How We Protect Pilot Privacy While Empowering Flight Data Insights

Balancing safety, efficiency, and trust. Without compromise.

At Scaled Analytics, we believe that flight data should drive safety and efficiency—but never at the cost of pilot trust. That’s why we’ve built our software to ensure operators have full control, pilots know exactly how their data is used, and privacy is protected without limiting the value of the insights we provide.

1. OWNERSHIP & POLICY TRANSPARENCY

We begin by clearly defining data ownership: Operators own their raw flight data, and we act only as custodians.

While non-punitive program agreements are set and enforced by the operator, we have extensive experience helping operators establish these agreements in a way that builds trust with flight crews. We’ve worked successfully with pilots represented by ALPA, Teamsters, and independent pilot groups, ensuring all parties understand that the program’s purpose is safety and operational improvement—not discipline.

This collaborative approach fosters buy-in from day one, helping operators launch programs that are transparent, compliant, and embraced by their pilots.

2. DATA DE-IDENTIFICATION → AN OPTION FOR EXTRA ASSURANCE

For most operators, full data de-identification isn’t necessary—and avoiding it can actually make the analysis process more efficient by reducing technical overhead. We’ve found that the majority of operators operate with strong trust and well-established safety cultures, which means de-identification adds little to no value for day-to-day operations.

That said, we offer robust de-identification for those who require it—whether due to internal policy, union agreements, or specific privacy mandates. When enabled, identifiers are removed or replaced before analysis, ensuring that individual pilots cannot be linked to the processed data.

This optional approach means operators can choose the right balance between operational transparency and privacy assurance, without forcing a one-size-fits-all model.

3. MINIMAL PILOT LINKING FOR TARGETED FEEDBACK

By default, we never include pilot identifiers in flight data logs. This ensures that safety and performance analysis is conducted at the operational level, not the individual level.

When pilot-specific insights are required—such as for personalized training or targeted safety initiatives—identity linking happens only by deliberate choice. Operators must opt in and provide the necessary crew information through a secure, controlled process.

This linking is handled in a way that keeps sensitive information separate from the main analysis dataset, so operational data can still be reviewed and acted on without revealing individual identities unless explicitly authorized.

The result is a system that delivers valuable feedback where it’s needed, while keeping pilot identity protected in everyday operations.

4. LIFECYCLE CONTROLS & DATA RETENTION

When pilot-linked data is used, it’s retained only for as long as necessary to meet the program’s goals—often just a matter of weeks or months, depending on the operator’s policy.

After this period, identifiers are permanently removed or replaced, ensuring that historical data can still be used for safety trend analysis without maintaining a link to individual pilots.

Raw flight data from the FDR or QAR is purged after a set period—normally 30 days, though this can be adjusted to meet customer requirements. Before deletion, the data is converted into our own proprietary format for processing and analysis, adding an additional layer of security.

This means operators get rich, long-term operational insights from processed data while avoiding the risks associated with storing raw flight data indefinitely.

5. A TRANSPARENT, OPERATOR-FIRST APPROACH WITH REAL SUBSTANCE

Complete operator control – From opt-in choices to data retention policies, every key decision is yours, not ours.
No assumptions or unseen linkages – Crew identifiers are never pulled into the system automatically. Any pilot-linked data requires deliberate opt-in and structured oversight.
Beyond snapshots, toward meaningful insight – Our analysis delivers context-rich findings that support long-term safety improvements, not just point-in-time statistics.
Adaptable to your culture and compliance needs – Our system flexes to meet operational realities, union agreements, and data governance standards.
Trust built through transparency – Pilots and safety teams know what data is collected, how it’s used, and when it’s purged.

WHY THIS MATTERS

When pilots trust how their data is handled, they engage with safety programs more fully—and that benefits the entire operation. By giving operators full control, avoiding hidden linkages, and offering meaningful, context-rich analysis, we help ensure that flight data is a tool for improvement, not suspicion. The result is a program that delivers measurable safety and efficiency gains, strengthens safety culture, and stands the test of both regulatory scrutiny and pilot confidence.