Why do aircrafts owned by the CIA not have tail numbers?

Question

Why do aircrafts owned by the CIA not have tail numbers?

Answer 1

They do have markings.

For covert ops, they just have normal civilian registration, probably linked to a front company or something like Air America.

The CIA doesn't have spy planes anymore, the USAF covers all of the now.

Answer 2

CIA don't display tail numbers or other markings so people cant identify that its a CIA plane.

Then people will see a plane with no markings and say

"hey, no markings, must be a CIA plane"

For an intelligence outfit, they re not that intelligent.

Answer 3

Duh,Because they are spyplanes.Tailnumbers show ownership like license plates.It would tell them right off that it was a spyplane.

Answer 4

don't worry about the cia. worry about the nsa, they are ten times bigger, and worry about hillary.

Answer 5

the same reason police cars have no registration............... the dont need to.

Answer 6

I did not know that. It seems like if all planes except for the CIA have tail numbers, then NOT having a tail number would be a dead giveaway.  It seems like they would have FAKE tail numbers.

Oh well, the CIA is hard to understand.

Answer 7

I don't know that cause how do they identify themselves to tower like " Ground this is x*x..." it wouldn't be right. like the other guy said no use advertising you're doing spy work. So i don't believe it. It would certainly be registered to a dummy front unless CIA is dumb enough.

Answer 8

Some people above mentioned that if they have no tail numbers, then it would obviously be a CIA spy plane.. well chances are if it was found over Russia, China, Korea et cetera than its likely to be a CIA plane anyway. So basically the main reason I would suggest they dont have identifiable markings (flags, numbers) is because they can claim its not theres and they had nothing to do with it.. and if the other counrty can't prove it, then it means nothing.. they obviously know whose it will be.. but what matters is the proof

Like the U2 spy plane that was shot down by the Russians.. the US automatically could deny all links and knowledge. I think!

Answer 9

I can't say.

Answer 10

They have tail numbers. Jeez.

Answer 11

Aircraft?  What aircraft?  If there are no tail numbers it must mean that there are no aircraft.  If there are no aircraft, there's no place to put a tail number.  

Now, move along, Buddy.  I was never here and you never saw me.

Answer 12

its a conspiracy theory man.  its like the vietnam war, it was fought over a bet that howard hughes had against the government.

Answer 13

aww come on if a Blackbird or U2 went down we wouldnt want them to go to landings.com and look up who owns it!

hahahahahahaha

Answer 14

They probably do, you have to have some kind of identifier. They probably dont paint them on because it would give foreign intelligence a way to track who was going where, but thats much harder if there are multiple identical unmarked aircraft.

Also, the CIA usually charters aircraft, since its far more difficult for an intelligence agency to keep track of who is using what aircraft if they use the same aircraft as civilians.

Of course they dont really care if you know the truth because the more people who spread more stupid rumors the easier it is for them to conceal themselves and survive. They really arent all that insane, I know a couple of former agents with a few services and they are all regular people who just want to get the bad guy. Youd be surprised at just how normal they are, they just watch and protect, no intense spy novel c**p.

Answer 15

They do. Doesn't anyone remember Southern Airways? The C-130's?