Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account, post content, or interact with the Service, we may collect:

• Account information: name, email address, and password (managed through our authentication provider)
• Profile information: pilot certificates, ratings, and other aviation credentials you choose to share
• User-generated content: restaurant reviews, forum posts, comments, trip reports, restaurant edits, menu photos, and photographs you upload through the website or mobile app
• Private drafts: unfinished review, forum post, reply, and trip report text and form fields. Drafts are autosaved on your device or browser and synced to your account so you can resume on another device. Draft photos are not saved. Draft text is not shown to other members, and you can discard it in the composer.
• Helpful review votes: the reviews you mark helpful and the dates of your votes. Other members can see vote totals, but we do not display a list of voters.
• Visit logs: airports and restaurants you mark as visited, including optional aircraft information
• Restaurant submissions: restaurant details, hours of operation, and menu photos you contribute
• Payment and subscription information: Hangar Club plan, subscription status, billing name, billing address, billing history, purchase source, cancellation and refund events, Apple transaction information where applicable, and related billing records processed through Stripe or Apple. We do not store your full payment card number, expiration date, or CVV/security code.
• Communications: messages you send to us, including support requests and feedback
• Email list: your email address if you sign up for our newsletter or marketing communications
• Community participation: your Discord username if you join our public Discord server, and any content you post in public channels that is referenced or linked from the Service
• Social connections: accounts you follow, accounts that follow you, accounts you remove as followers, accounts you block, and the dates of those actions
• Push notification information: your Apple Push Notification service device token, app version and build, notification preference, and delivery or failure status when you enable notifications in the iOS app. We do not use this information for cross-app tracking or advertising.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access the Service, we automatically collect certain technical information:

• Log data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, date and time of access, and time spent on pages
• Analytics data: page views, navigation paths, and general usage patterns collected through Netlify Analytics (server-side) and Netlify Real User Monitoring
• Device information: screen resolution, device type, operating system, app version, and general hardware characteristics collected through Real User Monitoring, app logs, or service providers
• Map and telemetry data: When you use map features, Mapbox may process de-identified or pseudonymous identifiers, precise or approximate location where location access is enabled, map areas viewed, searches and interactions, app and map usage, performance information, and diagnostic data. Mapbox uses this information to provide map functionality, maintain and improve its services, and perform analytics. PilotsDiner does not use Mapbox data for cross-app advertising or tracking.
• Advertising data: When a signed-out visitor views an advertising-supported screen in the iOS app, Google Mobile Ads may process the device's IP address, IP-derived coarse location, device and app information, device or advertising identifiers made available by the operating system or SDK, ad impressions and interactions, and performance and diagnostic data. Device identifiers and advertising activity may be linked to a device even when ads are not personalized. PilotsDiner does not pass precise location to Google for advertising or use advertising data to profile signed-in PilotsDiner accounts.

1.3 Information from Third-Party Services

We may receive limited information from third-party authentication providers if you choose to sign in through a third-party service, such as Google or Apple. If you purchase a subscription through Apple's in-app purchase system, we may receive transaction identifiers, subscription status, renewal, cancellation, refund, and entitlement information from Apple so we can provide or remove paid access.

1.4 Location Information

PilotsDiner is built around airport and restaurant discovery. We collect or process the airport codes, map areas, search locations, routes, and destination information you choose to enter or view. If a mobile app feature requests access to your device's precise location, we will only collect or use that location with your permission through your device settings. You can disable location permissions at any time in your device settings, but some location-based features may not work without them.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing the Service: displaying airport and restaurant information, enabling reviews and forum participation, tracking visits, privately syncing drafts, displaying helpful review totals and activity from accounts you follow, and personalizing your experience
• Account management: creating and maintaining your account, authenticating your identity, and communicating with you about your account
• Communications: sending transactional emails (account verification, password resets, and moderation notices), optional push notifications you permit, and if you opt in, newsletters and marketing communications
• Subscriptions and entitlements: processing purchases, syncing Hangar Club status, restoring purchases, handling refunds or cancellations, and preventing billing fraud
• Analytics and improvement: understanding how users interact with the Service, identifying issues, and improving features and performance
• Safety and moderation: enforcing our Terms of Service, moderating user-generated content, and protecting against fraud, abuse, or illegal activity
• Legal compliance: complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

We do not exchange your account information for money. Advertising-related disclosures of device information may be treated as a "sale," "sharing," or targeted advertising under some privacy laws even when ads are not personalized; see Sections 3.5 and 6 for the practices and choices that apply. We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share personal information only in the following circumstances:

3.1 Service Providers

We use third-party providers to operate PilotsDiner and select appropriate contractual, technical, and organizational safeguards for their services. Providers may process information under their own terms and privacy policies as described below.

