Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 30, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how flightschools.fyi (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use our website and services (the “Service”). We believe in being straightforward about what we collect and why. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with the Service.

From All Visitors

When you browse flightschools.fyi without creating an account, we may automatically collect:

• Usage data: pages visited, search queries entered, links clicked, time spent on pages.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, and device type.
• Cookie and session data: see Section 5 (Cookies and Analytics) for more detail.

This data is used in aggregate to understand how the Service is used and to improve it. We do not use it to identify individual visitors.

From Registered Users (Students and Prospective Pilots)

If you create an account, we collect:

• Email address: used for account authentication and optional product updates.
• Search and browsing history: schools you’ve viewed, searched for, or compared, so we can personalize your experience.
• Saved schools: if you bookmark or save flight schools to your account.
• Account preferences: any settings or preferences you configure.

From Flight School Representatives

If you create an account to claim or manage a flight school profile, we collect:

• Name and email address: for account authentication and communication.
• School affiliation: the name and location of the flight school you represent.
• Any information you submit: updates, corrections, or additional details about your school.

Data About Flight Schools Collected From Public Sources

A core part of the Service is our directory of flight school information. We collect business and operational data about flight schools from publicly available sources, including:

• Flight school websites (programs offered, pricing, fleet information, contact details, instructor credentials, certifications).
• FAA records and other regulatory databases.
• Publicly available reviews, accreditation information, and industry listings.

This data represents publicly available business and operational information about flight schools as organizations, not personal data about individuals. We treat it as such and use it solely to build and maintain the directory. If you believe we have collected data that goes beyond publicly available business information, please contact us at privacy@flightschools.fyi.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate and improve the directory: provide accurate, useful search results and school profiles.
• Personalize your experience: remember your searches, saved schools, and preferences.
• Communicate with you: respond to support requests, send account-related notices, and (with your consent) share product updates.
• Contact flight schools: reach out to schools directly to verify data accuracy, notify them of their listing, and invite them to claim their profile.
• Improve the Service: analyze usage patterns to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
• Maintain security and prevent abuse: detect and prevent unauthorized access, scraping, fraud, or misuse of the Service.

We do not use your personal data for advertising purposes.

3. Data We Collect About Flight Schools

Our directory is built on publicly available business information about flight schools. This includes details like school locations, contact information, program offerings, fleet composition, pricing structures, instructor credentials, certifications, and accreditation status.

We collect this information through:

• Automated collection from school websites and public databases.
• Manual research and curation by our team.
• Direct outreach to flight schools to verify or fill in missing information.

This is operational and business data: the kind of information flight schools publish publicly to attract students. It is not personal data in the traditional sense. We handle it with care and are happy to work with schools directly to keep it accurate. Flight school representatives can contact us at privacy@flightschools.fyi to review or update their listing information.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your personal information with advertisers or third-party marketing companies.

Discovery Flight Bookings

If you use the Book a Discovery Flight feature to request a flight at a specific school, we will share the following information directly with that school for the sole purpose of facilitating the booking:

• Your name (first and last)
• Your email address (from your account)
• Your phone number
• Your preferred contact method

This information is shared with no other party and is used only to allow the school to contact you to schedule your discovery flight. You will be asked to confirm your understanding of this sharing before submitting your request.

Service Providers

• Hosting and infrastructure providers: to store and serve the website.
• Email service providers: to send transactional and account-related emails.
• Analytics providers: to help us understand aggregate usage patterns (see Section 5).
• Authentication providers: if you use a third-party login (e.g., Google OAuth).

All service providers are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable law. They are not permitted to use your data for their own purposes.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of flightschools.fyi or its users.

5. Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate and improve the Service. Specifically:

• Session cookies: to keep you logged in while you use the Service.
• Preference cookies: to remember your settings and saved searches.
• Analytics: we use privacy-respecting analytics tools to understand aggregate traffic and usage patterns (e.g., which search features are used most). We do not use advertising-based analytics or cross-site tracking.

We do not use cookies for ad targeting, retargeting, or tracking you across other websites.

You can control cookie behavior through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain features of the Service.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as it is needed to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

• Account data: retained while your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within a reasonable timeframe (typically 30 days), except where retention is required by law.
• Usage and analytics data: retained in aggregate or anonymized form indefinitely; identifiable log data is typically retained for up to 90 days.
• Flight school business data: retained indefinitely as part of the directory, as it is publicly available business information. If you are a flight school and believe specific information should be removed, please contact us.
• Communications: support emails and records of contact may be retained for up to 2 years for customer service purposes.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights with respect to your personal data. These may include the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Delete your account and associated personal data.
• Opt out of non-essential communications.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@flightschools.fyi. We will respond to requests within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

If you are a flight school representative and wish to review or update the information we display about your school, the same contact address applies.

8. Children’s Privacy

flightschools.fyi is not directed at or intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected information from a child, please contact us at privacy@flightschools.fyi.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the “Effective Date” at the top of this page. If changes are material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify registered users. Your continued use of the Service after any changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Contact

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the data we hold, please reach out:

privacy@flightschools.fyi