This problem is not going to go away while the populate system runs as it does at the moment. This is because as I understand it reading about autopopulate in the help menu. It works like this.
From examples picked up today
Radar box picks up a mode-s A5D4AA - searches database - nothing known - then searches AIRNAV Server database? - nothing known - then searches GAS Database - N475LC GLF4 (Operator) = L-3 is LLC - then searches Airnet for photo - dowloads photo and repopulates with info from Airnet = N475LC GLF4 Untitled (Starflite International).
The operator/owner quoted by GAS is correct to the FAA registry (Link below) but is overwritten by info from Airnet.
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_inquiry.asp (type in 475LC)
The above is how I understand the populate system works if I am wrong can some one explain it to me properly.
Example 2 military
2 Aircraft with the serial 5105
3F9985 51+05 C160 Germany -Air Force
498426 5105 CL60 Czech Republic - Air Force
If you search GAS by registration for above it provides correct details for both above
Airnet does not recognise the + symbol in the registration and if you search for 5105 you get 120 photos to view (several of the CL60 but only 1 of the C160 the rest are a mix of aircraft with 5105 as part of C/N or sq'n codes or line No's).
A search by HEX/mode-s will bring up the right aircraft but a earch by registration it is only practical for non numeric registrations. Maybe if we ask Airnet nicely to add mode-s hex codes to the photo's as a search option. (It would be nice but I can't see it happening). Or to to have photographs on the GAS site then you would achieve some sort of comonality and consistancy in information.
So until AIRNAV make it possible to turn off photo download this will always be a problem with auto populate.
Is it possible AIRNAV to download the photo without writing info to the database as this would also help with the problem of untitled appearing in the AC box in database.
Cheers John