Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information needed to operate a realistic virtual airline. This includes:

• Account information — your display name, email address, Discord username, Infinite Flight Community (IFC) username, and assigned callsign number, provided at registration or updated in your profile settings.
• Infinite Flight ID — your Infinite Flight user ID, used to link ACARS telemetry to your pilot profile.
• ACARS / flight telemetry — real-time and historical flight data recorded during active sessions via the Infinite Flight Live API, including GPS coordinates, altitude, indicated airspeed, vertical speed, heading, fuel state, landing rate, and aircraft type.
• PIREP submissions — pilot flight reports you file, including departure and arrival airports, aircraft, route, block time, payload, and any remarks.
• Leave of absence requests — the reason and duration you provide when requesting a leave.
• Authentication data — a hashed (bcrypt) password. We never store your password in plain text.
• Session data — login timestamps and session tokens, used to keep you signed in and to detect suspicious access.
• Exam results — your score and pass/fail status from any platform admission or knowledge assessments.

2. How We Use Your Information

All data collected is used exclusively to operate and improve Altitude Crew Centre. Specifically, we use it to:

• Authenticate your identity and manage your account and session.
• Validate PIREP submissions by cross-referencing them against recorded ACARS telemetry.
• Calculate cumulative flight hours, maintain leaderboards, and track rank progression.
• Process leave requests and manage activity requirements.
• Send Discord notifications — via configured webhooks — about your application status, rank promotions, leave approvals, or platform updates.
• Detect and investigate violations of the Terms of Service.
• Improve platform performance and resolve technical issues.

We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or any commercial purpose.

3. Data Visibility Within the Platform

Certain information is visible to other members as part of normal platform operation:

• Your display name, callsign, rank, total flight hours, and IFC username are visible to all authenticated members.
• Submitted PIREPs — including route, aircraft, and flight time — are visible to members and staff.
• Your profile avatar is visible to members if you have uploaded one.

The following is never visible to other members:

• Your email address.
• Your hashed password or any authentication credentials.
• Raw ACARS telemetry data — accessible only to staff for PIREP validation.
• Leave request details beyond your absence status.
• Exam scores (visible only to staff and yourself).

4. ACARS & Flight Telemetry

When you file a PIREP, our ACARS system queries the Infinite Flight Live API using your linked Infinite Flight ID to retrieve telemetry recorded during your flight. This includes GPS track, altitude profile, airspeed, vertical speed, fuel burn, landing rate, and system states.

This data is stored in our database and associated with your pilot profile for the duration of your membership. It is used solely for PIREP validation and compliance review. You can view your own telemetry records through the Logbook section of the platform.

We do not share raw telemetry data with any third party. We access the Infinite Flight API only to read flight data — we do not write to your Infinite Flight account or modify any data on Infinite Flight's systems.

5. Third-Party Services

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We interact with the following external services solely to operate the platform:

• Discord — we send automated notifications (e.g. new applications, rank promotions, leave requests, violations) to configured Discord webhook URLs. Your Discord username, if provided, appears on your pilot profile. We do not access your Discord account directly.
• Infinite Flight Live API — we query this API using your Infinite Flight user ID to retrieve ACARS telemetry. We never request or store your Infinite Flight password.
• Email (SMTP) — if configured, we may send transactional emails (e.g. password resets) using a staff-configured SMTP server. Email addresses are used only for account management and are not shared.

These services have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review Discord's and Infinite Flight's policies for information on how they handle your data.

6. Data Storage & Location

Altitude Crew Centre stores data in a SQLite database hosted on infrastructure controlled by the platform's administrators. The platform operates as a Canadian virtual airline community. Data may be hosted on servers located in Canada or internationally, depending on the hosting provider used by staff. We take reasonable steps to ensure data is handled in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

7. Data Retention

We retain your account information and associated flight records for as long as your account remains active. If you delete your account through the Settings page, your personal account data (name, email, credentials, Discord username, IFC username) is permanently deleted immediately.

Flight logs and PIREP records may be retained after account deletion for aggregate statistical and record-keeping purposes, but will no longer be linked to any identifiable individual. If your account is suspended or terminated by staff for a violation, data may be retained for administrative purposes.

8. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data:

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and are never stored in plain text.
• Sessions are managed via secure, HTTP-only cookies with configurable expiry.
• Access to sensitive data (telemetry, email addresses, exam scores) is restricted to authenticated staff roles.
• The platform enforces role-based access controls separating pilot, admin, and owner permissions.

No system is completely immune to attack. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you use the platform at your own risk. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact staff immediately via Discord.

9. Your Rights (PIPEDA)

As a Canadian-operated community, we respect your rights under PIPEDA. You have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction — update inaccurate information through your account settings or by contacting staff.
• Deletion — delete your account at any time via Settings → Danger Zone, or by requesting staff assistance.
• Withdrawal of consent — you may withdraw consent to data collection by deleting your account, though this will terminate your access to the platform.

To exercise any of these rights, contact staff via the official Discord server.

10. Children's Privacy

Altitude Crew Centre is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13 years of age. If you believe a minor has registered, please contact staff so the account can be reviewed and removed.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we do, we will update the "Last Modified" date at the top of this page. Continued use of Altitude Crew Centre after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page from time to time.

12. Contact

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact Air Canada Virtual staff via the official Discord server. We will respond to privacy-related inquiries as promptly as possible.