About Drone Scene

Drone Scene is operated by the Grey Arrows Drone Club, the UK's premier flying association providing its Insured Members with £5,000,000 of Public Liability Insurance cover.

Its aim is to provide drone operators across the UK with an easy to use map in order to find and share great places to fly.

Regulations are constantly changing. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying the same location.

The Drone and Model Aircraft Code

It is against the law to fly a drone or model aircraft without having the required IDs. You can also be fined for breaking the law when flying. In the most serious cases, you could be sent to prison.

The Drone and Model Aircraft Code covers everything you need to know to pass the test to get a flyer ID. This is the starting point for anyone wanting to fly a drone or model aircraft in the UK.

The IDs you need depend on the weight of your drone or model aircraft, whether it is a toy, and whether it has a camera.

Flying weight Flyer ID Operator ID
below 250g - toy No No
below 250g - not a toy - no camera No No
below 250g - not a toy - with camera No Yes
250g and above Yes Yes

Read more about The Drone and Model Aircraft Code on the CAA web site at: https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/drone-code

GuardianUTM

Drone Scene map layers use officially licenced GuardianUTM™ data to enhance the safety of the airspace by providing access to accurate, up-to-date and relevant aeronautical, environmental, regulatory and drone-centric operation data.

The data is obtained (often in real-time) from a variety of sources, including:

  • Authorities, regulators and government organisations
  • Drone companies
  • Drone pilots
  • Air traffic control companies
  • Mapping companies

Access to real-time GuardianUTM™ data is provided under licence to Grey Arrows Drone Club by Altitude Angel.

Map Layers - Ground Overlays

Drone Scene offers users the ability to customise their experience by providing them tools to view only the data and map layers that are relevant and of interest to them.

The list below provides an explaintion of which information is included (and excluded) in each layer.


Locations

A collection of marker pins that Grey Arrows Drone Club members have added to the map.


The Crown Estate Foreshore and Estuary

The Crown Estate grant permission for drone flights taking place on Crown Estate foreshore. The foreshore is defined as the land between mean high water and mean low water.

This permission is subject to all operators complying with the applicable laws, statutes, regulations and codes, as well as the requirements of The Civil Aviation Authority.

On occasions, third parties such as Government agencies or local authorities may restrict the flying of drones on Crown Estate land. You should therefore check with the appropriate authority to ensure that no such restrictions are in place.

For more infomation visit the The Crown Estate Foreshore and Estuary FAQ.

This map data layer can be quite large in size. If your internet connection is slow it may take some time before this layer displays on the map.


Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is the land notified as an SSSI under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).

SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in the United Kingdom are based upon them, including national nature reserves, Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas, and Special Areas of Conservation.

As SSSI are the finest sites for wildlife and natural features, supporting many characteristic, rare and endangered species, habitats and natural features.

Drone operators should contact Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Nature Scot before flying over a SSSI.


National Trust Land Boundaries

The National Trust looks after nearly 250,000 hectares of land in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Large areas of this land is open to the public free of charge, and other areas are ticketed – open to National Trust members and paying members of the public.

Additional areas of National Trust land are used for farming, or other commercial activities, and the public doesn’t have any right to access this land, other than by statutory provision e.g. footpaths and bridleways.

National Trust do not permit drones to be flown from their land.

However, it is perfectly legal to fly over their land provided that:

For more infomation visit their Flying drones at our places page.

Map Layers - DJI GEO Zones

DJI's GEO Zones are geofence areas built in to most DJI drones. These zones may prevent your drone from being able to take off in certain locations such as near airports, power plants, and prisons. They are also implemented temporarily around major stadium events or other emergency situations. Certain DJI GEO zones don't prohibit flight, but do trigger warnings that inform users of potential risks.

By default, DJI's GEO Zones limits flights into or taking off within zones that raise safety or security concerns. If a flight within one of these locations has been authorised, GEO allows users with verified DJI accounts to temporarily unlock or self-authorize their flights.

In some instances DJI has selected locations without making any determination of whether this guidance matches regulations that may apply specifically to UK airspace law.

DJI GEO Zone types:

  • Restricted Zones
    • In these zones, which appear in red, DJI users will be prompted with a warning and flight is prevented
  • Altitude Zones
    • Altitude zones will appear in gray on the map. DJI users will receive warnings and flight altitude is restricted
  • Authorisation Zones
    • In these zones, which appear blue, DJI users will be prompted with a warning and flight is prevented by default. Authorisation Zones may be unlocked by authorized users using a DJI verified account
  • Warning Zones
    • In these zones, which are yellow, DJI users will be prompted with a warning message
    • Example Warning Zone: Class E airspace
  • Enhanced Warning Zones
    • In these zones, which are orange, DJI users will be prompted at the time of flight to unlock the zone using the same steps as in an Authorisation Zone
  • Regulatory Restricted Zones
    • Due to local regulations and policies, flights are prohibited within the scope of some special areas
    • Example Regulatory Restricted Zone: Prisons
  • Recommended flight
    • These areas are sometimes shown in green on the map. DJI recommended that you use these areas for drone flights

DJI's GEO Zones are only applicable to DJI drones.

Map Layers - Airspace Overlays

Drone Scene offers users the ability to customise their experience by providing them tools to view only the data and map layers that are relevant and of interest to them.

All flight safety information data and visual map layers (including; airspace data, ground hazards, flight reports, NOTAMs and other risks) are provided by Altitude Angel.

The list below provides an explaintion of which information is included (and excluded) in each layer.


Airports

Includes:

  • Airports

Excludes:

  • Airspace Restrictions

Airspace Restrictions

Includes:

  • Airspace Restrictions

Excludes:

  • Airports
  • Flight Restriction Zones (FRZ)
    • We have split these out in to their own unique layer (see below)
  • Control Areas (CTA)
    • Control Areas are situated above the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) and afford protection over a larger area to a specified upper limit
  • Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA)
    • An aviation term to describe a designated area of controlled airspace
  • Airspace restrictions with an 'Altitude Floor' greater than 1000ft
    • Because you can only legally fly to an altitude of 400ft

Class D Airspace

Includes:

  • Class D Airspace
    • There are no separate regulations in place regarding the flight of small unmanned aircraft in controlled airspace below 400 ft (Class A,B,C,D,E)
    • Restrictions involving the flight of UAS within Aerodrome Traffic Zones are described in Flight restrictions around aerodromes
    • UAS pilots are reminded of all other responsibilities, including the Air Navigation Order requirements, that any person in charge of a small UAS:

Excludes:

  • Control Areas (CTA)
    • Control Areas are situated above the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) and afford protection over a larger area to a specified upper limit

Flight Reports

Current and future drone flying events, as reported by other airspace users.


Flight Restriction Zones

Flights of unmanned aircraft around airfields or airports that are designated as 'protected aerodromes' are tightly restricted. Unmanned aircraft of any size must not be flown within the Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) of a protected aerodrome, without appropriate permission.


Ground Hazards

Contains details of ground-based hazards that might pose a safety or privacy risk, such as train lines, pylons, power lines, schools or sports venues.


NOTAMs

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) is a notice filed with NATS to alert all airspace users of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of flights.


Other Risks

Contains details of other risks which do not fall in to one of the above categories.