← Back to Blimp Watch

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 1, 2026

Blimp Watch ("we", "us", or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our website, iOS app, or Apple TV app.

1. Information We Collect

  • Location data: With your permission, we collect your device's latitude and longitude to determine whether watched aircraft are within your chosen alert radius.
  • Push notification tokens: If you enable push alerts, we store a unique device token so we can send you notifications when an aircraft takes off, lands, or enters your alert range.
  • Aircraft telemetry: We display publicly available ADS-B position data for tracked aircraft. This data is already broadcast publicly by the aircraft and is not personally identifiable.
  • Usage data: We do not use third-party analytics or advertising trackers. Basic server logs (IP address, request time) may be kept for operational reliability.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To show you the real-time position of tracked aircraft on a map.
  • To calculate the distance between your location and an aircraft and decide whether to send an alert.
  • To deliver push notifications you have explicitly requested.

3. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. We may share data only when required by law or to protect our rights.

4. Data Retention

Location and push-token data are retained only as long as necessary to provide the service. You can revoke location access or disable push notifications at any time in your device settings, after which we will no longer collect or use that data.

5. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data. All communications between your device and our servers are encrypted with TLS.

6. Your Rights

You can stop sharing your location or receiving push notifications at any time through your device's system settings. If you have questions about your data, contact us through the support link on our website.

7. Children's Privacy

Blimp Watch is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page with the updated date.

9. Apple TV Privacy Policy

The Blimp Watch Apple TV app follows the same privacy practices as our iOS and web apps. Additional tvOS-specific disclosures:

  • No advertising identifiers: We do not access or use the tvOS advertising identifier (IDFA) or any equivalent tracking identifier.
  • No in-app purchases: The Apple TV app contains no in-app purchases, subscriptions, or payment flows.
  • No user accounts: The tvOS app does not require you to create an account, sign in, or provide an email address.
  • Optional location: If you grant location access on a paired iOS device, that location is used solely for distance calculations and alert eligibility. We do not store tvOS-specific location history.
  • No third-party SDKs: The Apple TV app does not include analytics, advertising, or social media SDKs.
  • Data minimization: Only aircraft position data and (optionally) your general location area are processed. No viewing habits, search history, or personal preferences are collected.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please reach out through the support channels listed on our website.

11. Data Sources & Acknowledgements

Blimpie relies on the following third-party data sources and open source projects. We are grateful to the volunteer feeders, mappers, and maintainers who make this app possible.

  • Aircraft position data — adsb.lol. Real-time ADS-B telemetry is sourced from the adsb.lol public API, a community-fed, free and open aircraft tracking network. Data is provided under the Open Database License (ODbL) v1.0. Aircraft positions in Blimpie are © adsb.lol contributors.
  • Map tiles (web) — OpenStreetMap. The web map is rendered with Leaflet using tiles from OpenStreetMap. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Cartography licensed CC BY-SA.
  • Map (iOS / tvOS) — Apple MapKit. The native apps use Apple MapKit, provided by Apple Inc. under the Apple Developer Program terms.
  • Geocoding — Google Maps Platform. Address ↔ coordinate lookups (for the optional admin radius feature) use the Google Maps Geocoding API. Use is subject to the Google Maps Platform Terms of Service.
  • Aircraft registration data. References to specific tail numbers (e.g. N3A) use public FAA registration information. Blimpie is an independent, non-commercial project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any aircraft operator, manufacturer, or trademark holder.
  • Push notifications — Apple APNs. Delivered via Apple Push Notification service. Apple's privacy policy applies to APNs delivery.