Why some RCAF flights will disappear from flight trackers

The proliferation of flight trackers and their increasing ability to follow aircraft has raised concerns with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

The air arm states: “While this is not a concern for many Canadian military flights, such as training flights or search and rescue missions, there are occasions where tracking of military aircraft or associated flight data could pose concerns for operational security and safety.”

Consequently, “the Royal Canadian Air Force is implementing measures to enhance the operational security on some operational flights, including limiting publicly available flight data…and would be driven by the context of the operation and by indicators derived from threat assessments. The measures applied to increase operational security will be used sparingly”.

Colonel Jody Hanson, director of the Combined Aerospace Operations Centre stated: “We are working with partners like Transport Canada, NAV Canada and the US Federal Aviation Administration to implement some measures to ensure our aircraft can operate discreetly, when required for reasons of operational security.”

The RCAF is looking to hide aircraft from flight trackers where it feels operational security needs to be enhanced. This CC-177 from 429 Transport Squadron is shown landing on a gravel runway at Resolute Bay Airport in Canada’s northern Nunavut territory, demonstrating the type’s rough field capability. 
The RCAF is looking to hide aircraft from flight trackers where it feels operational security needs to be enhanced. This CC-177 from 429 Transport Squadron is shown landing on a gravel runway at Resolute Bay Airport in Canada’s northern Nunavut territory, demonstrating the type’s rough field capability.  Canadian Forces Combat Camera/Sgt Norm McLean