Privacy and diagnostics
Quick summary
The short version.
No accounts
No advertising SDKs, no data brokers, and no cross-app or cross-site tracking.
Local by default
Your config, API keys, snapshots, history, and logs stay on your own machine or device unless you explicitly use relay-backed features or send a report.
Native shell
The native desktop GUI is a Qt shell, not a browser profile or webview.
- LAN Companion and Matrix talk to your own Local Flight server first; Mobile Standalone talks directly to the hosted relay.
- Manual reports are always your choice. Automatic crash diagnostics only run if you opt in.
- Local Flight is an informational display aid, not a navigation, dispatch, operational-control, or safety system.
Local storage
What stays local
Flight snapshots, config, personal API keys, local history, logs, native GUI state, LAN Companion pairing state, and Matrix settings are stored locally. The LAN browser UI, LAN Companion, and Matrix board talk to your own Local Flight server first.
Mobile Standalone stores its setup mode, relay install UUID, activation token, selected airport, appearance, diagnostics choice, pinned flight, and local deduped movement history on the device. Standalone history is not stored on the hosted relay.
Hosted relay
Relay-backed features
If you choose Community Relay or Mobile Standalone, Local Flight may talk to the hosted Beacon Tools relay at https://relay.beacontools.cc for shared schedule snapshots, relay-backed radar, activation, rate limits, reports, and optional cached surface/map data.
The current relay schedule path is cache-first and can use AeroDataBox as the primary schedule provider with AviationStack sparse fill/fallback where configured. Bring-your-own-key installs keep their personal provider keys locally.
The relay stores only the technical metadata needed to run that shared service safely, such as random install UUIDs, hashed install fingerprints, token prefixes, usage counters, last-seen timestamps, short-lived airport interest rows, shared schedule/radar cache entries, and coarse app/platform profile fields.
The relay does not store raw IP addresses, personal API keys from your install, readable personal identifiers, local flight history, phone standalone history, or local logs unless you explicitly allow diagnostic reports with sanitized logs.
Mobile and Matrix
LAN Companion stores its paired server URL, companion ID, appearance, pinned flight, local profiles, and diagnostics choice on the device. Mobile Standalone stores its separate relay install UUID, activation token, selected airport, appearance, pinned flight, diagnostics choice, and deduped movement history on the device. Matrix boards receive only display feed/config data from your Local Flight server.
VATSIM
VATSIM mode uses public virtual-network data for flight-board display. Local Flight keeps callsigns, aircraft, filed route/plan, airport/timing data, and aircraft position where useful. It intentionally avoids storing or displaying pilot names, controller names, CIDs/account IDs, server names, or other person-identifying VATSIM fields.
Diagnostics
Reports are opt-in.
Manual reports can include the title and description you write, Local Flight version, install fingerprint, operating system, Python version, configured airport/source mode, diagnostics mode, display settings, and the reporting surface.
Automatic crash reports, if enabled, can include crash context, traceback, native/mobile screen context, and optionally a sanitized recent log excerpt. Reports are sanitized locally, forwarded through the hosted relay reporting gateway, deduplicated/rate-limited, and filed into the developer triage inbox.
Diagnostics do not intentionally include API keys, activation tokens, raw install IDs, raw IP addresses, screenshots, recordings, stored flight history, full local logs, or account data.
Local Flight does not require an email address and does not collect email addresses during normal app use. If you email Beacon Tools directly, your email address and message are handled by the email provider so Beacon Tools can reply to you.
Your control
Your local app data is under your control. To wipe desktop/Pi data, stop Local Flight and remove ~/.localflight/. Mobile app setup/history data can be removed by clearing the app or using its reset flows.
Third-party data sources
Only when your setup uses them.
Depending on your setup, Local Flight may communicate with AeroDataBox, AviationStack, ADS-B Exchange/RapidAPI, OpenSky, VATSIM, aviationweather.gov, OurAirports, OpenStreetMap/Overpass, and public terrain tile sources. Direct Bring Your Own Keys requests use your local provider keys. Relay-backed paths use the hosted relay and shared cache.