Southport & Merseyside Aero Club (SMAC) is committed to respecting your privacy.
This policy explains when and why we collect personal information from our members and prospective members, how we use the data we collect, the conditions under which we may disclose it to other organisations, and how we keep the data secure.
We may change our data policy from time to time and if we make material changes to it we will notify members of any change through our website and / or by email.
Any questions or concerns you have about our privacy policy or the way in which we process, use or store data should be addressed to us by email at or by post to the Secretary Southport & Merseyside Aero Club 11 Norfolk Street, Liverpool, L1 0BE.
Who are we?
SMAC is as a private non-profit making members flying club originally formed in 1950 as Southport Aero Club. We own and operate a Cessna 172N aircraft registration G-GYAV which is available for hire to our members all of whom are licensed pilots at competitive rates.
When do we collect information from you?
The main occasions when we collect information from members is when they apply to join SMAC and when members obtain or renew their ratings and medical certificates associated with their pilot's licence.
What information do we collect?
We collect personal information such as the names and addresses, dates and place of birth and occupation of our members together with details of members' pilot's licences, ratings and medical certificates. We collect information on our aircraft's tech log sheets of the name of the pilot member in command and the names of any passengers who are being carried in the aircraft at the invitation of the member.
We also collect our members' emergency contact details. We operate a self-billing system so that members can pay for their flights and we maintain an accounting system in which each member's financial transactions with the club are recorded. We do not routinely collect members' bank account details and in the event of a member providing us with details of his bank account for the purpose e.g. of refunding money to him we do not store this information either in paper or digital format.
Why do we collect this information?
We collect this information to administer your membership of the club, process your bookings and for other purposes related to your use of the club's aircraft arising from your contract of membership of SMAC and / or your contract with SMAC to use its aircraft. The club operates a Forum through its website, which enables us to share information with our members and to keep members updated with information such as the status of the aircraft and club activities.
We collect and use this information for our legitimate business purposes including the efficient administration of the club and its finances and to enable us to inform you about what is going on in the club through newsletters and other means. We may also use this information to contact you about your use of the aircraft and future bookings and in the event of any incident or maintenance issue.
As part of our administration of the club and the services we offer to the members, we publish a list of members' contact details on the club's website. Access to this information is restricted to members and enables our members to communicate with one another. If you do not wish your details to be published on the site please contact us either by email at or by post to the Secretary Southport & Merseyside Aero Club 11 Norfolk Street, Liverpool, L1 0BE.
SMAC has a number of legal obligations for which we may need to process your personal information. As operators of an aircraft we are required to know who is in command of our aircraft and whether your licence and ratings are current. We also have legal obligations to disclose information to law enforcement and investigation agencies as explained below.
In respect of any urgent operational matters we reserve the right to contact you by whatever means may be appropriate. However in respect of routine non-urgent matters we will contact you by email. We may also send you a periodic newsletter and other administrative communications by post.
How do we store your data?
We store members' and prospective members' data both in paper format and in digital format on personal computer hard drives and on portable storage devices such as memory sticks. We undertake to use reasonable measures to keep your data safe bearing in mind the nature of the information we hold and that we have no paid administration staff and we rely on the goodwill of our honorary officers to administer the club.
The measures we use to protect your personal information are designed to provide a level of security appropriate to the risk of processing your personal information. However, please be aware that no electronic transmission of information can be entirely secure. We cannot guarantee that the security measures that we have in place to safeguard personal information will never be defeated or fail, or that those measures will always be sufficient or effective.
Who will we share your information with?
We will never sell your data to any person, company or organisation.
We may be required to disclose your information to the CAA or to the police or to other law enforcement or investigative agencies.
As part of our operational requirements we may also share your information with the airfield operator where our aircraft is based and with any fixed base operator (FBO) or airfield tenant with whom we are affiliated from time to time or with whom our aircraft is hangared and with any maintenance organisation who is maintaining or servicing our aircraft and with our fuel suppliers so that you can purchase fuel using our account. We will provide you with details of all organisations with whom we may share your information on request but please note that the sharing of our members’ information with these organisations is an operational requirement.
For how long will we keep your data?
For operational and administrative purposes we will keep your data for as long as you remain a member of SMAC and for a reasonable time thereafter not exceeding two years. Any request for the destruction of all or a specific item of data should be made by email to or by post to the Secretary Southport & Merseyside Aero Club 11 Norfolk Street, Liverpool, L1 0BE.
What are my data protection rights?
The UK's Data Protection Act provides certain rights for individuals. Members can exercise these rights by contacting us either by email at or by post to the Secretary Southport & Merseyside Aero Club 11 Norfolk Street, Liverpool, L1 0BE. We respond to all requests we receive from individuals wishing to exercise their data protection rights in accordance with applicable data protection laws and we may require reasonable documentation to verify your identity prior to granting your request.
If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your personal information, please do not hesitate to let us know. You also have the right to lodge any complaints with a relevant supervisory authority.
Date last modified: v4.3 21.06.18