The Drone Pilot Brief is committed to collecting only what we need to run the site and deliver The Preflight.
Information we collect
- Email address. Collected when you subscribe to The Preflight or create a member account.
- Account and session data. If you sign in, Ghost (our publishing platform, self-hosted) stores a member session so we can recognize you. Authentication uses magic links. We do not require a password.
- Technical logs. Our web server records standard request logs (IP address, user-agent, pages requested, timestamps) for security, uptime, and abuse prevention.
We do not sell, rent, or broker subscriber lists.
Cookies
The public site sets cookies that Ghost needs to function:
- Session / member cookies so a signed-in reader stays signed in
- Ghost admin cookies only for people who log into the newsroom (not readers)
We do not currently run a third-party advertising pixel or a third-party analytics cookie. If that changes, this page will name the vendor and the cookie before it goes live.
How we use the data
- Deliver The Preflight and member-only posts you asked for
- Send transactional mail (magic links, subscription confirmation, unsubscribe)
- Keep the site up and investigate abuse
We do not use reader email for a separate marketing list beyond The Preflight.
Third parties
- Hosting / Ghost. The site runs Ghost on our own server. Ghost processes member email and sessions as part of that install. It is not a silent resale of your address.
- Email delivery. Newsletter and magic-link mail go out through the mail service configured on this Ghost install. Unsubscribe is in every Preflight footer.
- Payment. If a paid membership or checkout is added, this page will name the processor (for example Stripe) before any card is taken. As of this update, we are not describing a live card checkout here because this policy will not invent one.
- Embeds. Some posts may load third-party players or documents (for example a PDF or video host). Those services see what their player sees if you play it. We will not paste a tracker into the layout without naming it here.
How long we keep it
Subscriber email is kept while the subscription is active and for a short period after unsubscribe as needed to honor suppression. Server logs are rotated on a normal operations schedule and are not a marketing database.
Your choices
- Unsubscribe from The Preflight with the link in any issue
- Request deletion of a member account by emailing editor@thedronepilotbrief.com
- Ask what we hold on you at the same address
Contact
Updated 3 September 2026