Privacy Policy

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to the Trails AMS platform available at trails.aero and related subdomains (including ams.trails.aero and api.trails.aero) and any related mobile applications (collectively, the "Platform").

This Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the choices available to you.

2. Business and Private Operator Use

The Platform is provided for aircraft operators, maintenance providers, engineers, pilots, aviation personnel, businesses, organisations, and private aircraft owners. Where an organisation uses the Platform, that organisation is responsible for ensuring its users (employees, contractors, and authorised personnel) understand and comply with internal policies and applicable privacy obligations when using the Platform. Private owners are responsible for their own use of the Platform and for ensuring they have the necessary rights and permissions for any information they enter or upload.

3. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly, information generated through your use of the Platform, and limited technical information needed to run and secure the service.

4. How We Use Information

We use information to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Platform;
• Authenticate users and enforce access controls;
• Process subscriptions and payments (where applicable);
• Provide customer support and respond to requests;
• Secure the Platform, detect abuse, and prevent fraud;
• Monitor performance, reliability, and improve the service;
• Operate public repository and reference features, including technical library content and public maintenance builder content;
• Make public repository content available to other users where it is uploaded to a public area or made public by default;
• Comply with applicable laws and lawful requests.

5. Sharing of Information

5.1 We Do Not Sell Data

We do not sell your personal information, your organisation’s data, or your private operator data.

5.2 No Third-Party Marketing Sharing

We do not share your information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

5.3 Service Providers (Operational Only)

To operate the Platform, we may use trusted service providers (for example, infrastructure hosting, email delivery, and payment processing). These providers may process limited information on our behalf solely to provide services to us, and they are not permitted to use it for their own purposes.

5.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or lawful government request, or where necessary to protect the rights, safety, and security of Trails AMS, our users, or the public.

5.5 Public Visibility Features

If you choose to make certain information publicly visible (for example, sharing selected records or reference content), that information will be accessible according to the sharing settings you apply. You are responsible for what you publish or make public.

Trails AMS includes public repository and reference features. Documents uploaded to public areas such as the technical library may be made publicly available for all users to reference unless you select a private option or upload the document to your private personal library where that option is available. Maintenance programs added into the maintenance builder are made public by default.

User roles such as engineers, pilots, and maintenance providers may choose whether their accounts are publicly visible to other users via account settings and during account registration. You are responsible for reviewing and updating your visibility settings.

6. Cookies & Session Data

We use cookies and similar technologies primarily for:

• Session management (keeping you logged in);
• Security protections (including CSRF protection);
• Preferences and basic service functionality.

You can usually control cookies via your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect Platform functionality.

The mobile app also stores limited local data on your device, such as authentication tokens, selected aircraft preferences, push-notification preferences, and offline flight-log queues. You can remove this local app data by signing out, disabling push notifications where applicable, or removing the app from your device.

6A. Mobile Push Notifications

Push notifications in the Trails AMS mobile app are optional. The app requests notification permission only when you choose to enable push notifications from the mobile app settings screen.

You can disable push notifications in the mobile app settings. When disabled, the app asks our API to revoke the stored push token for that device and records your local preference as disabled.

Push notifications are intended for operational service alerts and should not be treated as the sole source of aviation, maintenance, compliance, or safety information.

7. Data Storage & Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Security measures may include (as applicable): access controls, encryption in transit, monitoring, logging, and secure hosting practices.

8. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as necessary to provide the Platform, meet business and legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Trails AMS is an aviation operational and record-keeping platform. Account deactivation disables access, but does not automatically erase aircraft, maintenance, flight, component, billing, role-history, or audit records where those records are required for operational integrity, legal obligations, dispute resolution, billing history, safety traceability, or audit history for other authorised users.

Upon account termination or deactivation, data export is available (see Section 9). After termination, we may retain or delete data within a reasonable period consistent with operational needs and legal obligations.

9. Data Export, Access & Correction

You may request export of your organisation's data or your private operator data upon termination within a reasonable timeframe, subject to verification of identity, authority, and reasonable technical constraints.

You may also request access to, correction of, or removal of personal information we hold about you where applicable. We may require verification of identity/authority before fulfilling requests.

Account and data controls are available in Trails AMS account settings at https://ams.trails.aero/?tab=settings#danger. Where removal of personal information would break required aviation, audit, billing, safety, or legal records, we may retain the minimum information needed for those purposes and restrict access instead of deleting the record outright.

10. International Access

The Platform may be accessed from outside New Zealand. Where information is processed or stored using service providers, it may be hosted in jurisdictions outside New Zealand depending on infrastructure configuration and provider locations.

We will take reasonable steps to ensure information is protected consistently with this Policy and applicable laws.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page, and the “Last Updated” date will be revised.

Continued use of the Platform after a change takes effect indicates acceptance of the updated Policy.

12. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact us via the contact methods listed on trails.aero.

Mobile app users can also access the Privacy Policy, account/data controls, and Trails AMS web from the Profile & Settings screen in the app.