Privacy Policy | flyPIREP

Introduction

flyPIREP ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit flypirep.com and use our services.

By using flyPIREP, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the site.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account registration: First name, last name, email address, and password
• DPE verification: Designee number and verification code (for verified DPEs only)
• CFI verification: Certificate information or uploaded certificate images (for CFI verification)
• Review submissions: Checkride observations, ratings, dates, outcomes, and preparation advice
• DPE responses: Text responses submitted by verified DPEs to reviews

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Log data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, referring URLs, and timestamps
• Device information: Operating system, browser version, and screen resolution
• Cookies and session data: Authentication tokens and preference settings

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• FAA public records: Examiner names, designations, FSDO assignments, and addresses sourced from the FAA Designee API and published public records
• FAA Airmen Database: Certificate holder records used to verify CFI credentials
• Google reCAPTCHA: Bot-detection data as described in Section 3 below

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate the platform: Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Authenticate users: Verify identity, manage sessions, and prevent unauthorized access
• Facilitate content: Display your submitted reviews and DPE responses
• Send notifications: Deliver email confirmations, password resets, review notifications, and verification updates
• Moderate content: Detect and remove prohibited content and spam
• Verify credentials: Confirm DPE and CFI certifications through FAA records
• Calculate review quality: Apply algorithmic weighting to ensure reliable community feedback
• Protect the platform: Detect and prevent abuse, scraping, and fraud
• Comply with law: Respond to legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

3. Google reCAPTCHA

Third-Party Service Disclosure

flyPIREP uses Google reCAPTCHA to protect the platform against automated bots and spam. reCAPTCHA is operated by Google LLC ("Google") and is subject to Google's own privacy policy.

3.1 What reCAPTCHA Collects

When you interact with a reCAPTCHA-protected form on flyPIREP (such as the sign-up form or review submission form), Google reCAPTCHA may collect and process the following data to distinguish humans from automated bots:

• IP address of the submitting device
• Browser and device information (user agent, screen resolution, installed plugins)
• Mouse movements, keystrokes, and interaction patterns during form completion
• Cookies set by Google, including any existing Google session cookies
• Browsing history on Google services (if you are signed into a Google account)
• Date, time, and duration of your interaction with the reCAPTCHA widget

3.2 How reCAPTCHA Data Is Used

Google uses this data solely to evaluate whether the form submission is made by a human or a bot. flyPIREP receives only a pass/fail signal from Google—we do not receive or store the underlying behavioral data collected by reCAPTCHA.

Google may use data collected via reCAPTCHA for its own purposes in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. flyPIREP has no control over Google's use of this data.

3.3 Where reCAPTCHA Is Used

reCAPTCHA is active on the following forms:

• User registration (sign-up): To prevent automated account creation
• Review submission: To prevent automated or bulk review submissions

3.4 Legal Basis and Compliance

Our use of reCAPTCHA is based on our legitimate interest in protecting the integrity of the platform and the accuracy of user-generated content. We have implemented reCAPTCHA in compliance with the following:

Google reCAPTCHA Terms

flyPIREP's use of reCAPTCHA is governed by the Google Terms of Service and reCAPTCHA API Terms.

GDPR / EU Users

If you are located in the European Economic Area, reCAPTCHA data processing by Google is subject to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. We include disclosure of reCAPTCHA use in this Privacy Policy as required by GDPR Article 13.

CCPA / California Users

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, Google reCAPTCHA constitutes a third-party data collection. We disclose this use here so California residents can exercise their rights under the CCPA, including the right to opt out of certain data sales. flyPIREP does not sell your personal information.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

flyPIREP uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Session cookies: Maintain your login state during a browser session
• Authentication tokens: Keep you signed in across visits (with your consent)
• CSRF tokens: Protect form submissions from cross-site request forgery
• Google reCAPTCHA cookies: Set by Google as part of the reCAPTCHA service (see Section 3)

You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies. However, disabling cookies may prevent you from signing in or submitting reviews on flyPIREP.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We engage third-party vendors to help operate flyPIREP (hosting, email delivery, analytics). These providers access your data only to perform services on our behalf and are contractually obligated to keep it confidential.

Legal Compliance

We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.

Public Content

Reviews and DPE responses that you submit are displayed publicly on the platform alongside your displayed name. Your email address, checkride outcome, and account details are never displayed publicly.

6. Data Retention

• Account data: Retained for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
• Published reviews: Retained indefinitely to maintain the integrity of the community record, unless removed for policy violations or at your verified request.
• Log data: Typically retained for 90 days for security and debugging purposes.
• CFI certificate images: Retained until verification is resolved, then deleted within 30 days.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data
• Portability: Request an export of your personal data in a machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is consent-based

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational safeguards to protect your personal information, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted to and from the site
• Bcrypt hashing of user passwords (never stored in plaintext)
• CSRF protection on all form submissions
• Rate limiting and automated abuse detection
• reCAPTCHA bot-detection on sensitive forms

Note: No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we use commercially reasonable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy

flyPIREP is not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, contact us at [email protected].

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users via email and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of flyPIREP after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns:

Email: [email protected]

Response Time: Within 30 days