Thankfully and at least in the U.S., we can still fly around in a lot of airspace without showing up on ATC radar screens or talking to anyone. In fact and as a testament to private aviation’s anonymity, more than a few pilots in recent years have made a point of flying from one coast to the other in aircraft lacking electrical systems. It’s a privilege that should be preserved, though it probably won’t be.
Put aside recent revelations about government surveillance of citizens and use of video cameras to monitor surface vehicles. The March 8 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370—as this is written two months later, no trace of the Boeing 777 has been found—is likely to put increasing pressure on governments to identify and track civil aircraft, and obtain at least some operational data. The initial emphasis will be on scheduled passenger operations, but there will be additional pressures to establish takeoff-to-touchdown monitoring of all flights. It all can and likely will trickle down to personal aviation eventually.
