Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how SkyWest Virtual Airlines collects, uses, stores, displays, and protects pilot and visitor information for our public website, crew center, phpVMS system, ACARS operations, Discord integration, training program, and VATSIM-related participation.

1. Effective Date

This Privacy Policy is effective as of May 10, 2026.

2. Organization

SkyWest Virtual Airlines is a virtual airline created for flight simulation, online aviation, pilot training, and community entertainment purposes. SkyWest Virtual Airlines is not a real-world air carrier and does not conduct real-world commercial aviation operations.

Important: SkyWest Virtual Airlines is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or operated by SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Microsoft, Asobo, Lockheed Martin, VATSIM, or any other real-world airline, aviation authority, simulator developer, or online flying network unless specifically stated through an official written partnership or approval.

3. Contact Information

For privacy questions, account removal requests, data correction requests, or general privacy concerns, please contact:

SkyWest Virtual Airlines Administration
Email: info@skwvirtual.com
Public Website: https://skwvirtual.com
Crew Center: https://crew.skwvirtual.com

4. Information We Collect

SkyWest Virtual Airlines may collect information from visitors, applicants, pilots, staff members, instructors, and users of our public website, crew center, Discord services, training systems, and ACARS/flight tracking tools.

4.1 Account and Registration Information

  • Name, display name, or pilot name used for VA participation
  • Email address
  • Pilot ID or callsign assigned by SkyWest Virtual Airlines
  • Password credentials stored through the website or crew system
  • Home hub, rank, pilot status, join date, and account status
  • Staff, instructor, examiner, or administrative role assignments

4.2 VATSIM-Related Information

If a pilot provides a VATSIM CID, connects through a VATSIM-related login method, flies on VATSIM, or participates in SkyWest Virtual Airlines activities involving VATSIM, we may collect or store:

  • VATSIM CID
  • VATSIM name or display information provided through VATSIM services
  • VATSIM pilot rating or related network information, if available
  • VATSIM flight activity connected to VA operations, events, training, or verification
  • VATSIM callsign used during VA flights
  • Event participation, training participation, or online network activity connected to SkyWest Virtual Airlines

VATSIM maintains its own privacy and data protection rules. Users should also review VATSIM’s official Privacy Policy and Data Protection and Handling Policy when using VATSIM services. VATSIM’s Privacy Policy applies to users issued a VATSIM CID, and VATSIM’s Data Protection and Handling Policy addresses how VATSIM handles user data. VATSIM Privacy Policy | VATSIM Data Protection and Handling Policy

4.3 Flight, PIREP, ACARS, and Operations Data

  • Flight bids and schedules
  • Accepted, rejected, pending, or deleted PIREPs
  • Aircraft used, route flown, departure and arrival airports, flight number, callsign, and flight time
  • ACARS tracking data, including position reports, altitude, speed, heading, fuel, route progress, landing rate, and simulator event data
  • Manual flight reports submitted by pilots
  • Flight comments, reviewer notes, training notes, and operational remarks
  • Monthly assignments, tours, awards, ranks, and activity history

4.4 Training Academy Data

  • Course enrollment and progress
  • Written exam results and quiz attempts
  • Instructor comments, training records, evaluations, and debrief notes
  • Practical flight evaluation results
  • Remedial training notes and standardization records

4.5 Discord and Community Integration Data

If a pilot connects Discord or participates in SkyWest Virtual Airlines Discord services, we may collect or store:

  • Discord username, display name, and Discord user ID
  • Discord role assignments connected to VA rank, status, or staff position
  • Discord connection status
  • Limited automation logs related to role synchronization, notifications, or community moderation

4.6 Technical and Security Data

  • IP address
  • Browser type, device type, and basic usage information
  • Login timestamps and session information
  • Website security logs
  • Error logs, system logs, and audit logs required to operate and secure the website

5. How We Use Information

SkyWest Virtual Airlines uses collected information for legitimate virtual airline operations, account administration, pilot activity tracking, training, community management, and website security.

  • To create and manage pilot accounts
  • To verify pilot membership and activity
  • To operate the phpVMS crew center
  • To support ACARS and smartCARS flight tracking
  • To process PIREPs and flight activity
  • To assign ranks, awards, tours, monthly assignments, and pilot status
  • To manage training academy enrollment, testing, progression, and evaluations
  • To sync Discord roles and community access
  • To communicate with pilots and staff
  • To prevent abuse, fraud, duplicate accounts, unauthorized access, or security issues
  • To respond to official VA verification, audit, partnership, or compliance requests
  • To improve website performance and user experience

6. VATSIM VA Verification and Audit Information

SkyWest Virtual Airlines may provide limited VA-related information to VATSIM or a VATSIM VA reviewer when needed for VA verification, VA Partner review, VA Associate review, audit, or similar official network review process. This may include website links, VA logo, VA name, founding information, contact information, pilot roster summaries, pilot activity summaries, or flight activity information needed to verify the VA’s eligibility.

