🚁 FlyDrone Planner — Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 26, 2026 · version 2026-09-23
This policy explains what FlyDrone Planner (“FlyDrone”) collects, why, and what happens to it. The short version: we store what's needed to run your account and sync your saved spots, we measure how the app is used so we can improve it, we don't run ads, and we don't sell your data.
1. Account data
Signing in (Google or Sign in with Apple, via Firebase Authentication) gives us your email address, an account identifier and, if the provider shares it, your name. We use them to operate your account, sync your data across devices, enforce plan limits, and send account-related email (like a confirmation when a paid plan starts or changes). We also record which version of the Terms and this policy you accepted, and when.
2. Your saved spots and routes
Saved spots (coordinates, your star rating, and the name, description and shot direction you give them), saved trip routes, and your subscription status are stored in our database (Google Cloud Firestore) linked to your account, so they follow you across devices. Your other settings — your fleet, Home locations, units and display preferences — stay on your device.
3. The community layer (please read)
Saved spots from signed-in users also feed an anonymized, aggregated community layer: each spot is reduced to a ~150 m map cell with a rating and an expiry of one year. A cell becomes visible to subscribers only when at least two different pilots have saved a spot in it, and only as a cell average — never your identity, never your exact point, never a single-pilot spot. Pro subscribers can mark individual spots as private to keep them out of this layer; on the Free plan saved spots always contribute.
4. Coordinates sent to data providers
When you pick a spot, the app queries weather, airspace, and map data for those coordinates from third-party providers (e.g. Open-Meteo, FAA services, OpenStreetMap-based services, BigDataCloud reverse geocoding). Most requests go through our proxy — providers then see our server, not you; a few browser-only services are queried directly from your device. Coordinates sent to providers are not tied to your account.
5. Usage analytics
We use PostHog (hosted in the US) to understand how the app is used, on the web and in the iOS and Android apps. It records:
- the screens you open and the actions you take — which buttons and links you tap, where on the page you click, point and scroll, and named steps such as signing in, running a Spot Finder search, saving a trip route or opening the plans screen. It does not record the text on the screen or what you type, and for a link it records only the site it points to, not the address or coordinates in it;
- page-load performance (how quickly the app loads and responds);
- when signing in fails, the error the sign-in service returned (with any email address removed), so we can find out why;
- your device type, operating system and browser, and an approximate location (city or region) that PostHog derives from your IP address;
- a random identifier stored on your device, and — once you sign in — your account identifier and email address, so we can connect usage to an account when you ask us for help.
We do not record your sessions as video, and the precise location of your spots is not sent to PostHog. Analytics are used only to improve FlyDrone; they are not used for advertising, not combined with data from other companies' apps or sites, and not sold.
6. Payments and service providers
Payments on the web are processed by Stripe; card details go to Stripe, not to us. In the iOS and Android apps, purchases go through the App Store or Google Play, and RevenueCat confirms them to us using your account identifier. We store your subscription status and plan; each payment provider's own privacy policy applies to the payment itself.
The providers that process data for us are Google (Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore and Google Cloud hosting), PostHog (analytics), Resend (support and purchase-confirmation email), Stripe, RevenueCat, Apple and Google (store purchases). They handle it on our behalf and under their own security and privacy terms.
The video tutorials on our website are hosted on YouTube (Google). Until you press play on one, the page shows our own picture and nothing is loaded from YouTube. Pressing play loads YouTube's privacy-enhanced player (youtube-nocookie.com), and YouTube's privacy policy applies to what it collects while you watch.
7. Support messages
When you write to us from Settings → Support, we store your message with your email address, your account identifier and plan, and the technical details the form lists (app version, device type, browser and screen size). Your current PIC coordinates are included only if you tick the box for it. The message is emailed to our support inbox through Resend, our email provider, so that we can reply to you.
8. What we don't do
No advertising, no advertising or cross-app tracking SDKs, no selling or renting personal data. Your device's location (the ◎ button) is used to centre the map, set a Home point and work out drive times; it is looked up with the providers in section 4 but not stored on our servers or sent to analytics, unless you save that place as a spot.
9. Retention and deletion
Community-layer signals expire automatically after one year. Account data and saved spots are kept while your account exists. You can delete your account yourself at any time: open Account in the app or on flydrone.app and choose Delete account. This permanently removes the account, your saved spots and routes, your community-layer signals, your support messages and your billing record with us; a subscription bought through the App Store or Google Play is managed by that store and must be cancelled there. Usage analytics are not removed by that button: email the address below and we'll erase your analytics record in PostHog too. If you can no longer sign in, email us and we'll remove the account for you.
10. Changes and contact
A material change is issued as a new version, and the app asks you to accept it before you can keep using the Service. Questions or deletion requests: support@flydrone.app