Privacy policy | The Pilot Log

This policy explains what personal data The Pilot Log (“we”) processes when you use The Pilot Log at thepilotlog.com, why, for how long, and what rights you have. We are the data controller (tax ID The Pilot Log), established at Barcelona. Contact: info@thepilotlog.com.

1. Data we process

Account data: name, email address, password hash, optional two-step verification secret, your settings, the dates of your free trial, the promo codes you used, and the version of the terms and privacy policy you accepted and when.
Logbook data: the flights, simulator sessions, remarks, signatures, carried-forward totals and pilot details (e.g. licence number) you enter.
Payment data: date and amount of your purchase, the Stripe customer and payment identifiers, and your confirmation that access starts immediately. Card details are processed by Stripe and never reach us.
Messages and invitations: what you send through the contact form (name, email, message), and the email address of a person you or we invite.
Visit statistics: when you open a public page of the website we count it, with the page, the website you came from, your country (looked up from your IP address, which is not stored) and the type of device. You are identified only by a code made from your IP address and browser with a key that changes every day, so we can count visitors without following anyone. No cookie is used, and nothing is counted if your browser asks not to be tracked. If you create an account, we keep where you came from and your country with it, to know which channels bring pilots.
Security data: a log of sign-ins and important account actions with a one-way hash of your IP address, and one-way fingerprints of the devices you sign in from, so we can warn you about sign-ins from a new device.

2. Why we process it (legal basis)

To provide the logbook service you signed up for — performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).
To process your purchase and meet tax and accounting obligations — contract and legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(b), (c)).
To be able to prove that you accepted the terms and waived the withdrawal period when access started — legal obligation and legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(c), (f)).
To count visits to the website and learn how pilots find us, without cookies — legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)).
To keep the service and your account secure, prevent misuse and keep backups — legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)).
To answer your messages — your request and our legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(b), (f)).

We do not sell your data, do not use it for advertising, do not profile you and do not use third-party tracking cookies. We send you emails only about your account and the service (security alerts, purchase, the end of your free trial, closure notices), never marketing without your consent.

3. How your data is protected

Logbook data, profile data, signatures and your email address are encrypted by the application before storage. Backups are encrypted and kept off-site. When you choose a password we check it against lists of passwords leaked elsewhere using a privacy-preserving method: only the first 5 characters of a one-way hash leave our server, never your password or email. See Security & backups for details.

4. Who processes it for us

Hostinger — web hosting, database and email (EU data centres).
Stripe — payment processing. Stripe may transfer data outside the EU under the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses.
Off-site backup storage provider — encrypted backup copies only; the provider cannot read them.

Each of them works under a data processing agreement and only on our instructions. We do not share your data with anyone else unless the law requires it.

5. How long we keep data

Your logbook and account: for as long as you have an account, so you never lose access to your records. We never delete a logbook because of non-payment or inactivity.
When you close your account: it is permanently erased after 30 days (so you can change your mind). Encrypted backups containing it rotate out within 24 months.
If we stop the service: as explained in the terms, we send you your complete logbook and keep an encrypted copy for 12 months after the closure date so we can still return it to you on request; then it is erased.
Contact messages and invitations: up to 2 years. Security log: about 13 months.
Billing records: as long as tax law requires (in Spain, generally 6 years).

6. Your rights

You can access, correct, export (Settings → Your data) and delete (Settings → Close account) your data yourself at any time. You may also object to or restrict processing and ask for a copy in a portable format. Write to us for any request; we answer within one month. You can also lodge a complaint with your data protection authority — in Spain, the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos.

7. Cookies and storage on your device

We only use what is strictly necessary for the service you asked for, so no consent banner is needed:

a session cookie that keeps you signed in while you use the app;
if you choose “keep me signed in”, a secure sign-in cookie;
a device cookie (a random number) used only to recognise a device you already used and warn you about sign-ins from new ones;
for offline use, a copy of the app and of your logbook in your browser’s storage, plus any changes waiting to be synced. Signing out removes it.

We do not use analytics or advertising cookies. Visit statistics are counted on our own server without cookies (see section 1) and are deleted after about 13 months.

8. Children

The service is meant for people aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly process data of younger children.

9. Changes

If we change this policy in a meaningful way we will tell you by email or in the app, and ask you to confirm the new version the next time you sign in.