Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 13, 2026

Introduction

The New York ARTCC ("NYARTCC," "we," "us," or "our") operates the Pilot Passport program as part of our pilot resources website. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our services.

By using the Pilot Passport feature, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data transparently.

Data We Collect

When you authenticate with VATSIM and use the Pilot Passport, we collect and store the following information:

From VATSIM Authentication:

  • VATSIM CID (Certificate ID)
  • Full name
  • Email address
  • ATC and Pilot ratings
  • Division and region information

From Your Activity:

  • Flight history (departure/arrival airports, aircraft type, callsign)
  • Flight statistics (distance flown, time logged)
  • Challenge enrollments and completions
  • Awards and badges earned
  • Track selection preferences (GA or Commercial)

Automatically Collected:

  • Flight position data from public VATSIM data feeds (only for enrolled users)
  • Timestamps of activities

How We Use Your Data

We use your information for the following purposes:

  • •Account Management: To create and manage your Pilot Passport account and authenticate your identity.
  • •Flight Tracking: To automatically detect and log your flights within NYARTCC airspace on the VATSIM network.
  • •Challenges & Awards: To track your progress in challenges and award badges for achievements.
  • •Statistics: To calculate and display your personal flying statistics.
  • •Leaderboards: To display community leaderboards (you can opt out of public display).
  • •Communication: To send you notifications about completed challenges or earned awards (optional).

Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:

  • •Public Leaderboards: Your name and statistics may appear on public leaderboards unless you opt out.
  • •VATSIM Network: We retrieve publicly available flight data from the VATSIM network.
  • •Legal Requirements: If required by law or to protect our rights and safety.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. Flight history and statistics are retained indefinitely to maintain your lifetime achievements, unless you request deletion.

Temporary data such as flight position snapshots (GPS coordinates captured during flights for challenge checkpoint validation) are automatically deleted after 30 days. Your flight statistics (total hours, distance, airports visited) are calculated and stored separately, so they remain accurate even after snapshot cleanup.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • •Access: You can view all data we have about you through your profile page.
  • •Correction: Your VATSIM information is updated automatically when you log in.
  • •Deletion: You can request complete deletion of your account and all associated data.
  • •Export: You can request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
  • •Opt-Out: You can opt out of public leaderboards and community features.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below.

Rights for EU/EEA Residents (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), you have specific rights under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation). These rights include:

  • •Right to Access (Article 15): You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you is being processed, and access to that data.
  • •Right to Rectification (Article 16): You have the right to obtain the rectification of inaccurate personal data and to have incomplete data completed.
  • •Right to Erasure (Article 17): You have the right to obtain the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances ("right to be forgotten").
  • •Right to Restriction of Processing (Article 18): You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
  • •Right to Data Portability (Article 20): You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.
  • •Right to Object (Article 21): You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation.
  • •Rights Related to Automated Decision Making (Article 22): You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects you.

Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the EU/EEA member state of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes GDPR.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at atm@nyartcc.org. We will respond to your request within one month of receipt, as required by GDPR Article 12(3).

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes:

  • SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
  • Secure authentication via VATSIM OAuth 2.0
  • Encrypted database storage
  • Regular security reviews

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, your data, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

Website: vzny.org

Email: atm@nyartcc.org

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new privacy policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. You are advised to review this privacy policy periodically for any changes.

Note: This service uses VATSIM Connect for authentication. Your use of VATSIM is also subject to the VATSIM Privacy Policy and VATSIM User Agreement.