Pilot accounts and optional recovery backups
This section describes pilot accounts and explicit cloud backup in version 4.0. Historical installation-only receipts remain distinct from account-linked records.
Sign in with Apple verifies your identity. Apple may provide your name and your chosen email or private relay address. Supabase processes the sign-in and assigns a unique account identifier. Flight Operations does not receive your Apple password. App sign-in tokens are stored in the device Keychain. Apple authorization codes are sent to our Supabase account service; Apple refresh tokens are encrypted before server storage so the service can revoke Apple access when you delete your account.
Your entered contact details and signed agreement receipt are associated with that verified account identifier. Existing installation receipts are not automatically reassigned by matching an email address or phone number. On a device with older data, you choose whether to associate it with your account; the app does not automatically upload it.
Cloud backup is an explicit choice, not automatic synchronization. Selecting Save profile and flights to cloud uploads your contact details, aircraft profiles, current plan, mini logbook, notes, communications text and selected training preferences to Supabase. Raw audio recordings are not included. A later save replaces the checked backup only if it has not changed on another device. Restore requires the same Apple account and confirmation; a local pre-restore copy is retained. Device GPS permissions and AI consent are not restored from a backup.
Account backup and account-linked receipts remain until replaced or the account is deleted; there is no automatic expiry. Delete pilot account and data removes the account-linked cloud backup and receipts, the stored Apple token, and associated local data and recordings on the device where deletion is requested. If an Apple token is unavailable, the app explains how to revoke Apple access manually. Offline copies on other devices, exports, provider backups and historical installation-only receipts are separate; contact us about historical receipts or support records. Removing the app alone does not delete the cloud account or its backup.
You can prepare a profile-and-flight data export in Pilot Profile. Export recordings separately from Comms Log. Do not restore, sign out or delete an account during flight. Cached local access does not provide access to another pilot's account or guarantee continued access to online services after revocation.
At a glance
- Flight plans, aircraft profiles, personal minimums, notes, and the communications log are stored in the app on your iPad.
- Signing the app-use agreement sends identifying and contact information to our Supabase-hosted database.
- GPS is optional. Online town and address lookups use Apple’s services.
- Record audio starts off. Listening still uses temporary audio for transcription. Keeping recordings is a separate choice.
- Online Whisper transcription is not enabled in version 4.0. After you download the model, offline transcription runs on the device.
- Flight Operations does not communicate with ATC or file, open, close, or transmit flight plans.
1. Who to contact
Basil’s Best Flights LLC is responsible for Flight Operations and the Basil’s Best Flights website. This policy describes how we handle information in the iPhone and iPad app and on this website.
For support, access, correction, or deletion requests, email basilsbestflights@gmail.com. Do not send passwords, payment-card information, government identification, or cockpit recordings unless a specific, appropriate request has been agreed.
2. Planning information and agreement records
Stored on the iPad
The app saves information you enter or retain: origin and destination, aircraft and tail-number profiles, aircraft performance values, fuel and persons on board, departure and return times, personal weather minimums, preferences, airport history, notes, communications, local logbook entries, feedback drafts, and a copy of the agreement receipt. These support the planning workflow and restore your entries when the app reopens.
Flight plans and profiles are not automatically synchronized. The explicit account cloud-backup option described above uploads the selected saved data. Printed and exported documents may contain these details.
Sent when you sign
When you submit your app-use agreement, the app sends your entered first, middle, and last legal name, phone number, email address, a randomly generated installation identifier, and the app version to our Supabase-hosted agreement service. The service records the agreement version and text, its cryptographic hash, the acceptance date and time, and a receipt identifier. These records document the acknowledgement and identify the associated installation and contact details.
The app requires this online receipt before onboarding is complete. Deleting the app does not delete the server record. The signature submitted to this service is the entered legal name, not a photograph or image of handwriting.
3. Location, searches, and aviation information
If you enable GPS and grant iPad location permission, Flight Operations uses your device position, accuracy, and available movement information to display your position relative to reference data. The location service operates while the app is in use; it is not a dispatch or flight-tracking service for our support team.
When online, identifying the town near your position uses Apple’s reverse-geocoding service and sends the relevant location to Apple. Choosing address search sends the search text to Apple Maps services. Work Offline pauses town and address lookups; GPS position can still work when the device supports it.
Weather requests send airport or station identifiers and, where needed, a route-area query to the Aviation Weather Center. Diagram requests go to FAA services. Those services receive the requested resource and ordinary network information, such as your IP address. Requests do not include your agreement name or phone number. A requested airport or region can still reveal something about your intended trip.
Online arrival maps
Aerial maps request map content from Apple. In builds with airspace overlays, the visible map region, with a surrounding margin, is sent to FAA-published airspace services hosted on Esri ArcGIS. That region may be centered on your GPS position or destination and can reveal your approximate location. The app also requests the FAA graphical TFR feed. These requests do not include your name, phone number, tail number or agreement identifier; providers still receive ordinary network information such as your IP address. Airspace results are held temporarily in memory. Selecting Work Offline removes the aerial view and stops its app-managed airspace requests. It does not recall earlier requests or disconnect the entire device.
Following external links, including weather briefings and NOTAM searches, opens the provider’s service under its own privacy practices.
Route searches and optional sight guides
Along the route searches send the chosen search category and geographic search regions along your planned route to Apple Maps. Online waypoint searches and airport airspace references send search terms or the selected airport region to FAA-published services hosted on Esri ArcGIS. These queries can reveal places you intend to visit. They do not include your pilot contact details, tail number, signature or agreement receipt.
