identify the aircraft, rather like the product barcodes used throughout the retail industry. The highly-visible ‘tail number’ will not be reapplied with the new paint finish, rendering each aircraft unidentifiable to the naked eye. The USAF insignia would remain, as this is mandated under international law.
Plane enthusiasts were shocked by this proposal. “Our hobby will be destroyed by this scheme!” said Rolf Pialo, an aviation fan at one of the USAF’s busiest bases, Rhein-Main at Frankfurt, Germany. “Without the scanners to read these sensors, each aircraft will remain anonymous – there will be no future for our pastime.” Amateur photographers were equally dismayed, as each aircraft of any particular type would look just the same as another.
As yet other Air Forces have not adopted this idea, but if it does prove to be a success, there is no reason why it could not spread world-wide to encompass all military and civilian aircraft, giving benefits in cost as well as providing improved security for crews and passengers alike.
Could be time to throw away the binoculars!