app_privacy
American Ballooning Community Member App — Privacy Policy
Last updated: April 23, 2026
Who we are: The American Ballooning Community (“ABC”, “we”, “us”) operates this mobile application for use by club pilots, crew members, and spectators during balloon flights. Our website is abcballoon.org.
What we collect:
| Data | Why | Where stored |
|---|---|---|
| GPS location (continuous, including background) | To broadcast your position to other club members during active sessions | Transmitted to ABC server in real time; discarded when session ends |
| Name / username | To identify your position on the shared map | ABC servers |
| Balloon / flight name | To label your marker on the map | ABC server |
| Flight logbook entries (pilot and crew) | To maintain a record of flights for participating members | ABC server |
| App settings and credentials | To remember your preferences between sessions | On your device only |
We do not collect payment information, health data, contacts, photos, passwords (crew session passwords are stored on your device only and never transmitted to our server), or any data unrelated to flight tracking and logbook recording.
How your data is used: Your location and identity are transmitted in real time to the ABC server and displayed on the map to other authenticated app users during your active session. If you have logging enabled, flight data is recorded to your logbook on the ABC server and is accessible to you through the app. Data is used solely for flight coordination and record-keeping within the club.
Who we share it with: Your position data is visible to other authenticated ABC app users during your active session. Logbook data is accessible to you and club administrators. We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any third party or advertiser.
Data retention: Live position data is held in memory on the server and discarded when your session ends. Logbook entries are retained on the ABC server for as long as you are an active club member. App settings and credentials are stored locally on your device.
Background location: This app uses background location to continue broadcasting your position when the app is not in the foreground. You will be prompted to grant “Always On” location permission. You can revoke this at any time in your device Settings, which will stop position broadcasting.
Your rights: To request deletion of your logbook data or any other stored account data, contact us at webmaster@abcballoon.org. Live position data is not retained after sessions end and cannot be retrieved or deleted retroactively.
Children: This app is intended for club members and is not directed at children under 13.
Changes: We may update this policy as the app evolves. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance. The current privacy policy is always available at this web page.
Contact: American Ballooning Community webmaster@abcballoon.org