The HFG website (“the website”) exists to provide those interested in aviation Human Factors with information and online resources. The website team is committed to protecting the privacy rights of those who use our website. We are governed by our own Privacy Policy and by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Privacy Policies.

Purpose & Types of Information Collected

Website Visitor Information

The website does not collect personal information (i.e. an individual’s name, address or phone number) without your consent. When you visit the website, the server automatically collects a limited amount of information via the use of “cookies.” (Cookies are temporary Internet files that are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website.) Information collected includes your IP address, the name of your Internet service provider, information concerning your browser and operating system, pages visited, length of time of webpages and geographical information. Website visitor information is collected in aggregate form and is not identifiable to an individual visitor. This information is used in connection with the operation and security of the site and to perform statistical analysis of user trends and interests which supports efforts to make the site more useful to visitors.

Website Analytics and Security

The HFG website uses Webalizer and Awstats, services which gather technical data for statistical use. We use reports provided by these services to help us understand website traffic and webpage usage. We also protect the website against malicious and accidental interference using various third-party software tools and techniques. User data is anonymous and aggregated. By using this website, you consent to the processing of your data by these services for the purposes set out above.

Personal Information

The website does not collect personal information (defined as an individual’s name, address, phone number) without your consent. Some functionality of this website may require the provision of personal information (for example, completion of contact forms, feedback comments or event calendar entries), however visitors can choose to opt out of such actions. Simply put, we do not collect personal information that identifies an individual unless you voluntarily choose to provide such information.

For individuals (committee members, visiting speakers and others participating in conferences and other HFG activities) we may collect information as a requirement to fulfill our services or to provide public records of HFG events. We retain this information to maintain our relationship with the aviation community and specialist areas such as Flight Engineering, Flight ops, Cabin Crew and ATC. This includes information which is voluntarily provided (whether by digital or other collection tools) and/or acquired from public sources. If you require more information on this policy, please contact the HFG as below.

Security & Disclosure of Information

Securing Personal Information

In cases where personal information is voluntarily submitted, we will take reasonable steps to protect any personal information you choose to share with us in a controlled, secure environment. Web forms that request personal and/or sensitive information are built with a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) which enables the secure encrypted transmission of this data.

Disclosure of Information

Any personal information that you provide online e.g. for HFG administrative use, will be secured in a password-protected database and will only be accessible to authorized officers unless specifically otherwise stated (for example, event calendar activity descriptions or standing group resumes).

Personal information voluntarily submitted through this website is only shared with authorized HFG officers and designated volunteers; all such individuals must understand and adhere to our privacy policies.

We do not sell or rent any personal information obtained through our website with any other organization or business. In a few limited cases, in the course of regular operations, we may need to provide a third-party entity with basic personal information in order that they may fulfill their contractual obligations. In such cases, only required information is provided and the contracted third-party must provide a GPRD-compatible privacy policy or adhere to the HFG’s and RAeS privacy policies. An example of such a situation would be the provision of delegate name and address information as part of conference or event registration, e.g. Safety Network seminars, or for site security service permissions.

Private website pages

Beyond the public website, we also support password-protected pages for staff information including training media. Any other sensitive information will be secured behind a personal login and/or encrypted both in transit (SSL) and on file, typically using Drop Box.

Links to Other Sites

The website includes links to other organizations’ websites, e.g. IATA, ICAO, the CAA and NASA. While we aim to link only to secure sites with appropriate content, please note that the HFG is not responsible or liable for any external websites. These will have their own Privacy policies and protocols and should be evaluated independently.

Opting Out

At any time, should you wish to review or have deleted, personal information that you submitted on the website, please contact the HFG IT co-ordinator using the website contact form.

Contact Information

For more information relating to our website privacy statement, please contact the HFG IT co-ordinator using the website contact form.