Tracking Steve Jobs’s Private Jet Over the Internet
12:18 pm, June 21st, 2009, Leander Kahney
Steve Jobs's private Gulfstream jet on the runway at TK. Photos reproduced with the kind permission of Rich Snyder.
Jobs has blocked the FAA from officially tracking his jet’s flights (a routine request; some simple paperwork with the National Business Aviation Association). But his 15-seater Gulfstream 5 has a distinctive tail number — N2N — that makes it easy for aviation buffs to track its movements on the Internet.
And while it looks like he flew to Memphis on March 23, possibly for a liver transplant — as CNBC claims to have independently confirmed — his jet made many more flights in April.
Worldwide, there are scores of plane geeks who track messages sent via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), an automated system that transmits airplane status messages to other aircraft and ground stations.
It’s the same system that investigators are using to piece together the final moments of Air France 447, which crashed off the coast of Brazil earlier this month.
The messages are unencrypted and easily intercepted with an aviation scanner — the aerospace equivalent of a police scanner. Attach the scanner to a PC, and the status messages can be automatically uploaded to internet databases.
A search of Acarsd.org, a database that aggregates messages from hundreds of scanners connected to the Internet, shows that Jobs’s jet was in the air of March 23. It reported its position to the east of Modesto, CA.
“The aircraft could have been eastbound at that point,” says Carl Howe, an analyst with Yankee Group and a former pilot who searched the Acarsd.org database to produce a report of the jet’s movements for the last 6 months (See below).
“If it were the case, the next time the aircraft logs time is on April 5, about two weeks later,” says Howe. “Anything is possible, but that seems like a pretty fast turnaround for a liver transplant; there’s more activity in April though.”
Jobs’ plane was busy in April, logging five flights that month — the most movements the plane has made in the last six months. And it looks like Jobs’s jet made three flights close together in late April, arriving or departing from San Jose on April 21, 23 and 27.
The ACARS records on those dates contain Gear-up messages (Message label 12), and position reporting messages (Message label 15), which include latitude and longitude, as indicated by the N and W markers. For example, on April 21, the jet reported its location at N37.112, W121.444, which is just south of San Jose, CA. There are similar latitude and longitude markers for flight son the 23 and 27.
“Jobs was doing something then,” says Howe. “We just don’t know what.”
In addition, interception of ACARS transmissions isn’t perfect. Only a percentage of all messages are captured by hobbyists.
However, the system makes it hard to keep the movements of planes secret, especially when they’re leaving an electronic data trail. The CIA’s extraordinary rendition program was uncovered by hobbyist planespotters.
“Some of these seemingly obscure hobbies can be pretty good sources of hard data,” says Howe.
Plane buff Rich Snyder, who snapped Jobs’s jet in April, said airplane photographers use flight trackers like FlightAware to see what’s arriving at the airport they’re shooting at.
“N2N has been blocked on Flightaware per request, probably by Jobs,” says Snyder. “So, if you catch his jet, it’s a pretty nice score!”
Here’s Howe’s data for Jobs’s Gulfstream N2N for the last six months:
Data from http://www.acarsd.org/acars_search.html for Gulfstream
5, N2N from 1/1/09 through 6/20/09
CARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: 15 Block id: 8 Msg no: M67A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
Message content:-
(2N37550W120443281 44300—(Z
———————————————————-[ 24/03/2009 08:22 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: Q0 Block id: 5 Msg no: M25A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
———————————————————-[ 05/04/2009 07:20 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: _ Block id: 5 Msg no: M54A
Flight id: XA0001 [] []
———————————————————-[ 19/04/2009 17:06 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: 15 Block id: 8 Msg no: M97A
Flight id: XA0001 [] []
Message content:-
(2N37112W121444006 11 37—(Z
———————————————————-[ 21/04/2009 05:55 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: 12 Block id: 2 Msg no: M01A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
Message content:-
(2AAYAN37212W121555 S3535 L(Z
———————————————————-[ 23/04/2009 16:37 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: 15 Block id: 1 Msg no: M00A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
Message content:-
(2N37212W121555GRD (K10—(Z
———————————————————-[ 27/04/2009 19:43 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: _ Block id: 3 Msg no: M52A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
———————————————————-[ 03/05/2009 17:49 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: 12 Block id: 2 Msg no: M01A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
Message content:-
(2AAYAN37212W121555 D0810 L(Z
———————————————————-[ 10/05/2009 20:49 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: 15 Block id: 0 Msg no: M70A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
Message content:-
(2N37212W121555GRD 0—(Z
———————————————————-[ 21/05/2009 21:41 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: _ Block id: 8 Msg no: M07A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
———————————————————-[ 14/06/2009 17:55 ]-
ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: N2N [Gulfstream GLF5]
Message label: Q0 Block id: 2 Msg no: M02A
Flight id: XA0001 [] [General Aviation]
———————————————————-[ 20/06/2009 05:47 ]-
Posted by Leander Kahney in News, Steve Jobs, Top stories | Comment on this article
You know, I like Steve Jobs and am interested in his work too. But tracking his private jet? Seems to be a bit too much personal information if you ask me. What is next: going through his trash? “We can see he made dinner and ate it, we just can’t make out what it is exactly”
Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, on June 21st, 2009 at 12:45 pm
This is really creepy, stalker-like behavior. Why is this news?
minimalist, on June 21st, 2009 at 2:31 pm
What’s the CARBON FOOTPRINT of his private jet !?!? I didn’t think environmentalist’s believed in private jets.