We do not submit general VATSIM callsign statistics as a substitute for our own VA pilot roster. When required, pilot activity verification is based on SkyWest Virtual Airlines crew system records, including registered VA pilots, accepted PIREPs, ACARS flights, and internal activity records.

7. Public Pilot Roster and Activity Display

SkyWest Virtual Airlines may display a public or semi-public pilot roster for transparency, verification, community participation, and VA activity tracking. Public roster information may include:

  • Pilot name or display name
  • Hub
  • Rank
  • Status, such as active, inactive, retired, suspended, or staff

We do not intentionally publish private account passwords, private email addresses, IP addresses, private security logs, or private administrative notes on the public roster.

8. Cookies and Sessions

Our website and crew center may use cookies, local storage, or session identifiers to keep users logged in, remember preferences, protect account sessions, provide security features, and operate website functions. Disabling cookies may prevent some parts of the website or crew center from functioning correctly.

9. Third-Party Services

SkyWest Virtual Airlines may use third-party services to operate the website, crew system, ACARS tracking, email, Discord features, hosting, analytics, security, or online network participation.

These services may include, but are not limited to:

  • Website hosting providers
  • phpVMS
  • smartCARS or ACARS-related services
  • Discord
  • VATSIM
  • Email service providers
  • Security, logging, or anti-abuse tools

Each third-party service may have its own privacy policy, terms, or data practices. SkyWest Virtual Airlines is not responsible for the independent privacy practices of third-party services.

10. Data Sharing

SkyWest Virtual Airlines does not sell pilot information. We may share limited information only when reasonably necessary for VA operations, safety, verification, security, compliance, or user-requested integrations.

Information may be shared with:

  • SkyWest Virtual Airlines administrators, staff, instructors, and examiners
  • Website hosting, email, Discord, ACARS, or technical service providers
  • VATSIM or VATSIM VA reviewers when required for official VA review, verification, or audit
  • Other parties when required to prevent abuse, investigate misuse, protect security, or comply with legal obligations

11. Data Retention

SkyWest Virtual Airlines may retain pilot account, flight, training, and activity records while the account is active and for a reasonable period after resignation, inactivity, suspension, or removal. Retention helps maintain operational history, verify VA activity, prevent duplicate or abusive registrations, preserve training records, and support audit or compliance needs.

Some historical flight, PIREP, roster, award, and training records may be retained as part of the virtual airline’s operational history, unless removal is required or approved by administration.

12. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and operational safeguards to protect information stored in our website and crew center systems. These safeguards may include account passwords, role-based permissions, secure hosting tools, session controls, administrative access limits, backups, and security logs.

No website, hosting service, or online system can guarantee complete security. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their own account credentials and should not reuse passwords from other services.

13. User Choices and Rights

Pilots may request access to, correction of, or removal of certain personal information maintained by SkyWest Virtual Airlines. Requests should be sent to admin@skwvirtual.com.

Depending on the request, certain account, flight, training, or operational records may need to be retained for security, abuse prevention, audit, or legitimate VA operational reasons. If a pilot requests full account deletion, access to the crew center and VA services may be terminated.

14. Children and Minimum Age

SkyWest Virtual Airlines is intended for users who are old enough to participate responsibly in flight simulation, online aviation communities, Discord services, and VATSIM-related activities. Users must also follow any age or account requirements imposed by VATSIM, Discord, phpVMS-related services, and other third-party platforms they use.

15. Pilot Responsibilities

Pilots are responsible for providing accurate registration information, keeping account credentials secure, complying with SkyWest Virtual Airlines rules, complying with VATSIM rules when flying on VATSIM, and respecting the privacy of other pilots and staff members.

Pilots may not use SkyWest Virtual Airlines systems to collect, publish, scrape, harass, expose, or misuse the personal information of other members.

16. Links to Other Websites

Our website may link to outside websites, including VATSIM, Discord, flight planning tools, simulator add-ons, airport or aviation reference sites, and other third-party resources. We are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of outside websites.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

SkyWest Virtual Airlines may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our systems, operations, third-party integrations, VATSIM-related requirements, legal requirements, or VA verification standards. The effective date at the top of this page will be updated when material changes are made.

18. Summary

SkyWest Virtual Airlines collects only the information reasonably needed to operate a virtual airline, manage pilot accounts, track flights, support training, verify membership activity, provide Discord and ACARS integrations, and comply with applicable VA verification or network review requirements. We do not sell pilot information, and we limit public roster information to operational VA activity details.