Must know
Help, licensing & official tools
Planning and community only. ExplorerUK is not a licence, not an airspace briefing, and never a “safe to fly” stamp. Official CAA, NATS and aerodrome sources stay official.
Rules before every flight
- You remain responsible. A popular pin on our map does not make a site legal.
- Keep visual line of sight. Open-category height is typically 120 m / 400 ft unless you have a further authorisation.
- People, privacy, livestock, byelaws and landowner permission matter as much as airspace.
- Do not fly if you cannot see or control the aircraft. Weather is part of that call.
Licensing — how to get legal IDs
- Read the current CAA “what you need to fly legally” page for your aircraft weight and camera.
- Under 100 g: Flyer ID and Operator ID are not required, but the Drone Code still applies.
- From 100 g: pass the CAA theory test for a Flyer ID.
- Get an Operator ID if the aircraft is 250 g or more, or 100 g+ with a camera (typical DJI Neo / Mini). You must be 18+ to register. Label the ID on the drone. It is not permission to fly.
- Most people do Flyer ID and Operator ID together on the CAA registration site. The UK does not accept overseas drone registrations.
- Open category A1 / A2 / A3 depends on class mark, weight and people. Mavic-class is usually not A1 over uninvolved people. Paid / advanced work can need more than Open category.
Register and take the test · CAA registration portal
Airports and “no-fly”
Orange circles on Command Hub are indicative aerodrome check-zones. They are not official Flight Restriction Zones and they are not a complete no-fly map.
- It is illegal to fly in a UK aerodrome FRZ / RPZ without permission from ATC, or from the aerodrome if ATC is closed.
- Official shapes live in the UK AIP. NATS publishes UAS restriction-zone information separately from this site.
- Prisons, nuclear sites, military ranges, NOTAMs and temporary restrictions also exist. We do not draw all of them.
- If you are near Leeds Bradford or any other aerodrome, open an official briefing tool. Do not take a yes/no from ExplorerUK.
Best apps and sources (use these for the legal picture)
- Drone Safe UK — NATS / CAA safety hub.
- The Drone and Model Aircraft Code
- NATS Drone Assist (Altitude Angel) — common UK airspace planning app. The CAA has warned it can lag official AIP data, so cross-check.
- Altitude Angel
- Met Office — weather. Our hub forecast is planning context only.
- DJI Fly (or your manufacturer app) for the aircraft — not a UK legal briefing.
How the community map works
- Open Command Hub. Search a town or tap the map.
- Closest spots load first; the ring only widens if there is not much nearby.
- Open a pin for parking notes, comments, photos and video.
- Anyone with a free account can add a location, a spot report or a check-in. Keep it honest. Never encourage illegal flying.
- A green tick means 3+ pilots say they have flown there. A pulsing ring means someone checked in within the last 3 hours. Neither is permission to fly.
- Fly check rates wind, gusts, wind at 120 m, rain, visibility and Kp for planning. It is never a go / no-go — your aircraft limits and the Met Office decide.