Southwest Virtual Privacy Policy

Effective date: May 14, 2018
Updated: June 18, 2019

This privacy policy outlines the ways in which Southwest Virtual (virtualswa.com) complies with both the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA).

In this policy, you will find an overview of the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide to us when you visit virtualswa.com or use our services located at virtualswa.com (the “Websites”), or a virtualswa.com mobile or desktop application (an “App” e.g. SWVACARS) (collectively, the “Services”), and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing such information. This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect: (i) through your membership on our site, and (ii) in text and electronic messages between you and our Services.

If you are an active member of our organization and would like to revoke your consent to this privacy policy, please log in to the site, then edit your profile accordingly. Please note that this action will result in the closure of your user account.

Please read the information below:

  1. Consent to Collect Data
  2. Information we collect about you
  3. Age requirements for Membership
  4. Cookies
  5. How we use your information
  6. Disclosure of your information
  7. Updating or correcting your personal data
  8. Data retention
  9. Choices regarding control of your personal data
  10. Lawful Bases for Processing
  11. Data Security
  12. Mobile Analytics
  13. Data Controller
  14. How do you contact us with questions?

We will collect and process your personal data when you apply/create an account, fill out a form or survey, submit any external information through a third-party application (e.g. submit a pilot report), subscribe to a newsletter, enter a contest, or send us a communication. Depending upon the activity, some of the information we ask you to provide is required to use the Services (e.g. registering an account) and some is voluntary. If you do not provide data when needed for a particular activity, you will not be able to engage in that activity.

By applying to Southwest Virtual (virtualswa.com) and using our site and services, you are giving Southwest Virtual (virtualswa.com) permission to collect personal data that will only be used by Southwest Virtual (virtualswa.com).

INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU

We collect several types of information about visitors and/or users of our Services. We may collect this information either directly when you provide it to us or automatically as you navigate through the Websites or App.

AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

Southwest Virtual does not accept memberships or participation in any form within the organization from persons younger than the age of 13 under any circumstances and without exception. Southwest Virtual shall make every reasonable effort to prohibit persons under the age of 13 from participating in any of these venues.

For prospective members of Southwest Virtual from the European Union, the member's home country age of consent will be used as the minimum age requirement for membership.

Any accounts created under false pretenses shall be immediately canceled upon discovery.

COOKIES

Southwest Virtual may use cookies on its site. A cookie is a piece of data stored on your hard drive which is used to track you through our site and for network security. Some of our affiliates may also use cookies on our site. However, Southwest Virtual has no access to or control over these cookies.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

Southwest Virtual uses your data for the purpose of conducting services offered by Southwest Virtual, such as but not limited to, participation as a Southwest Virtual pilot, pilot certifications, pilot advancements, access to aircraft, scenery, resources, and awards offered by Southwest Virtual. Some of this data is also used in cookies. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your web browser [if you allow this] that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. We use cookies to understand and save your preferences for future visits (i.e. keep you logged into the website). Although the use of cookies in your web browser is not mandatory, they aid in allowing the web browser to remain logged into our website. We may also contact you via email with announcements of upcoming events, and important information related to Southwest Virtual.

Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

Southwest Virtual is the sole owner of the information collected on this site. It will not sell, share, trade, or rent this information to others in ways different from what is disclosed in this Privacy Policy.

This does not include trusted third party software who assist us in operating our website or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety.

As a VATSIM partner Virtual Airline, Southwest Virtual may be asked to confirm flights flown on the VATSIM network that were also logged with Southwest Virtual (virtualswa.com) to maintain the status as a VATSIM partner. Confirming flights may include sharing with VATSIM a pilot's VATSIM ID, pilot name, date of flight, flight departure and flight destination.

UPDATING OR CORRECTING YOUR PERSONAL DATA

We offer settings to control and manage the personal data we have about you, including the ability to:

Delete Data: You can ask us to erase or delete all or some of your personal data (e.g., if it is no longer necessary to provide Services to you).
Amend or Rectify Data: You can edit some of your personal data through your account. You can also ask us to amend your data in certain cases, particularly if it is inaccurate.
Object to, or Limit or Restrict, Use of Data: You can ask us to stop using all or some of your personal data (e.g., if we have no legal right to keep using it) or to limit our use of it (e.g., if your personal data is inaccurate or unlawfully held).
Right to Access and/or Take Your Data: You can ask us for a copy of your personal data and can ask for a copy of personal data you provided in machine readable form.

