FlightKit

Overview

FlightKit (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is a pilot training and flight-planning application. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and safeguard your information when you use FlightKit through a web browser, as an installed PWA, or through the FlightKit mobile app. By using FlightKit, you consent to the practices described in this policy. We do not use advertising networks, and we do not track you across other apps or websites.

Training Aid Disclaimer: FlightKit is a supplemental training and reference tool. It does not replace official FAA publications (POH/AFM, AIM, FAR/AIM), a certificated flight instructor (CFI), designated pilot examiner (DPE), or approved training materials.

Always verify critical data — including V-speeds, weight & balance limits, performance figures, weather interpretations, and regulatory references — against your aircraft's POH/AFM and current FAA sources before making flight decisions.

AI-Generated Content: Responses from Ask FlightKit, oral exam practice, and other AI-powered features may contain errors. These outputs are generated by large language models and should be treated as study aids, not authoritative sources. The pilot-in-command is solely responsible for all operational decisions.

Calculations & Performance Data: Weight & balance, takeoff/landing performance, density altitude, crosswind, and other calculations are approximations based on general POH interpolation methods. Always cross-check results against the specific charts in your aircraft's POH/AFM for the actual conditions of your flight.

Weather Data: Weather information displayed in FlightKit does not constitute an official weather briefing. Pilots must obtain a proper briefing from an approved source (1800wxbrief.com, Leidos FSS) before each flight per 14 CFR §91.103.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and a securely hashed password. Your password is never stored in plain text.

Phone Number & SMS Consent

If you opt in to text messages, we collect your mobile phone number, your consent status, and a consent timestamp. This information is used solely to send the account and trial notifications described at the point of opt-in (for example, trial ending or payment issues). Providing a phone number is optional and never required to use FlightKit. You can withdraw consent at any time by replying STOP to any message.

Aircraft & Airport Data

You may store aircraft profiles (type, tail number, weight & balance data) and a home airport identifier. Tail numbers (N-numbers) can be linked to registered aircraft owners through the FAA registry; we treat this data as personally identifiable information. This data is stored to personalize your preflight tools and is never shared with third parties or other users.

Usage Data

We collect usage data within FlightKit (features used, quiz and study activity, AI message counts) to operate the service, enforce rate limits, and improve the app. Error reports — including browser/device metadata — are sent to Sentry, our error-monitoring service. We do not use third-party advertising or analytics trackers.

Location Data

If you grant your browser or device location permission, your location is used to find nearby airports and position maps; it is not retained on our servers or used for tracking. GPS flight tracks you record or upload (e.g., in Postflight) are stored with your account so you can review your flights. Weather and METAR data are otherwise fetched using airport identifiers you provide.

Logbook & Training Records

Flight logs, quiz scores, spaced repetition progress, oral exam session history, and study progress are stored in our database and associated with your account. This data is used solely to provide you with progress tracking and personalized study tools.

Cookies & Local Storage

We use essential cookies for authentication (session tokens) and local storage for user preferences (theme, font size, selected aircraft). We do not use advertising or third-party analytics cookies. You can disable non-essential cookies in your browser settings, though some features may not function correctly.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, or Switzerland, we process your data under the following legal bases:

  • Contract performance — Processing necessary to provide the FlightKit service you signed up for (account data, study progress, aircraft profiles)
  • Legitimate interest — Anonymized analytics to improve the app, security monitoring, bug fixing
  • Consent — AI training data contribution (opt-in), SMS notifications (opt-in), marketing communications (if any)
  • Legal obligation — Billing and tax records for subscription and credit purchases

How We Use Your Information

  • Provide personalized preflight, study, and flight-planning tools
  • Display weather data (METARs, TAFs, forecasts) for your selected airports
  • Track your checkride preparation progress across sessions and devices
  • Power AI features (Ask FlightKit, oral exam practice, flight debrief) — prompts are processed by our AI providers (OpenAI and Anthropic) and are not stored beyond the session unless you opt in to AI improvement; voice features stream microphone audio to Deepgram for real-time transcription
  • Process payments and manage subscriptions (Stripe on the web, Apple for App Store purchases, RevenueCat for subscription state)
  • Send transactional emails (password resets, account verification)
  • Send SMS notifications you have expressly opted in to receive (reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help; message and data rates may apply)
  • Improve app performance and fix bugs via anonymized analytics
  • Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents

Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored in a secure PostgreSQL database hosted on Neon in the United States; the FlightKit application is hosted on Vercel. Uploaded files and documents are stored on AWS S3 and Azure Blob Storage. We implement the following security measures:

  • Passwords hashed with bcrypt (never stored in plaintext)
  • All connections encrypted with HTTPS/TLS
  • Role-based access controls for database and admin functions
  • Regular security reviews and dependency updates
  • No credit card or payment data stored directly (processed by third-party payment providers if applicable)

