Virtual American USA - Why you should think twice before joining...

[Mark J]

When you come to the website http://www.virtualamericanusa.com/ you see (unless you get a 403 like me) a professional, well made site for a virtual airline, however the staff there is FAR from professional. I joined in December of 2011, before a rule had been implemented stating "19. I also understand that NO Member information will be shared outside of the VAA Community and that NO PILOT ID's will be deleted after an approved application." I never agreed to this rule, but the CEO says I did because I registered even though the rule was placed on the registration page AFTER I registered. I cannot have MY name removed from his website even though I would like to have it be. However we compromised and I allowed him to change it to my initials. He then banned my IP from his website once I verified that the name change had occurred. This was a few months ago, and only today did it come to my attention that my name had been changed back. Doesn't it make your virtual airline look bad when the majority of pilots on your roster haven't flown a flight, are kicked out for BS rules (such as not flying a flight within 48 hrs after joining), IP's banned, but names still exist on the roster. At VAA, you will never be able to be removed. You will always be there. VAA looks like a great airline with it's 276 pilots! Except only 103 pilots have logged at least 1 flight and only 33 have logged 10 or more flights. That is embarrassing. If you want to make your airline look better, maybe try logging flights for me and the 173 pilots on the roster that have not logged a flight. Or maybe remove us from your roster and show that the 33 REAL members are active and passionate for VAA. Feel free to add other problems some of you may have encountered with VAA, because the CEO has refused to even talk with me about resolving our issues. Is this truly a professional way to manage a VA?

Mark Jeffreys

[joeri]

not sure how the US law is on this but here you are from the moment u register and provide annything entitled to change and even ask for a deletion of name in your records.

but with the phpvms software its not possible to delete a pilot whom have made anny flights just looked at your record and it seems you have 0 flights so its perfectly possible to delete your account.

so i would just email him with this and demand that he deleteds your account

[Tom]

As joeri mentioned there should be law to cover you, we have the Data Protection Act in the UK which allows you the right to request removal of your personal information... unfortunately their server is in the US and there doesn't seem to be as comprehensive laws to protect individuals...

There's something potentially useful though:

The Privacy Act (1974) states: Each agency that maintains a system of records shall—

• upon request by any individual ... permit him ... to review the record and have a copy made of all or any portion thereof in a form comprehensible to him ...
  
• permit the individual to request amendment of a record pertaining to him
  

If all else fails I'm sure if you sent an email to bluehost explaining the situation they'd be forced to sort it fairly quickly

[Zishan]

Yes I had this problem with him, he send he will not delete my pilot ID not matter what. Even though I broke his rules like not flying and being with another va as a staff. He just wants to have a large pilot roster. However I did manage to get rid of myself by one of the staff. Best thing to do this talk to there staff

[BaRBeR]

But isn't it illegal even in the US if the user requests them to delete them then they are entitled to this and the holder of the data cannot refuse this right, correct? If so I would consider contacting someone in a higher position and let them know they are refusing to delete your data.

[edmundk]

That's ridiculous, if there is a law that can cover you, use it on him. I don't like that fact that you cannot get removed from his roster.

[Flightguy123]

Sorry, i dont use this much, but wth? haha.... When has a CEO striven to keep pilots who don't fly to fill the roster. Looks unprofessional, messy, and makes the VA look bad anyway...

[simpilot]

Remember that there is always two sides, or points of view for every situation.

I agree, the name should be able to be removed using a law or statute that is in place or by simply corresponding with the site owner.

The laws in the United States allow for the removal of any information on the web using legal channels if it falls into one of the following categories;

- copyright or trademark infringement

- threats of violence against another person

- child pornography

- obscenity

- child exploitation

- spam

- impersonation or misuse of another’s identity

- court-ordered removal

- malware/virus distribution

- confidential information (including social security number, bank account number, and credit card number)

- cyberbullying

- otherwise illegal material

It really becomes an issue of the first amendment and freedom of speech beyond those situations. News outlets would have a hard time reporting news if anyone could demand that their name or any other information be removed because they do not like it, not to mention that you could be censored here in this forum if VAA demanded that this post be removed because they do not like it.

I do not believe that your name being on the website falls into any of these categories, so you are relegated to using your charm to having your name removed or modified. I do not know the reasons for not removing names from the site and do not have an opinion if it is right or wrong but I do see that you acknowledge there is a notice on the registration page stating that names will not be removed (#19) -> http://virtualameric...ex.php/vaa/join <- I also looked at the Google cached version and it is on that version as well, although it is only about six weeks old. -> http://webcache.goog...ex.php/vaa/join <- but I do not find a cached version from the time period you refer to.

I would think if the site owner is approached with a little charm and a good reason to remove, or modify your name, he should do it.

On the other hand, I do not know what your name being on this roster is affecting in your eyes. A simple search for you let me see that you are on the roster of at least five other virtual airlines, a controller at Fort Worth ARTCC (with your photo I might add), a visiting controller on 2 other ARTCC websites, have started, or been involved with the startup of at least two other VA's, you run track and play on the JV basketball team at (name omitted for privacy) high school in the state of O..... , so this is not the only place your name appears. As you can see, footprints on the web are hard to control and records can appear from nearly everywhere.

And on yet another hand, every website should include a Terms and Conditions policy that lays out the way to remove your data from the website database if you so desire in the future, yet it is the users responsibility to review that policy prior to and periodically when using a site. Most all of these policies also include a clause that allows for changes to the policy and a period for you to reject the changes and be removed from the site, or if nothing is received within the grace period the user automatically accepts the changes.

I think both parties in this probably have an axe to grind with the other for whatever reason and that has unfortunately clouded good judgment.

If you can not get satisfaction in the issue your best bet would be to send a Cease and Desist letter via email and certified snail mail. If you get no response from that hire a good attorney. There are some good examples of C&D Letters that you could probably modify for your use here -> http://minnesotaatto...e-sample-forms/

[mischka]

Then again, I wonder why the thread-starter even signed up with the airline and not made any flights?

[joeri]

Thats the great live of airline hoppers is something like facebook and have friends on there that you don't speak to and even don't know