Ben, on June 21st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
So what is the actual payoff in all this detective work? Everyone wants to be first in reporting the demise of Steve. Remember, Bloomberg has that covered already.
I think Apple released this to draw attention away from the fabled from the “iPod slide”. The mythical Apple notepad.
FatSOB, on June 21st, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Why assume Steve Jobs flew all those flights? Why couldn’t it have been his family, board members, or Apple officers on many of them?
Anonymoose, on June 21st, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Wow… frankly, it must suck to be Steve Jobs. People tracking his every move, going to lengths to intercept his plane’s diagnostic and status messages, insinuating themselves into his plans for his private property, and obsessing over his health.
He may be a force to be reckoned with in the tech and media worlds, but he’s still a man  with a family who deserves some privacy  and I think this has all gotten way out of hand.
Like anyone else, I wish him well and hope he is healthy and happy, and continues to work on products that I enjoy. But let him be a human being, ya know?
Gene, on June 21st, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Steve Jobs is not a private citizen. He is a public figure. He’s the head of a big and important PUBLIC corporation whose health, well being and movements are NEWS. I wish him a long, prosperous and happy life, but he’s lived his life in the public eye for decades. He uses his celebrity to sell his products, and public scrutiny is price he pays. Right or wrong.
Leander Kahney, on June 21st, 2009 at 9:54 pm
We all know that Steve Jobs must have ben under great stress due to his initial health problems, and due to how this is endlessly being discussed on internet.
It’s commonly known that stress isn’t good for your health.
Isn’t it time to just give this guy a break? Do we really need to start blogs on every move he makes in his private life – and (apparently against his will, since he may have blocked the track records for his plane) track each of his trips?
Internet is potentially a very useful tool, but I’m sure he isn’t happy with this invasion of his private life. I’m also convinced that these paparazzi-ish activities aren’t needed for Mac users like myself either.
Please stop this madness.
Take a break, on June 21st, 2009 at 11:08 pm
What on earth? First the post about Steve Job’s house in Memphis and now this? This is just downright weird and stalker-ish behaviour. Who cares where Steve Jobs is going in his plane? And don’t use the argument that he’s a public figure, that does not give you the right to pry into every aspect of his life. And furthermore, as was referred to in a previous comment, how do you know he’s even on that plane? If it’s his wife and children do we still have a right to know?
While his health may be news, his movements are most certainly not. Would you be posting here everytime he takes his car out for a drive or goes out to eat? I would hope not. I think you’re dead wrong on this.
Thomas, on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:37 am
What? No Apple logo? No “iPlane” text?
sjdvda, on June 22nd, 2009 at 9:41 am
This is either the geekiest story you’ve ever posted or the creepiest. It makes me uncomfortable either way. Yuk.
Daddy or Chips?, on June 22nd, 2009 at 9:52 am
Let’s see his cars and licence plates, too!! Maybe his wife and kids at their favourite grocery store?
C;mon, show some common sense. You wouldn’t want photos of your car or front door, or even street sign. Why would you think it appropriate to do it to Jobs? With all the whack jobs out there this is just irresponsible.
Do yourself, Jobs, and all of us a favour; get rid of the personal images and info. In fact, you’ll do us an even greater favour if you simply drop the prurient stories qnd just stick with useful information. This is Cult of Mac, not Cult of Steve. The WSJ report on the liver transplant was news. That he may have lived in a certain house in Tennessee is not. Nor is the whereabouts of his Jet at any given time (except related to possible business activity), and certainly not his aircraft ID number! Don’t you think there’s a reason it’s as nondescript as a c. 1992 clone PC? (At the least he must want to paint it all black!)
Go back, clean out the voyeur posts, consolidate the real news, and republish them. Resist the temptation of girly-girl/man-crush posts.
We know you’re better than this. So do you,
imajoebob, on June 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 am
That’s pushing “Cult of Mac” to the extreme. Drop the stalker gossip and get back to Mac news.
dale., on June 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Don’t owners of private jets routinely lease them out? Certainly Amelio used to lease his out.
Ian Betteridge, on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I don’t know. that’s a good question. there must be a local company that deals with this. i’ll find one and ask them.
Leander Kahney, on June 22nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
To the Author of this article,
Why don you get your life in hand and mind your business,
Why you care what Steve is doing,
Why don’t you mind about what your wife is doing for instance, you may be surprised, no?
Idiot! You should be sued!!
Massimo, on June 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 am
I completely agree with Gene.
The story is in poor taste guys.
It’s basically a How-To-Guide on how to track a very sick man’s trips to and from the hospital.
Hey kids! Here’s the ID number of Job’s jet! Have fun stalking the man!
I guess because he’s a rich, tech magnate and public figure, anything goes.
In media law, “public figure” translates to “abracadabra.” You say it and journalistic ethics disappear.
DJ, on June 23rd, 2009 at 9:44 am
All you whiny babies, if Jobs wants privacy he can step down as CEO of Apple. Until then this pop star will have the media following his every move.
The fact that Jobs wants to remain as private as possible, in both his business and personal life, only adds fuel to the fire…
Dougit, on June 27th, 2009 at 12:24 am
i like work in apple company
hamid, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:45 am