While we implement reasonable security measures, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

Third-Party Services

FlightKit uses the following service providers to operate the app, each governed by its own privacy policy:

  • OpenAI — AI language models powering features such as Ask FlightKit, ATC practice, and POH data extraction; processes your prompts and related context on its servers
  • Anthropic — AI language models powering the AI Examiner and Ask FlightKit; processes your prompts and related context on its servers
  • Deepgram — Speech-to-text for voice features (AI Examiner); processes your microphone audio in real time
  • ElevenLabs — Text-to-speech for the AI Examiner voice; receives the text being spoken
  • Stripe — Payment processing for web purchases; FlightKit never stores your card number
  • RevenueCat — Subscription management across App Store and web billing; receives a pseudonymous user ID and purchase state
  • Sentry — Error monitoring; receives error reports with browser/device metadata
  • AWS S3 & Azure Blob Storage — File storage for uploads (documents, images, GPS tracks) and reference publications
  • Resend — Transactional email delivery (password resets, notifications); receives your email address
  • LeadConnector / HighLevel — Marketing communications platform; receives your email address, and — only if you opt in to SMS — your phone number and consent record, to deliver the messages you requested
  • Vercel — Application hosting; processes all web traffic to FlightKit
  • Neon — PostgreSQL database hosting (United States)

We also fetch aviation data from the following public sources. They receive standard web-request data (such as your IP address) but no account data:

  • FAA / aviationweather.gov — Weather data (METARs, TAFs) and airport/runway data via NFDC
  • OurAirports — International airport and runway data (CSV fallback)
  • FAA AeroNav — Aeronautical navigation data
  • Open-Meteo — Forecast data
  • Map & chart tile services — Base map tiles (OpenStreetMap/Mapbox), FAA VFR sectional chart tiles (Esri ArcGIS), and NEXRAD radar imagery (Iowa State Mesonet)

We only share the minimum data required for each integration to function. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

No mobile phone numbers or text-messaging opt-in data will be shared with or sold to third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent are shared only with our messaging platform providers as necessary to deliver the messages you requested.

AI Improvement Data

With your explicit consent, FlightKit may collect interaction data to improve AI accuracy. This data is organized into two opt-in tiers, controlled in Settings → Data & Privacy:

Help Improve AI (default: on)

  • Ask FlightKit Q&A conversations and thumbs up/down feedback
  • POH data extraction accuracy signals

Data is anonymized before model training — tail numbers, callsigns, and identifying information are stripped.

Contribute Flight Data (default: off)

  • GPS flight tracks from Postflight

Raw audio is retained for 12 months, then downsampled or deleted. GPS tracks are deleted after 90 days unless you opt to retain them.

You can change your preferences or request deletion of all collected AI training data at any time. Disabling a consent tier immediately stops new data collection for that tier.

Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

Account data: Retained until you delete your account

Phone number & SMS consent records: Retained while your consent is active; consent history is retained after opt-out as required to demonstrate compliance

AI correction pairs: Retained indefinitely (anonymized — cannot be linked back to you)

Raw audio: 12 months, then deleted or downsampled

GPS tracks: 90 days (or until you request deletion)

Q&A conversations: Retained until account deletion

Usage & error data: First-party usage counters are retained with your account; error reports expire per Sentry's retention window (~90 days)

Billing records: Retained as required for tax and accounting purposes, even after account deletion

Upon account deletion, your personal data is permanently removed within 30 days. Anonymized data that cannot be linked to you may be retained for analytical purposes.

Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you have the following rights:

All Users

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Delete your account and all associated data — by emailing support@flightkit.ai, or through your account settings in the app where available
  • Export your logbook and training records
  • Opt out of non-essential analytics
  • Withdraw consent for AI data collection at any time
  • Withdraw SMS consent at any time by replying STOP to any message

EEA / UK Residents (GDPR)

  • Right to data portability (receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format)
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to object to processing based on legitimate interest
  • Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

  • Right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used
  • Right to delete your personal information
  • Right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information — we do not sell or share your data
  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email below. We will respond within 30 days (or sooner where required by law).

International Data Transfers

Your data is stored and processed in the United States. If you are accessing FlightKit from outside the US, you consent to the transfer of your data to the US. We rely on standard contractual clauses and appropriate safeguards for international transfers where required by law.

Children's Privacy

FlightKit is intended for student pilots and aviation enthusiasts aged 16 and older (or the minimum age for student pilot certificates in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or 16 in the EEA). If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

Do Not Track

FlightKit does not use cross-site tracking, advertising cookies, or third-party analytics, so there is no tracking activity to opt out of. Because of this, FlightKit does not respond differently to “Do Not Track” browser signals — the same no-tracking behavior applies to everyone.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date and, where required, notified via email or in-app notice. Continued use of FlightKit after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have a privacy concern, please contact us: