How do I know what air traffic is near my flight?
You can see a good share of traffic in real time through the surveillance signals aircraft broadcast themselves, and it is a very useful layer for knowing whether you are under a busy track. But it has a limit you need to understand before relying on it: not everything that flies broadcasts. Light aircraft, ultralights, balloons, gliders and some helicopters can be there without appearing on any screen.
In short
- What you see are aircraft broadcasting their position; this is not a radar that detects everything.
- Ultralights, gliders, balloons and general aviation may not broadcast at all.
- Medical helicopters and firefighting aircraft appear without warning and fly low.
- Giving way and keeping separation is always the responsibility of the drone pilot.
What you are actually looking at
Equipped aircraft periodically broadcast their identification, position and altitude, and receivers spread across the territory pick that up. That is where the real time traffic maps everyone knows come from.
It is real information and very valuable to a drone pilot: it tells you whether the place you are about to fly sits under a regular route, at what height traffic usually passes and whether there is activity right now. What it is not, is a guarantee that the sky is empty.
What you cannot see
The significant gap is in general and sport aviation. An ultralight, a glider, a balloon or an older light aircraft may legally fly without broadcasting a position, and those are precisely the aircraft that fly low and away from commercial routes, which is where your drone is.
Add the flights that appear out of nowhere: a medical helicopter, a firefighting aircraft, a public service flight. None of them announce their track in advance and all operate at low altitude.
How to use it well
The traffic layer is for planning, not for authorising. It helps you choose the site and the time slot better, spot that you are under an approach path, and decide not to fly when there is activity under way.
What it does not replace is visual scanning. In the open category the drone has to stay in your sight, and that duty exists in large part because the pilot's eye is what actually detects the aircraft that is not broadcasting.
And if a manned aircraft turns up
The rule is simple and admits no nuance: the drone always gives way. The right move is to descend immediately and land if needed, without trying to compute separations or manoeuvre sideways.
AXPA shows traffic on the same 3D map, with its altitude compared against your flight and against the terrain, so you can see whether what is nearby actually passes at your height or far above it. That is the difference between a useful warning and a constant alarm.
Frequently asked questions
See all questions- Does a traffic map tell me whether I can fly?
- No. It tells you what is flying and broadcasting at that moment. Whether you may fly is decided by geographical zones, airspace and notices, which are a different matter.
- Why is the traffic I see thousands of metres up?
- Because most of what broadcasts is commercial aviation en route, far above your flight. What matters for a drone is low traffic, which is precisely the hardest to see.
- Do manned aircraft detect me?
- Unless your drone broadcasts remote identification and something is receiving it, do not count on it. Separation is down to you.
- What do I do if I hear a helicopter and cannot see it?
- Descend and land. Emergency helicopters and firefighting aircraft fly low and manoeuvre without warning, and the sound arrives before the sight.
Keep reading
This guide is general information and planning support, not legal advice and not a flight authorisation. Regulations change and every country adds its own conditions. Before taking off, always check the official sources for your jurisdiction and current aeronautical information. The remote pilot in command is solely responsible for the flight.