Frequently asked questions
If your question is not answered here, GitHub explains the reasoning behind every scoring step in detail.
How does the location search work?
The tool lays a grid over the chosen radius - one point every 150 metres by default. For each of those points it computes the distances to buildings, roads, paths, power lines and other features, and combines them with the land use at that spot. That produces two scores: how deserted the place is likely to be, and how well it flies.
What data does the tool use?
OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API supplies land use, buildings, roads, paths, protected areas and power lines. The Strava heatmap adds which paths are actually used. A population density raster can optionally be added. All sources are freely available and no API key is required.
Does this replace an airspace check?
No, explicitly not. The scoring is a heuristic over incomplete open data. Whether you may fly somewhere is governed by the EU drone regulation, national rules, geographical UAS zones and current NOTAMs. You have to verify that yourself, before every flight, using the official sources.
Why is a point shown as blocked?
Points are flagged when they violate one of the hard rules: less than 150 metres to a residential or recreational area (following EU category A3), too little clearance from buildings, roads or railway lines, sitting inside a nature reserve, or being close to an aerodrome. Such points are deliberately not hidden but shown with a reason, so it stays visible why an area is unusable.
What does the time profile do?
Day and time are an input parameter, not live data. The profile controls how heavily the leisure-driven factors count: paths, attractions and the Strava heatmap. Sunday afternoon judges a forest track far more harshly than Tuesday morning, while agricultural activity then counts for less.
How accurate are the results?
They are as good as the underlying OpenStreetMap data. In well-mapped areas they are very usable; in sparsely mapped ones a field can look unremarkable even though something is standing on it. Always check a spot on satellite imagery and on site before flying it for the first time.
Does it cost anything?
No. There is no sign-up, no paid tier and no artificially limited features. If you want to help cover the hosting costs you can do so voluntarily; it changes nothing about what the tool does.
Can I adapt the scoring to my own area?
Yes. Every weight and threshold can be changed under the "Weights" tab and applied to your next search. If you want to save your own values permanently or maintain your own no-fly zones, run your own instance - a ready-made Docker image is available.
Why is the Strava heatmap included?
OpenStreetMap only tells you what an area is, not how heavily it is used. A farm track between two fields looks unremarkable on the map but may be the after-work loop for every road cyclist in the area. The heatmap captures exactly that real-world movement and marks such points down.
What data is stored about me?
Nothing personal. There are no user accounts, no cookies, no tracking and no ads. The map data retrieved for a search is cached on the server so later searches are faster - that cache holds map data, not who requested it.