You may change your personal data associated with your account on your “Edit Profile” tab.

You may also access, request deletion, and correct your personal data by submitting a data request through Human Resources:

DATA RETENTION

You may choose to let your membership lapse (no flight activity within the last 30 days), in which case we will retain your information for a reasonable period of time in case you choose to re-activate. This policy will allow a member to be reconnected to their logbook upon resuming active status. You may terminate your membership and therefore delete your data at any time by contacting Human Resources and requesting to terminate your Southwest Virtual account:

Users who no longer wish to hold membership with Southwest Virtual may opt out of this policy at any time. Once your account has been closed, you will receive no further contact from Southwest Virtual. To cancel your membership, please contact the Human Resources department: .

CHOICES REGARDING CONTROL OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You can access some of the information that we collect about you. For example, by logging into your account and viewing your profile, you can access certain personal data we maintain about you.

With respect to your communications preferences, you can unsubscribe from newsletters by following the instructions included in the newsletter you receive, or you can log into your account and update your communication preferences. Maintaining a valid email address in your profile is a condition of membership at Southwest Virtual.

In the normal use of the Southwest Virtual website, certain personal statistical information will be collected. This information includes, but is not limited to, the time and duration of a member's connection, the callsign(s) used, flightplan(s) filed and other statistics and information necessary and useful for the maintenance of the network and your account. This personal information can be seen by other members. In addition, this information may also be available to the general public via the publicly viewable pages on the Southwest Virtual website.

LAWFUL BASES FOR PROCESSING

We will only collect and process personal data about you where we have lawful bases. Lawful bases include consent (where you have given consent), contract (where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you (e.g., to deliver the Services you have requested) and “legitimate interests.”

Where we rely on your consent to process personal data, you have the right to withdraw or decline your consent at any time and where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object.

DATA SECURITY

Southwest Virtual takes every reasonable precaution to protect its members' information. When you submit sensitive information via the Southwest Virtual website, your information is protected both online and offline.

Access by you to your account is available through a password that you set when activating your membership. This password is encrypted. We recommend that you do not divulge your password to anyone, that you change your password often using a combination of letters and numbers, and that you ensure you use a secure web browser. We cannot be held accountable for activity that results from your own neglect to safeguard the secrecy of your password and username. If you share a computer with anyone, you should always log out of your account after you are finished in order to prevent access to your information from subsequent users of that computer.

Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal data, you acknowledge that: (a) there are security and privacy limitations of the Internet which are beyond our control; (b) the security, integrity and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and us through this Website cannot be guaranteed and we shall have no liability to you or any third party for loss, misuse, disclosure or alteration of such information; and (c) any such information and data may be viewed or tampered with in transit by a third party.

Southwest Virtual will make all reasonable efforts to protect member information off-line. Sensitive member information is available only to Southwest Virtual staff members who need the information to perform a specific job (for example: Administrators, Human Resources Staff) are granted access to personally identifiable information. If you have any questions about the security of the information you submit to Southwest Virtual's website, you can send an email to the Vice President of Human Resources:

In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your personal data in our control may have been compromised, we will try to notify you. To the extent you have provided us with your email address, we may notify you by email and you agree to our use of email as a means of such notification. If you prefer for us to use another method to notify you in this situation, please contact Customer Support with the alternative contact information you wish to be used.

Please notify Human Resources as soon as possible if your password is compromised:

MOBILE ANALYTICS

We use mobile analytics software to allow us to better understand the functionality of our mobile software on your phone. This software may record information such as how often you use the App, the events that occur within the App, aggregated usage, performance data, and where the App was downloaded from. We do not link the information we store within the analytics software to any personal data you submit within the App.

DATA CONTROLLER

User data collected by Southwest Virtual is managed by the Southwest Virtual management team. We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of our personal information when you enter, submit, or access your personal information. Please note that we cannot guarantee that any data transmission over the internet is completely secure. Because user data is often a personnel-related matter, please contact Human Resources regarding inquiries:

It is our policy to post any changes we make to our Privacy Policy on this page (with a notice that the Privacy Policy has been updated on the Websites). The date the Privacy Policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you, and for periodically visiting our Websites and this Privacy Policy to check for any changes.

Your continued use of the Services after such modifications will constitute your agreement to the updated terms of the modified Privacy Policy.

HOW DO YOU CONTACT US WITH QUESTIONS?

If you have questions or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy, please first contact the Human Resources department: