Privacy Policy
Effective November 4, 2026
Contrails does not sell your personal information, does not show ads, and does not use analytics or tracking tools. We collect what we need to run your account and the site, and nothing else.
Contrails is operated by Banzai Defense Group, LLC, doing business as Contrails ("Contrails", "we", "us"). Questions: support@joincontrails.com.
What we collect
| What | Why | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Sign-in, verification and security notices | Our database |
| Password | Sign-in. Stored only as a salted hash; we never store the password itself | Our database |
| Display name (optional) and avatar color | Shown on your Squadron posts | Our database; visible only to signed-in members |
| Profile details you choose to add (airframe, background, current status) | Shown alongside your Squadron posts | Our database; visible only to signed-in members |
| Squadron posts, replies and topic requests | The community features | Our database; visible only to signed-in members |
| Help requests, lesson feedback and "was this helpful" votes | Answering you and improving lessons | Our database; seen only by Contrails staff |
| Signed-in devices (a device label and last-used time, up to 3 devices) | Keeping you signed in and letting you sign devices out | Our database |
| Sign-in attempts (keyed to IP address and email) | Stopping password guessing and abuse | Our database; deleted automatically after 30 days |
| Purchases (product, amount, currency, date, Stripe reference) | Granting what you bought; accounting | Our database and Stripe |
The one exception to "visible only to signed-in members": threads Contrails chooses to feature publicly, which are written entirely by Contrails' own authors. Members' posts and replies are never featured.
We do not collect your real name, phone number, date of birth, or location. Card details go directly to Stripe and never reach us.
Cookies
We use only cookies the site needs to work: a session cookie that keeps you signed in, and a short-lived cookie that protects sign-in from forgery. We use no advertising, analytics or tracking cookies. Our host, Cloudflare, may set a security cookie to detect bots.
Who else handles your data
We share data only with the services needed to run Contrails. None of them may use it for their own marketing.
- Cloudflare hosts the site and database. Like any web host, it processes your IP address, browser type and the pages you request. It also samples page addresses for security monitoring and may keep network error reports for up to 7 days.
- Stripe processes payments. It receives your email address, what you are buying, and your payment details on its own checkout page, and may email you a payment receipt. Stripe keeps payment records under its own legal obligations; see Stripe's privacy policy.
- Resend delivers our emails (verification codes, password resets, security notices, replies to your help requests). It receives your email address and the message, keeps sent messages for about 30 days, and does not track opens or clicks for us.
- Google Workspace hosts our support mailbox. If you email us, your message is stored there.
- Map and lookup services. When you use certain research tools, your browser contacts Zippopotam (the ZIP code you type), Open-Meteo (a base's coordinates for weather; never your location) and OpenStreetMap (map tiles for the area you view). These services see your IP address.
We do not sell or rent personal information, share it for advertising, or use it to train AI models.
Emails
We send account and security emails: verification codes, password resets, notices when your password or email address changes, and replies to help requests you send us. These are part of having an account. We do not send newsletters or marketing. If we later offer optional update emails, they will be off unless you turn them on, and every one will include an unsubscribe link.
How long we keep data
- Your account: while it exists.
- Sign-in attempts: 30 days.
- Purchase records: kept for at least seven years for tax and accounting. Once your account is deleted, they are no longer attached to your account; Stripe keeps its own record of the payment.
- Backups: our database can be restored to any point in the last 30 days. Deleted data is fully gone once it ages out of that window.
Deleting your account
You can delete your account at any time from your account page: confirm with your password and type DELETE. We email you a confirmation. You can also email support@joincontrails.com from your account's address and ask us to do it.
When an account is deleted:
- Your email, password, profile, devices and display names are deleted.
- Topics you started that other members replied to, and your replies, stay so conversations still read; they are shown as written by "Retired member". Your other posts are deleted.
- Help requests and lesson feedback you sent are kept, no longer attached to your account.
- Paid access ends. A minimal purchase record (product, amount, date) is kept for accounting, no longer attached to your account. Stripe keeps its own record of the payment.
- A record that an administrator action occurred may remain in our internal audit log.
Your choices and rights
You can view and update your profile on your account page at any time. You can ask us for a copy of your data, to correct it, or to delete it by emailing support@joincontrails.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Security
Passwords and sign-in tokens are stored only as hashes. All traffic is encrypted (HTTPS). Administrative access is limited to verified addresses, and the admin console requires a second sign-in step, a one-time code sent by email. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects your data, we will tell you as required by law.
Age
Contrails is for adults 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone younger. If you believe a minor has an account, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will update the effective date and notify signed-in members on the site or by email before the change applies.
Contact
support@joincontrails.com · Banzai Defense Group, LLC, doing business as Contrails