HSI / YOUR PRIVACY

Privacy policy

Effective and last updated: 14 October 2026

This policy covers HSI — Instrument Approach Sim for iPhone and iPad and hsiapp.com.au. HSI is developed and operated by Nathan Stankevicius. For privacy questions, access, correction or deletion requests, contact help@hsiapp.com.au.

Using HSI

You do not need to create an HSI account to use the instrument trainer. The app does not request your real name or email address for ordinary training. An Apple Account with iCloud is needed to submit to the optional leaderboard; Apple also handles App Store purchases.

Training data and imported plates

HSI stores app settings, simulated aircraft and navaid configurations, imported approach-plate files and their setup, practice progress, results and free-use allowances on your device. The positions and tracks used by the simulator are training data, not a record of your actual movements. HSI does not use your device’s GPS to track you.

HSI does not upload the contents of your imported PDF plates or your full simulated flight tracks to its usage-analytics service. Your own Files provider, device backup or iCloud settings may store or back up files separately. Those services are controlled by you and their providers.

Daily usage analytics

HSI records daily summaries to understand which features are useful and improve the app. These summaries can include time spent in the app, plate-selection counts and the number of stored plates, Fix challenge starts and completions, leaderboard opens, counts of high scores and review-prompt attempts, and your access tier (Free, Pro or a granted entitlement). They also include the day and sync time.

These summaries are uploaded to Apple CloudKit with a randomly generated installation identifier stored in the device Keychain. The identifier lets HSI distinguish installations and update each daily summary. This is pseudonymous usage information, not a promise that every record is anonymous. The summaries do not contain your name, email address, plate contents, GPS location or a detailed event-by-event flight history.

Usage analytics are separate from the optional leaderboard. Choosing not to join the leaderboard does not turn off daily usage analytics. HSI’s daily summaries use a CloudKit public database, subject to its configured access permissions; they are not stored in your personal private iCloud database. Apple may also associate service records with technical CloudKit account identifiers.

Optional leaderboard and player name

If you choose a player name and opt in, HSI sends that name, qualifying scores, submission dates and relevant challenge-performance measures (such as deviation or closest approach) to its CloudKit leaderboard. An iCloud record identifier associates your entries with your account so HSI can manage your scores and player name across devices.

Your player name, scores and ranking are visible to other leaderboard users. Choose a name you are comfortable making public; it does not have to be your real name. HSI does not receive your Apple Account password or email address through this process.

Player names are checked locally for unsuitable language and may also be sent to the PurgoMalum profanity-check service. That service receives the proposed name and ordinary technical information associated with the network request, such as your IP address. It does not receive your plates or flight tracks through this check.

Purchases and Apple services

Apple processes the one-time Pro purchase and any restore request. HSI uses StoreKit entitlement and transaction information to decide which features you can access. HSI does not collect your card details. Apple may provide the developer with sales, download and usage or diagnostic reports under Apple’s services and your settings.

Apple’s processing is described in its privacy information. Your Apple Account, iCloud and device privacy settings apply independently of this policy.

Visiting this website or contacting support

hsiapp.com.au is hosted by Cloudflare. Delivering and securing the site involves processing ordinary request information, which may include your IP address, requested URL, request time, browser information and referrer. Cloudflare may use service or security logs under its privacy policy.

The website does not add advertising or analytics cookies, an advertising tracker or a visitor-analytics script. Its fonts, images and scripts are served from the site itself. Following an App Store or other external link takes you to a service with its own privacy practices.

If you email support, we receive the address, message and attachments you send and use them to respond and resolve the issue. Only send information relevant to your request; you do not need to provide an Apple Account password or payment-card details.

How information is used and shared

Information is used to operate training features, enforce free-use allowances and purchased access, run the optional leaderboard, improve HSI, respond to support requests and protect the services. HSI does not sell your personal information or use its usage summaries for cross-app advertising tracking.

Information is processed by the service providers described above as needed for these functions. It may also be disclosed where required by law. Apple and Cloudflare operate internationally, and processing is not guaranteed to remain in Australia; the applicable locations depend on their infrastructure and service arrangements.

Storage, retention and your choices

HSI uses the device’s app storage and Keychain, Apple’s CloudKit services and encrypted network connections for the information described above. Information is retained for the functions for which it was collected, including maintaining scores and analysing app usage. Cloud records are not automatically deleted simply because you uninstall HSI; Keychain identifiers may also remain on the device.

• You can use the trainer without joining the leaderboard.
• The Delete Player Name control in HSI’s settings removes your leaderboard scores and player-name reservation and clears the local leaderboard profile. It does not delete the separate daily usage summaries.
• You can remove imported plates in the app and manage backups and Files storage through your device and service-provider settings.
• For access, correction or deletion of information held by HSI, email help@hsiapp.com.au. We may need to verify your request and obtain a relevant player or installation identifier to locate the correct records; a name or email alone may not identify a pseudonymous usage record.

Questions, complaints and policy changes

Contact help@hsiapp.com.au with a privacy concern or complaint, explaining what happened and what you would like addressed. We will review your request and respond. You can also find information about available privacy-complaint avenues from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

We will update this page if HSI’s features or information handling change. The date above identifies the current version.