Introduction
Atoll has launched Air Safety Map, a free online service designed to help drone pilots build a clearer picture of the airspace around a proposed flight location.
The browser-based map brings together several types of airspace information in one searchable, filterable view. Pilots can review UAS flight restrictions, controlled airspace, nearby airfields, NOTAMs, other aviation activity and flights reported by other users.
Pilots can also sign in to report their planned flights, making that activity visible to other remote pilots considering nearby operations.
Viewing and searching the map are free, with registration required only when someone wants to report a flight.
A Clearer Starting Point Before Take-Off
Before flying, a remote pilot needs to understand what is happening in and around the airspace they intend to use.
That may involve checking permanent restrictions, temporary restrictions, airfields, controlled airspace and Notices to Aviation, more commonly known as NOTAMs. It also means considering whether other aviation activity could affect the proposed operation.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority states that pilots must check the latest airspace restrictions before every flight. Some restrictions are permanent, while others can be introduced temporarily and on very short notice, including in response to emergencies.
Air Safety Map provides a practical place to begin this review. Instead of viewing airspace data without geographic context, pilots can search for the area where they plan to operate and examine the relevant information directly on the map.
The service does not make the operational decision for the pilot. It helps them identify anything that may need to be understood, checked or investigated further before the aircraft leaves the ground.
Pilots can read the CAA’s guidance on checking airspace restrictions for further information.
What Can Pilots See On Air Safety Map?
Air Safety Map includes selectable layers for:
- UAS flight restrictions
- Controlled airspace
- Airfields
- Other air activities
- NOTAMs
- User-reported flights
Each layer can be switched on or off. This allows pilots to reduce visual clutter and concentrate on the information most relevant to the proposed location and operation.
The presence of an area or marker on the map does not necessarily mean that all drone flying is prohibited. It indicates that there is information the pilot should review and understand.
Depending on what is displayed, further action might include reading the underlying details, checking an official source, contacting an airfield or relevant authority, obtaining permission or adjusting the proposed flight.
Search And Filter Information Around The Planned Flight
Pilots can search Air Safety Map using:
- A place name
- A postcode
- A what3words address
This makes it possible to move directly to a proposed operating area rather than navigating manually across the UK map.
Users can then switch between the available layers and filter time-sensitive information. The NOTAM layer includes filters for the relevant period and altitude, while user-reported flights can also be filtered by time.
These controls matter because the presence of a NOTAM does not automatically mean that it applies to every drone flight in the surrounding area. Its dates, times, location and vertical limits all need to be considered.
A NOTAM is an official notice containing information about an aviation facility, service, procedure, activity or hazard that may be important to flight safety. The CAA advises pilots to check the dates and times carefully to determine whether a NOTAM is relevant to the intended flight.
Air Safety Map also displays when its information was last updated. Atoll states that the map’s airspace data is updated directly from NATS as frequently as it is published.
Supporting Search and Rescue Flight Planning
Air Safety Map is already supporting operational planning at Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue, known as SULSAR.
SULSAR is a voluntary organisation that supports the police in searches for vulnerable missing people, including children, people living with dementia and those considered at risk.
Its drone team may be called upon to operate in unfamiliar locations, making it important to review relevant airspace information clearly and efficiently before a flight.
The organisation previously used the Air Safety Map provided by Altitude Angel. When the future of that service became uncertain following the company’s administration, the team tested several alternatives before selecting Atoll’s Air Safety Map.
“After trying several alternatives, Atoll’s Air Safety Map is now our first choice. It is easy to use, has clear visuals and brings everything we need for flight planning into one place.”
Paul Wesley, Search Manager at SULSAR
For teams such as SULSAR, the ability to search a location and examine relevant airspace information through one clear interface can provide a valuable starting point when preparing for an operation.
How To Use Air Safety Map During Pre-Flight Planning
Air Safety Map can be incorporated into a pilot’s existing pre-flight process.
- Search for the proposed operating location
Enter a place name, postcode or what3words address to centre the map on the intended flight area. - Review the relevant map layers
Switch on the layers needed for the initial assessment. These may include UAS flight restrictions, controlled airspace, nearby airfields, other aviation activities and NOTAMs. - Apply suitable time and altitude filters
Set the filters to reflect the proposed date, time and operating height. This helps reduce unrelated information and makes it easier to identify activity that may be relevant to the flight. - Investigate anything that could affect the operation
Review the details behind relevant areas and markers. Where necessary, check the applicable official information, contact the appropriate organisation or seek permission before proceeding. - Review user-reported activity
Check whether other users have reported planned drone flights near the proposed site and consider whether that information affects the operation. - Report the planned flight where appropriate
Sign in to add the planned operation to the user-reported layer, making it available for the awareness of other Air Safety Map users.
Check the airspace around your proposed flight.
Free To View, With Registration Only Needed For Reporting
Pilots do not need to create an account simply to search Air Safety Map or review its airspace layers.
Registration is only required when someone wants to report a planned flight.
This keeps the map readily accessible while allowing contributed flight information to be associated with registered users.
For an independent remote pilot, the service offers a straightforward way to begin assessing an unfamiliar location.
For an organisation managing several pilots, it can sit alongside established flight-planning and compliance procedures, supporting a more consistent approach to reviewing airspace information.
How Air Safety Map Supports Pre-Flight Planning
Air Safety Map helps remote pilots review relevant airspace information and user-reported activity around a proposed flight. It is designed to support planning; it does not approve an operation or grant permission to enter restricted airspace.
Reporting a flight makes the planned activity visible to other users of the map, but it should not be treated as a substitute for any formal notification, permission or coordination the operation requires.
Pilots and UAS operators must still check the latest official information, understand any restrictions that apply and obtain the necessary permissions.
The CAA identifies the UK Aeronautical Information Service, published by NATS, as the primary source of information about airspace restrictions. It also states that pilots remain responsible for ensuring any app or website they use is accurate and fit for purpose.
Used alongside those checks, Air Safety Map provides a clearer and more accessible way to build situational awareness before take-off.
Powered by Atoll DMS
Air Safety Map has been developed by Atoll, the company behind the Atoll Drone Management System.
Atoll DMS is designed to help remote pilots and compliance managers structure and document drone operations. Its workflows cover areas including site surveys, risk assessments, pre-flight checks, pilot status, flight currency, maintenance records, flight data and operational reporting.
Air Safety Map brings the same practical, compliance-led approach to the airspace-awareness stage of flight planning.
For pilots, it offers a clear way to begin examining a proposed operating area. For compliance and accountable managers, it can support a more consistent planning process across the pilots and teams they oversee.
Organisations can learn more about Atoll’s reporting and operational oversight tools or see how ADMS supports different types of organisations in Atoll’s drone operations case studies.
Build A Clearer Picture Before Your Next Flight
Airspace information can be complex, particularly when restrictions, airfields, NOTAMs and other aviation activity overlap.
Air Safety Map gives drone pilots a free way to:
- Search for a proposed flight location
- Review several types of airspace information in one place
- Switch individual layers on and off
- Filter relevant information by time and altitude
- See planned flights reported by other users
- Report their own planned activity
The service does not replace the pilot’s responsibility to check, understand and act on the information relevant to an operation. It provides a clearer place to begin.
Discover the Atoll Drone Management System.
Read more drone news and guidance.
