Please don't pretend that you didn't know what I meant with the flying club reference.
No pretence here, I don't know what you meant, I just took the comment at face value.
As far as the other "Big Brother" things you mentioned, such as cameras at petrol stations etc. I don't have an issue with them because I can see that they do provide a worthwhile deterrent against bilkings and other criminal acts. In any case, at those locations I'm not required to give persons unknown what I consider to be sensitive personal details about myself and my passengers.
You asked me about CCTV at my operating locations. I did specifically mention that point prior to your question.
I don't have a Tracker on my car; I see no financial gain as it's not valuable enough to me and probably of little interest to a criminal. It's insured against theft in any case. If someone steals it they will have to damage it to gain entry and then I probably wouldn't want it back.
I have disabled "location following" on my mobile phone which was designed merely to satisfy some outfit who want to sell me their stuff, or tell others exactly where I am so they can tailor their own adverts. It's annoying how it has recently begun trying to get me to turn it back on. I do have a choice, though and will continue to make it. Haven't Google just been in the news for being warned that what they are trying to do via mobile phones is against European law and rights of the individual?
Regarding earlier comments about flight following, the ANO mentions that in the absence of a written flight plan, a responsible person should be nominated for this purpose. This doesn't have to be hotel staff and I wouldn't personally expect them to understand what this really means or to be prepared to take on this role. Instead I keep in touch with my base by phone where necessary; if I don't get in touch they often ring me to check up how we're doing. Obviously they know more or less where I should be at any one time, so do ATC because I make a point of obtaining a service of some sort or other whenever it's available; it usually is on mainland UK. If there's no radar or other more relevant unit in the vicinity, I use London or Scottish Info who provide a very good service for transit flights. They are trained to take overdue action and will do so if necessary.
Regarding booking in; I've spent much of the day finding ad-hoc landing sites for future flights. They were all given our details, including the insurance, as we always do expect to provide. However, none of them expected passport numbers of the aircraft occupants and if they had asked I would have politely declined to give them. The easiest permission to obtain was the one I thought was potentially the most difficult, on a private estate. A quick couple of phone calls, yes no problem was the reply. The only thing needed was the time of arrival so they could let our driver in to meet us. Some folk on here, or policemen on PP might go slightly faint with worry if I said where it was, so I won't.