3.2 Public Content

Information you post publicly on PilotsDiner — including reviews, forum posts, trip reports, restaurant edits, photos, menu photos, and profile information you choose to make visible — may be accessible to other registered users and, where public pages are available, visitors of the Service through the website and mobile app. Your username and any displayed credentials may appear alongside your contributions.

Follower and following counts may be visible publicly. The identities in follower and following lists are available only to signed-in users with verified email addresses. Your blocked-account list is private to you and authorized PilotsDiner personnel who need access for safety, moderation, security, or support.

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, the safety of others, or to respond to a government request.

3.4 Business Transfers

If vRotate Digital LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Service before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

3.5 Advertising Partners

The PilotsDiner iOS app may display Google AdMob banner advertisements to signed-out visitors on the Home, airport detail, and restaurant detail screens. We do not display these ads on the Map, authentication screens, purchase screens, content-composer screens, or to signed-in accounts. Google may process the advertising data described in Section 1.2 to select and deliver contextual or limited ads, measure delivery, prevent fraud and abuse, honor consent choices, and diagnose performance.

PilotsDiner configures Google ads without personalization, disables the publisher first-party identifier, does not provide precise location for advertising, and does not use AdMob data to create PilotsDiner account profiles. Google's non-personalized ads may still use device identifiers or local storage for frequency capping and aggregated reporting. The current app does not request Apple's App Tracking Transparency permission. We will not enable an advertising configuration that requires that permission without adding the required prompt and updating our disclosures. We will provide notice as described in Section 11 before a material change to these practices.

Google's handling of information is also governed by Google's Privacy Policy and its Business Data Responsibility resources. Advertising availability and the controls shown may differ by region and applicable law.

3.6 Community Platforms

We operate a public Discord server as part of the PilotsDiner community. When you join or participate in our Discord server, please be aware of the following:

Discord's data practices. Discord is a third-party platform operated by Discord Inc. Your use of Discord is governed by Discord's own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. We do not control what data Discord collects, how it processes that data, or how long it retains it. We encourage you to review Discord's privacy practices before joining.

Data we collect through Discord. We do not directly collect or store your Discord data on our servers. However, we use third-party bot services — including Dyno and MEE6 — to assist with server moderation, role management, and community engagement. These bots may process your Discord username, messages, role assignments, and server activity in accordance with their respective privacy policies. We do not use bot-collected data for marketing, advertising, or any purpose beyond server administration and moderation.

Public nature of Discord. Messages and content you post in public channels on our Discord server are visible to all server members. Direct messages to other members or moderators are not monitored by us, but are subject to Discord's own policies. Do not share personal information in public channels that you do not want other members to see.

4. Cookies, App Storage, and Telemetry

4.1 What We Use

PilotsDiner uses the following storage, analytics, and telemetry technologies:

• Essential cookies: Required for authentication, session management, and security. These cannot be disabled.
• Mobile app storage: The PilotsDiner iOS app may use device storage and Apple's Keychain to keep you signed in, remember settings, restore purchases, and operate core app features.
• Push notifications: If you allow notifications, the iOS app registers an Apple-issued device token with PilotsDiner so we can deliver notifications to that installation. You can disable PilotsDiner sends in Account Management and control system permission in iOS Settings.
• Netlify Analytics: A server-side analytics service that does not use cookies or track individual users. It collects aggregate page view and traffic data.
• Netlify Real User Monitoring (RUM): Collects client-side performance metrics including page load times, device information, and browser characteristics to help us improve site performance.
• Mapbox: The website may use cookies or local storage to support map rendering and interaction. The iOS Mapbox SDK may process de-identified map, location, usage, performance, and diagnostic telemetry for app functionality and analytics. PilotsDiner does not use this information for advertising or cross-app tracking. In the iOS application, Mapbox attribution and available telemetry choices can be accessed through the map's attribution control.
• Google Mobile Ads and User Messaging Platform: On eligible signed-out iOS screens, these SDKs may use app or device storage to retain consent choices, limit ad frequency, prevent fraud, deliver contextual or limited ads, and measure ad performance. PilotsDiner requests ads only after Google's consent system reports that ads may be requested.

4.2 Our Advertising Configuration

We do not use social media pixels or enable ad personalization in PilotsDiner. Our own code does not request Apple's App Tracking Transparency permission, access the Identifier for Advertisers, pass precise location to Google for advertising, or combine advertising data with signed-in profile data. These settings do not by themselves determine every way an advertising SDK may process device data; see Sections 1.2 and 3.5.

4.3 Your Choices

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of the Service, such as signing in to your account.

