# Using the Freedom of Information Act

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-freedom-of-information-act/149516>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 18, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-freedom-of-information-act/149516 "2003-01-18T19:31:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MadScientistMatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@MadScientistMatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadScientistMatt)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-freedom-of-information-act/149516/1 "2003-01-18T19:31:05Z")

</div>

A long time ago, I ran across an article on an experimental aircraft called the Avro VZ-9 that had been developed under a contract for the U.S. Army. The article had a recently declassified photograph of it and some other interesting information about it, but I’ve completely lost the magazine. It occurred to me that one way I might find more information about this aircraft would be to file for information about it using the Freedom of Information Act to request the unclassified government documents about it. How would I go about doing this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-freedom-of-information-act/149516/2 "2003-01-18T19:42:24Z")

</div>

Here’s one article: [http://www.rcfp.org/foiact/](http://www.rcfp.org/foiact/)

And here’s another: [http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/call/foia.htm](http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/call/foia.htm)

Hope this helps.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MadScientistMatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@MadScientistMatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadScientistMatt)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-freedom-of-information-act/149516/3 "2003-01-18T20:04:53Z")

</div>

Thank you, **KneedToKnow.** That’s exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-freedom-of-information-act/149516/4 "2003-01-18T20:14:17Z")

</div>

But now I’m interested in requesting files from the FOIA…