Air Transat Virtual | Privacy & GDPR

Overview and Legal Basis

Air Transat Virtual is a non-commercial flight simulation community operated by volunteers, dedicated to the ethical handling of personal data. We comply with the **General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)** for all European users and the **Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)** for Canadian users. By registering, you explicitly provide **Consent** (as per GDPR Article 6(1)(a) and PIPEDA) for us to process your data for the purpose of operating your virtual pilot account.

Our primary legal basis for processing your data is **contractual necessity** for the performance of the VA's service agreement with you (maintaining your pilot account, flight tracking, and community access). This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights.

What Data We Collect

Account Information (Explicit Consent)

When you register as a pilot, we collect this data based on your explicit consent and our need to fulfill your membership contract:

Full name, DOB and email address (for identification and communications)
VATSIM or IVAO network ID (Verified via those networks tools to confirm active membership, as required by their policies for VA recognition)
Country of residence (to determine applicable data protection laws, e.g., GDPR/PIPEDA)
Discord username (for community access and official communications)
Securely Hashed Password (for Crew Center access)

Operational & Flight Data (Contractual Necessity)

This data is automatically collected via our ACARS system (SmartCARS 3 / VMS ACARS) to provide the core service of a virtual airline (career tracking, statistics, promotions). This is necessary for the performance of your VA membership contract:

Flight route, departure and arrival airports, flight number, and time stamps
Aircraft type and registration, aircraft position (latitude/longitude) during flight
Flight duration, distance, fuel consumption, and landing rate statistics (publicly displayed on your pilot profile)
Connection IP address (collected only at the time of flight submission for security/integrity checks, then immediately deleted or anonymized)

Website Analytics (Legitimate Interest)

We use privacy-respecting analytics tools based on our **legitimate interest** in maintaining and improving our website performance. This data is largely anonymous and does not track individual users across the web. It includes anonymized IP addresses, browser type, and pages visited. **We do not use intrusive tracking cookies.**

How We Use Your Data

Your personal data is used strictly for the operation and management of the Air Transat Virtual community, based on the principle of **necessity** (PIPEDA) and **legitimate interest/contractual necessity** (GDPR):

To manage your pilot account and track your flight activity for career progression within the VA.
To verify your active status on **VATSIM or IVAO** as a mandatory requirement for maintaining VA membership, in accordance with the network's terms of service.
To provide access to our Crew Center, training materials, and community resources.
To send operational notifications about events, updates, and community activities, which you can opt-out of at any time.
To generate statistical reports and improve the quality of our services.

Important: We will never sell your personal data to third parties or use it for commercial advertising purposes.

Data Sharing & Disclosure

Public Roster

The following information is publicly displayed on our Roster page to promote community activity and transparency, as accepted upon registration:

Your Pilot ID, Pilot Rank, and Total Flight Hours
Your VATSIM/IVAO ID and Nickname/Name (depending on which network you are affiliated with)

Third Parties

We do not share personal data with any third parties for marketing or advertising. We may share anonymized, aggregated flight data (e.g., total flights, total hours) with our **VATSIM or IVAO** partners for recognition or promotional purposes, as per their Terms of Service/VA agreements.

Your data is primarily stored on servers located within Canada or a GDPR-compliant jurisdiction. We ensure that any processing partners (e.g., hosting providers) are compliant with GDPR and PIPEDA standards.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. This means:

Active Pilot Accounts

Data is kept for the duration of your active membership.

Inactive Accounts

Accounts that are inactive for a period of **12 months** may be automatically deleted after a notification period, which will result in the deletion of all associated personal data (email, name, Discord ID). Flight data may be retained in an anonymized, aggregated format for statistical reporting.

Deletion Requests (Right to Erasure)

Upon request, all identifying personal data will be deleted or anonymized within **30 days**, unless a legal or operational requirement prevents immediate deletion.

Your Rights (GDPR & PIPEDA)

Under GDPR and PIPEDA, you have the following rights regarding your personal data (in addition to the principle of **Consent**):

Right to Access

Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you and information on how it is processed (PIPEDA: Right to be Informed)

Right to Rectification

Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information on your account.

Right to Erasure

Request deletion of your account and associated data (PIPEDA: Withdrawal of Consent), subject to operational necessity.

Right to Data Portability

Receive your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our **Data Protection Officer/Privacy Contact** via email at privacy@transatvirtual.com or through our Discord server. We will respond within **30 days**, as required by law.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal data, including:

Encrypted database connections (SSL/TLS)

Secure password hashing using bcrypt

Regular security audits and software updates

Limited staff access on need-to-know basis

While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but commit to notifying you promptly in the event of any data breach.

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