Legal
Privacy policy.
Last updated: 12 August 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Kiowa Mayfield Darlington (FZE), trading as 'The Pilot Experience,' collects, uses, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our website and our simulator Experiences.
1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy explains how Kiowa Mayfield Darlington (FZE), a company registered in the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) free zone, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates ('the Company,' 'we,' 'us,' 'our'), trading as 'The Pilot Experience,' collects, uses, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our website and our simulator Experiences.
For the purposes of applicable data protection law, the Company acts as the data controller in respect of the personal data described in this Policy. Where you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we process your data in accordance with the GDPR or UK GDPR, as applicable, in addition to the data protection laws of the United Arab Emirates. The legal bases described in Section 3 and the rights described in Section 7 apply regardless of where you are located.
This Policy applies to anyone who visits our website ('the Site'), makes a booking, purchases a gift voucher, or otherwise interacts with us ('you,' 'Guest,' 'Participant').
2. What personal data we collect
We collect the following categories of personal data:
- 2.1 Identity and contact data: your name, email address, and phone or WhatsApp number, provided when you make a booking, contact us, or purchase a gift voucher.
- 2.2 Booking and Experience data: the Experience selected, date, time slot, add-ons, whether you are booking as a solo Guest or with an Additional Pilot, and any notes or preferences you provide.
- 2.3 Payment data: our payment processor, Stripe, handles all payment card data directly. We do not receive or store full card numbers. We retain a record of the amount paid, the date of payment, and a transaction reference.
- 2.4 Identity verification and passport data: because our Facility is located within the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone), a security-controlled area, we require the following from you and, where applicable, any Additional Pilot joining your Experience: date of birth, passport number, nationality, residential address, and a copy of your valid passport in advance of your visit, with sight of the original on arrival. We safeguard this data for security and safety purposes. It is shared with the Facility Provider and the SAIF Zone security authority as described in Section 4, and, by booking, you accept that those parties handle your data under their own privacy and data protection policies, which sit outside our control. We are not liable for any data breach or leak occurring on their systems.
- 2.5 Health. We do not collect, request, or record any health information from you. Whether you are fit to safely participate is entirely for you to assess yourself, against the eligibility criteria set out in our Terms and Conditions, including but not limited to cardiovascular, back, neck, or spinal conditions, pregnancy, or any other condition that could reasonably be expected to be aggravated by motion, vibration, acceleration forces, or confinement within an enclosed space. If any such condition applies to you, you should simply not book or attend. We do not ask you to explain why, and we do not want or need any medical detail from you.
- 2.6 Photos and video: footage or photographs may be captured of you during your Experience, both to deliver any footage included in your purchased package, and, by default, for our own marketing purposes, including on the Site and our social media channels. You can opt out of the marketing use by telling your assigned pilot before your session begins; footage forming part of your purchased package is unaffected either way. No compensation is payable for marketing use, with or without an opt-out. See Section 12 of our Terms and Conditions for the full position.
- 2.7 Gift voucher data: where you purchase a gift voucher, we collect your details as the buyer, and, where provided, the recipient's name and any personalized message.
- 2.8 Communications: records of correspondence between you and us, including WhatsApp messages, emails, and any contact form submissions.
- 2.9 Technical and cookie data: when you visit the Site, we collect technical data such as your IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited, using cookies and similar technologies, including Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Meta Pixel. Consent for non-essential cookies is managed through CookieYes, our cookie consent platform. See Section 8 for full detail.
3. How we use your data, and on what basis
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Data used | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Processing and confirming your booking | Identity, contact, booking data | Performance of a contract with you |
| Taking payment | Payment data | Performance of a contract with you |
| Arranging your security clearance and facility access | Identity verification and passport data | Legal obligation / performance of a contract with you |
| Delivering your Experience, including any included footage | Photos/video | Performance of a contract with you |
| Marketing use of Experience photos/video | Photos/video | Legitimate interest, with the right to opt out before your session begins |
| Responding to enquiries and customer support | Communications data | Legitimate interest in running our business |
| Sending you marketing about our Experiences | Identity, contact data | Consent, where required, or legitimate interest, with an opt-out always available |
| Processing gift vouchers | Buyer and recipient data | Performance of a contract with you |
| Site analytics and measuring performance | Technical and cookie data | Consent, managed via CookieYes |
| Advertising and remarketing (Google Ads, Meta Pixel) | Technical and cookie data | Consent, managed via CookieYes |
3.1 Sensitive data. Your identity verification and passport data are used only for the specific purpose stated in this Section, are not used for any marketing purpose, and are subject to the additional handling described in Sections 2.4 and 4. We do not collect health data at all, see Section 2.5.
4. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as follows:
- 4.1 Stripe, our payment processor, to process payment for your booking or voucher.
- 4.2 Pier Seven Aviation, the third-party owner and operator of the Facility ('the Facility Provider'), and the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) security authority, solely for the purpose of arranging your access to the Facility. This will typically include your identity verification and passport data. These parties process this data under their own privacy and data protection policies. By booking, you accept their terms in this respect, and you acknowledge that we are not liable for any data breach or leak occurring on their systems, outside our control.
- 4.3 WhatsApp (Meta Platforms, Inc.), where you choose to communicate with us via WhatsApp.
- 4.4 Google (Google Analytics and Google Ads) and Meta (Meta Pixel), for site analytics, advertising, and remarketing purposes, where you have consented via CookieYes. See Section 8.
- 4.5 CookieYes, our cookie consent management provider, to record and manage your cookie consent choices.
- 4.6 Our service providers, including our website and booking platform providers, such as Supabase for database hosting, solely to the extent necessary for them to provide services to us.
- 4.7 Legal and regulatory disclosure, where required by law, or where necessary to protect the safety of any person, including disclosure to the General Civil Aviation Authority, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, the relevant free zone authority, or law enforcement.
We require each third party we share data with to handle it securely and only for the purposes described here.
5. International data transfers
Some of the service providers referred to in Section 4, including Stripe, Meta (WhatsApp and Meta Pixel), and Google (Analytics and Ads), may process personal data outside the United Arab Emirates. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your data continues to receive an appropriate level of protection, including relying on the relevant provider's own data protection safeguards.
6. How long we keep your data
- Booking and payment records: retained for 2 years, to meet accounting and tax obligations under UAE law.
- Identity verification and passport data: retained only for as long as necessary to arrange and complete your facility access, and deleted promptly afterward unless a longer period is required by the Facility Provider or the SAIF Zone authority.
- Marketing contact data: retained until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it.
- Cookie consent records: retained as set by CookieYes, see Section 8.
7. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- request access to the personal data we hold about you;
- request that we correct inaccurate data;
- request that we delete your data, subject to any legal or contractual reason we may have to retain it;
- object to, or request that we restrict, certain processing;
- withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent (including cookie consent, see Section 8), without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal;
- request a copy of your data in a portable format, where applicable.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Data Protection Contact at contact@thepilotexperience.com. If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority. Wherever you are located, you may also lodge a complaint with the UAE Data Office.
8. Cookies and similar technologies
8.1 We use cookies and similar technologies on the Site, split into the following categories:
- Strictly necessary cookies, required for the Site to function, which do not require consent.
- Analytics cookies, including Google Analytics, used to understand how visitors use the Site.
- Advertising cookies, including Google Ads and Meta Pixel, used for advertising, conversion tracking, and remarketing.
8.2 Consent for analytics and advertising cookies is collected and managed through CookieYes, our cookie consent platform. Non-essential cookies are not activated until you provide consent through the CookieYes banner shown on your first visit.
8.3 You can review, change, or withdraw your consent at any time using the Manage Cookies button available on the Site. The up-to-date list of active cookies and tracking pixels in use is available through that button at any time, rather than being fixed permanently in this Policy.
9. Children and minors
Our Experiences may be booked by or for individuals aged 15 and above. Where a Participant is under 18, their booking and any related personal data is provided and managed by their accompanying parent or legal guardian, who accepts responsibility for the accuracy of that data.
10. Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. The version in effect at the date you interact with us applies. Material changes will be reflected by an updated 'Last updated' date at the top of this Policy.
12. Contact us
Questions about this Policy, requests relating to your personal data, or any exercise of your rights under Section 7, can be sent to our Data Protection Contact at contact@thepilotexperience.com.