Choosing to download a sight guide sends the place or article name to Wikipedia and image-information requests to Wikimedia Commons, then downloads the reference photo from Wikimedia image servers. The app compares the returned place coordinates on your iPad; it does not send your current GPS position or complete flight plan to these photo services. Providers receive the requested resources and ordinary network information such as your IP address. A requested place name may reveal your sightseeing interests or intended trip.
Saved sights, recognition notes and route preferences stay in the app. Downloaded reference photos, their source and licensing information are stored on your iPad for offline viewing; this photo cache is excluded from device backups. No photo request is made merely by opening an already saved guide. Downloads are optional and require connectivity; Work Offline stops app-managed sight-guide downloads and online sightseeing searches. Removing a saved sight lets the app remove its cached photo when the guide list refreshes.
Optional silent sightseeing notices use your current position and ground track locally while the app is open. They start off and do not share a flight track with our support team. Opening an external map, source or photo-credit link uses that provider’s service and privacy practices.
4. Audio and transcription
Microphone access is requested when you start listening. Flight Operations captures the selected audio input only after you start that function. Listening stops when the app goes into the background or the input is interrupted. You remain responsible for any permissions or consent needed to record or share other people’s communications.
When Record audio is off
The app uses short temporary audio segments to perform speech recognition. It removes those segments after processing or a failed attempt. Temporary segments left by an abrupt termination are cleaned up at the next app launch. Successful transcripts and processing metadata remain locally; turning recording off does not mean the microphone is unused or that no text is saved.
When Record audio is on
Audio segments are kept locally for playback, retry, and deliberate export. The setting remembers your choice. Turning it off does not delete earlier recordings. Recordings and their transcription queue are excluded from device backups; export copies you want to preserve.
Offline and online are different choices
Offline Whisper setup downloads model and tokenizer files from Hugging Face. The download provider receives ordinary request information, but downloading the model does not send it your cockpit audio. Recognition with the stored model runs on your iPad.
Online Whisper is disabled in version 4.0. This build does not send audio to OpenAI for transcription. Before a future release enables cloud transcription, its disclosure must explain the processors, data sent, retention, and separate upload choice. There is no automatic training-data upload feature in this app.
Transcripts can be inaccurate. They are not clearances and should not be treated as authoritative instructions.
6. Website and service providers
These website pages do not include advertising scripts, third-party analytics scripts, account registration, or a contact form. The contact links open your email application; no message is sent just by opening a page.
Website hosting and security providers, including Cloudflare when this site is deployed there, process technical request information such as IP address, browser details, requested URL, and time to deliver and protect the site. Security features may use cookies. This is separate from the flight information stored inside Flight Operations.
Supabase processes agreement records on our behalf. Apple provides operating-system location, search, backup, and TestFlight services. Hugging Face delivers optional model downloads; government services deliver requested aviation resources. Information transmitted to online services may be processed outside your state or country.
The beta code does not include advertising SDKs, advertising-identifier access, or cross-app advertising tracking. Service-provider logging and the privacy settings you choose for Apple or other apps are separate. No online service or storage method can be promised completely secure.
7. Retention and deletion
- Planning and log data: stays in the app until you edit or clear it, remove the relevant saved entry, or delete the app. The Clear Flight Plan action is not a complete deletion of your pilot profile or every saved record. Device or iCloud backups may retain eligible app data under your Apple settings.
- Retained audio: stays locally until you delete the recording or delete the app. Deleting a recording also removes its associated original transcript; text already copied into the editable communications log remains until you remove it there.
- Temporary audio: is removed after processing or at the next launch following an interrupted session, as described above.
- Agreement receipts: have no automatic expiry configured in the current service. They remain online to document acceptance unless removed following a reviewed deletion request. Uninstalling the app does not notify the service or delete the receipt.
- Support messages and outside copies: are separate from local app storage. Contact us about messages you sent to us; contact other recipients or providers about copies you shared with them.
To request access, correction, or deletion of information held by us, email basilsbestflights@gmail.com with the subject “Flight Operations privacy request.” Identify the email used for your agreement and the type of request. We may need to verify that the request concerns your information. Do not email a password or government ID.
Requests are reviewed to determine the information involved and any legal need to retain an agreement or related records. We will explain the outcome and any applicable retention limitation. Provider backups and records outside our control may not disappear immediately. Applicable privacy rights depend on your location.
8. Your choices
- Use Pilot Profile and iPad Settings to disable GPS or revoke location permission.
- Stop Listening and revoke microphone permission in iPad Settings to prevent microphone use.
- Keep Record audio off if you do not want recordings retained. Remove existing recordings separately.
- Use Work Offline to limit supported online features. It does not recall data already transmitted and is not a system-wide firewall. Use iPad network controls if you require the entire device disconnected.
- Do not share a feedback report or include your communications log unless you intend to send that information.
- Request deletion of online agreement data separately from deleting the app.
Flight Operations is not designed for children under 13. Contact us if you believe a child has submitted personal information so that the situation can be reviewed.
9. Changes and questions
We will update this policy when the released app’s data practices change, including before enabling online transcription. The effective date appears at the top of this page. Contact basilsbestflights@gmail.com with questions.
This policy describes the iPhone and iPad app and the static website, not all historical Windows or prototype builds. It is not an app-use agreement and does not authorize ATC communication.