In the iOS application, you may deny or later disable location and notification access through iOS Settings. You may also disable PilotsDiner push sends in Account Management. Available Mapbox telemetry choices can be accessed through the map's attribution control. Disabling optional location, notification, or telemetry services may limit the related functionality but will not prevent access to core account or subscription features.

Where Google or applicable law requires an advertising consent or privacy-choice form, you can review or withdraw that choice using Privacy Choices beside an eligible signed-out ad or Manage Ad Privacy Choices in Account Management. Instructions and additional request options are available on our Privacy Choices page. Withdrawing a choice applies prospectively and does not affect processing already completed lawfully.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained until you delete your account
• User-generated content: Reviews, forum posts and replies, trip reports, uploaded photos, restaurant edits, and other content associated with your account are deleted from the active Service when you delete your account, unless retention is required for legal, safety, moderation, backup, or integrity purposes. Shared factual restaurant or airport listing data may remain in de-identified form with account attribution removed.
• Payment and subscription records: Retained as needed for billing, accounting, tax, purchase restoration, fraud prevention, dispute handling, and legal compliance
• App and device data: Retained as needed to operate the app, troubleshoot issues, maintain security, and comply with app platform requirements
• Social and notification records: Follow and block relationships, push preferences, device tokens, campaign history, and delivery results are retained while needed to provide those features, honor your choices, prevent abuse, troubleshoot delivery, and maintain security. Device-token records are disabled on sign-out and removed when the associated account is deleted, subject to protected backups and legal requirements.
• Moderation records: When a forum post or reply is removed, we may retain the full removed text, the stated reason, the responsible moderator, and notification-delivery status for safety, appeals, abuse prevention, legal compliance, and service integrity.
• Analytics data: Retained in aggregate form; individual-level analytics data is not stored beyond what Netlify retains per its own data retention policies
• Mapbox telemetry and SDK diagnostics: Retained by Mapbox according to Mapbox's privacy and retention practices. PilotsDiner does not receive or use this information for advertising or cross-app tracking.
• Advertising and consent data: Retained by Google according to Google's privacy and retention practices. PilotsDiner retains submitted inappropriate-ad reports, including the ad response identifier, placement, reason, optional details, and app version, as needed to investigate the report, prevent duplicate submissions, document compliance, and address abuse or legal claims.
• Email marketing data: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Log data: Retained for up to 12 months for security and troubleshooting purposes

After account deletion, we may retain anonymized or aggregated data that can no longer be associated with you. Residual copies may remain temporarily in protected backups until those backups are overwritten under our normal retention process.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you reside, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information. We honor these rights for all users regardless of location wherever reasonably feasible.

6.1 Rights Available to All Users

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate personal information
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information
• Data portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw that consent at any time
• Opt out of marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in each email
• Advertising privacy choices: Review or withdraw available Google advertising choices through the in-app controls or our Privacy Choices page

6.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act:

• Right to know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the categories of sources, the business purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share your data.
• Right to delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to correct: You may request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of sale/sharing: Where our advertising-related disclosures qualify as a sale or sharing under applicable law, you may request to opt out through our Privacy Choices page or by emailing us. We will provide any additional required in-app or website control before enabling such processing.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

6.3 Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, Oregon, Montana, and Other States with Privacy Laws

If you reside in a state with a comprehensive consumer privacy law, you may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of your personal information, as well as the right to opt out of targeted advertising, sale of personal information, and certain profiling. You may also have the right to appeal our decision regarding a privacy request.

6.4 European Economic Area and United Kingdom (GDPR)

If you are located in the EEA or UK, our legal bases for processing your personal information include your consent, performance of a contract (providing the Service), and our legitimate interests (analytics, security, and improving the Service). You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

6.5 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your privacy rights, contact us at:

We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days (or 30 days for GDPR requests). We may request additional information to verify your identity before processing your request.

7. Children's Privacy

PilotsDiner is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at cody@vrotatedigital.com so we can take appropriate action.

Users between the ages of 13 and 17 may use PilotsDiner with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. Parents or guardians who allow minors to use the Service should review this Privacy Policy and discuss it with the minor.

8. Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information. These measures include encrypted data transmission (TLS/SSL), secure authentication protocols, Apple's Keychain for mobile session storage where applicable, and access controls on our database and hosting infrastructure.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

9. International Data Transfers

PilotsDiner is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other locations where our providers operate, subject to applicable transfer requirements. Data protection laws in those locations may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

10. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Post a prominent notice on the Service
• Send an email notification to registered users if the changes significantly affect how we handle personal information

Changes take effect on the stated effective date. If a change requires your separate consent, we will ask for it before applying that processing to you.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at: