AirHistory Frequently Asked Questions

No, your browser must be a modern internet browser which complies with today's HTML5 standards. This will be no problem for most of today's auto-updating browsers.
The best and most-compliant browsers are Firefox and Chrome, and we advise you to use either of these. We strongly advise against using Microsoft browsers (Internet Explorer or Edge), because they do not comply with HTML5 standards and may fail unexpectedly on the more complex pages on many websites.
AirHistory.net can be accessed from desktop computers and laptops (PC & Mac), as well as from mobile devices (phones, tablets etc).

No, you must be the photographer, the keeper of the collection holding the copyright or have a right or permission to publish the photo. Uploading photos taken by other people and claiming them as your own is not allowed. If a person comes forward with evidence a photo is his or hers, the photo will be removed or the photo credit changed. You will be advised of any claims on your photos.

No. All photos added to the database remain the property of the copyright holder (usually the photographer) and not AirHistory.net. We will not use uploaded photos for any other purpose than to display them at this website.

We encourage photographers to submit any photo that helps meet the aims of AirHistory. Aircraft can range from ultralights and hot air balloons to warplanes to airliners and the space shuttle. We especially urge people to upload unique, historic, and rare photos because we are more concerned with the content of your photos than with their quality. You can find more information on our Which Photos to Upload guide.

Essentially, photos that do not contribute to the history of an aircraft or airport, or that are already well represented in our database. This includes most creative art photos. Also certain types of flying craft will not be accepted, for example unmanned drones (unless based on a manned aircraft design), parachutes and hang gliders. Please see our Which Photos to Upload guide for a comprehensive listing.

We may accept such photos if they meet the following three conditions:

• The photo was issued before 2000;
• The photo is scanned from a print, slide or negative issued by a manufacturer, operator or other organisation involved in aviation;
• The print, slide or negative is in the possession of the uploader or was provided to the uploader by the person who does possess it.

AirHistory.net does not accept any photos downloaded from other websites including those of manufacturers and operators, or photos scanned from books, magazines and other publications.

Note that publicity photos are often manipulated by the publisher in ways that go beyond basic enhancements or retouching, sometimes to the extent that the integrity of the subject of the photo has been compromised. AirHistory.net reserves the right to NOT accept publicity photos if such manipulation is suspected.

We ask that the photographers send photos that are the best possible quality within the file size limit. We understand not all photos are taken in ideal conditions and that can affect the quality. Please see our Which Photos to Upload and How to Edit Photos guides for more information on photo quality and getting the best from your photos.

We accept a limited number and variety of these types of photos. Please see our Which Photos to Upload guide.

There are some limits. For details please read the Which Photos to Upload guide.

The photos at AirHistory.net are uploaded as a permanent contribution to aviation history, not as a personal portfolio. Your photos will be checked by other photographers to see if they should upload their pictures. In some cases they won’t upload because they will see you already have the subject well covered. So we strongly urge you not to ask for deletions later, in the interest of preservation of aviation history and in the interest of your fellow photographers.
If you want to upload a picture to AirHistory.net solely to sell, and then delete when it is sold, then please do not upload it. It is not in the spirit of AirHistory.net. AirHistory.net is an aviation history photo archive, and not a pretty picture gallery or a portfolio. There are many other websites for that.

No, we won’t do that. We will accept the better photos but yours will remain, unless you ask us to remove it. Keep in mind that there might be links to your photo on other websites that will no longer work if your photo is deleted.

No, only .jpg or .jpeg photo files are allowed.

No. In digital photos you may only remove sensor dust spots, and in slide or negative scans you may only remove dust and scratches. Restoration of old photos and film by removing scratches and other blemishes, age and processing defects is permitted but only if done with skill. No element in the original photo can be removed during restoration. Poorly restored photos and those that have been tampered with will be rejected.

No. The website has been specially designed for searchability. To have a meaningful database with reliable search facilities we need to have standardised data. Please read the help texts for every database field.

AirHistory.net’s autosuggest function will find information for aircraft already in the database. Beyond that are many sources that can be used such as internet databases, official aircraft register websites, and specialist aviation books. Some recommended links are provided in our Reference Section.
But please be aware that all sources, internet sources in particular, can have flaws in the accuracy of their data or data can differ between sources. Errors can always be amended by our editors, who will also standardise the data.

No, but you can request the editors to do so. They will check the data for correctness and make sure it remains standardised.

No. We accept photos from every country in the world without any restrictions and bias.

Only invisible watermarks are allowed. Such watermarks don’t disturb the pleasure of looking at the photos or mask relevant details, but they still can provide a means to prove you are the legal copyright owner.

No, we do not accept photos with added text or logos. Your photographer name will be shown in the caption below the photo, and in a copyright bar that is attached to the bottom of your photo.

Yes, but only to other photos on the AirHistory.net website. Information on how to do this can be found in the help text on the Upload page.
Links to other websites are not allowed and cannot be entered.

In general the captions should give details that add to the knowledge about the aircraft in the photo, but some anecdotal information is acceptable if it relates to the photo itself or to how it was made. You can enter such information in the Photo Comment field.

No, email addresses are hidden. Viewers can send emails to photographers by using the Contact button. Any person sending you an email cannot see your email address, unless you choose to reply to the sender.

AirHistory.net does not facilitate photo sales at this moment. If you wish to buy a photo, please contact the photographer via the Contact link or button in the caption.

Detailed guidelines as to what is an event are in the help texts on the upload page. All aircraft that participated in an event, both statically and in the flying display, or as entrants and official aircraft in the case of an air race, should be listed with that event. Other aircraft at the airfield on the day of an air show can be included but it is not mandatory.

Yes, but only for personal use. Pictures downloaded from AirHistory.net must not be used for financial or other gain, posted at other websites or sent to others without first obtaining approval of the copyright owner. Attempting to sell photos downloaded from AirHistory.net is absolutely forbidden and a breach of the law in most countries.

The low-quality (research-grade) photos in our database are tagged and are excluded from standard search results. Our standard and advanced search pages offer an option to include them in your results if you prefer. Our Quick Registration Search is not capable of including these low-quality photos.