Drone guides
Plain-language guides for drone pilots: how to check where you can fly, how to read temporary restrictions, measure distances and plan a flight area, the rules behind the map — geographical zones, the SORA operational volume and EASA PDRAs — and the ED-269 and ED-318 data formats. Each is written from the same sources GeoPilot’s tools implement, and cites them.
Where you can fly
- Drone no-fly zones explained: how UAS geographical zones workWhat UAS geographical zones are, who publishes them, and how to read one: prohibited, authorization, conditional zones, height limits and schedules.Read the guide →
- Can I fly my drone here? How to check a spot on the mapCheck whether a drone zone covers the spot you want to fly from: click the map, read what the zone requires, its height limits and hours, and its source.Read the guide →
- How to check drone restrictions for a future date and timeSome drone zones apply only at set hours or for a few days. See the airspace as it will be at your flight time, up to 7 days ahead, NOTAM areas included.Read the guide →
Drone rules by country
- Drone laws in Romania: registration, tests and where you can flyRomania’s drone rules in one place: AACR registration, the A1/A3 and A2 tests, where you can fly, and when filming needs Ministry of Defence approval.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Australia: CASA's standard rulesAustralian drone rules: CASA's standard conditions (120 m, 30 m from people, line of sight), flying for fun vs work, and park and prison rules.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Finland: registration, tests and where you can flyFinland’s drone rules in one place: Traficom registration and fees, the A1/A3 and A2 tests, the age limit of 12, insurance, and where you can fly.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Latvia: registration, insurance and where you can flyLatvia’s drone rules in one place: CAA registration (5 EUR), the liability insurance you need, age limits, tests, what to do in a fly-away, and zones.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Luxembourg: registration, tests and where you can flyLuxembourg’s drone rules in one place: DAC registration on Guichet.lu, the insurance it requires, free A1/A3 test, A2 exam, and where you can fly.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Norway: registration, sensors, insurance and where you can flyNorway’s drone rules: flydrone.no registration, the NSM sensor registration, liability insurance, the 5 km airport rule and where to find the zones.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Portugal: registration, insurance, aerial images and where you can flyPortugal’s drone rules in one place: ANAC registration, compulsory insurance above 900 g, the AAN permit for aerial images, tests, and where you can fly.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in Switzerland: registration, insurance and where you can flySwiss drone rules in one place: FOCA registration, the CHF 1 million insurance rule above 250 g, age limits, tests, privacy, and where you can fly.Read the guide →
- Drone laws in the United States: recreational flying and Part 107US drone rules in one place: recreational flying vs Part 107, FAA registration ($5), TRUST, Remote ID, the 400 ft limit, and LAANC for controlled airspace.Read the guide →
Planning a flight
- How to plan a drone flight area and check it against restrictionsDraw your drone flight area or route on the map, see every restriction it crosses and how much of the area each covers, then save it to share or monitor.Read the guide →
- How to get alerts when the airspace changes before your flightMonitor a saved drone flight plan until your flight time: GeoPilot re-checks it against its latest data and alerts you when the result changes.Read the guide →
- How to export your drone flight area coordinatesCopy a drone flight area’s coordinates in decimal or DMS for an authorization form, or download GeoJSON, CSV or KML — and share a read-only link.Read the guide →
- How to measure distance on a drone mapMeasure the distance from your take-off point to a drone zone, an airfield or a built-up area, in metres and nautical miles, and read map coordinates.Read the guide →
Risk assessment
- How to calculate the SORA operational volumeHow to size the flight geography, contingency volume and ground risk buffer for a SORA application, with every formula and a worked example.Read the guide →
- EASA PDRAs explained: S01, S02, G01, G02 and G03 comparedWhat an EASA Predefined Risk Assessment is, the limits of PDRA-S01, S02, G01, G02 and G03 side by side, and how to tell which one fits your operation.Read the guide →
For developers
- Drone no-fly zone API: getting startedQuery published drone zones from your own software: get an API key, ask what applies at a point or nearby, check a flight area, handle limits and errors.Read the guide →
- How to convert ED-269 and ED-318 geozones to GeoJSON or KMLConvert UAS geozone data between ED-269, ED-318, KML and GeoJSON with one API call: the scopes you need, the request, and how to read errors and warnings.Read the guide →
- ED-269 vs ED-318: the two UAS geozone formats, compared field by fieldHow the ED-269 and ED-318 UAS geographical zone formats differ, field by field, with the traps found in real national feeds and how to convert them.Read the guide →