How to measure distance on a drone map
Updated
To measure a distance on the GeoPilot map, turn on Measure distance and click the points you want to measure between: your take-off point, any bends, and the end — the edge of a zone, an airfield or a built-up area. The running total appears beside the last point and in a readout at the top of the map, in metres or kilometres and in nautical miles. It is free and needs no account.
Measure in four steps
- Click Measure distance among the controls at the top right of the map — on a phone, open the Tools button in the bottom corner first. The button becomes Stop measuring.
- Click your starting point. Until there are two points, the readout says Click points on the map…
- Click each further point. The line runs straight from point to point, and the total is shown on the last point and in the readout, with the number of points.
- Click Stop measuring when you are done. The line is cleared, and clicks open zone details again.
While measuring, a click on a zone adds a point instead of opening its details, so you can measure into and across zones. Measuring and drawing a flight plan are separate modes: turning one on turns the other off.
How the distance is worked out
- Each leg is the great-circle distance between two clicks, and the total is the sum of the legs — so a path with bends measures the path, not the straight line from start to end.
- The distance is horizontal. Height is not part of it; a zone’s vertical limits are in its details.
- Below 1 km it is shown in metres, above in kilometres, and always also in nautical miles, the unit aviation publishes many distances in.
- A point is only as precise as your click. Zoom in before clicking the points that matter.
Distances that matter in the EU open category
Some open-category rules are distances you can check on the map before you go:
| Rule | Distance | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum height, every subcategory | 120 m from the closest point of the Earth’s surface | UAS.OPEN.010 |
| A2 subcategory (class C2) | At least 30 m horizontally from uninvolved people; 5 m with low-speed mode on | UAS.OPEN.030 |
| A3 subcategory | At least 150 m horizontally from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas | UAS.OPEN.040 |
The map shows zones, not buildings or crowds, so use the base map to judge where a built-up area starts. For flights in the specific category, the distances you plan around come from your operational volume — see the SORA operational volume guide.
Reading coordinates off the map
Click Show coordinates in the same controls to see the latitude and longitude under the pointer, in decimal degrees. They are always written with a decimal point, whatever the language of the page, because they are figures to copy into other forms.
A measurement on the map is a planning aid. Zone boundaries are as the sources publish them; the authority’s own publication is what counts.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I measure an area?
- No. The tool measures distance along the points you click. To work out whether a zone applies, click the spot and read its details.
- Does the distance include height?
- No, it is horizontal only. The height limits of each zone are shown as Vertical limits when you click it.
- Is there a fixed distance for visual line of sight?
- Not in the EU rules: you must be able to see the drone clearly with your own eyes, which depends on its size, the light and the weather. Measuring helps you judge whether a planned path stays realistically close.
Related guides
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.