Where the zones come from

The zones come from the Slovak Transport Authority Dopravný úrad, which has allowed us to use them. The dataset contains just over 260 zones: control zones and airports, military areas of the Ministry of Defence, critical infrastructure and protected sites, and a few prohibited zones. In most zones you may only fly with prior authorisation, in the prohibited zones not at all. Every day, Hoverpoint checks whether the authority has published a new version.

Good to know

• Every zone shows its source and data date.
• Temporary zones are hidden as soon as they have expired.
• Whether the data sources are reachable right now is always shown at web.hoverpoint.info/status.

Important: the Slovak authority requires you to check the official source before every flight. Only letectvo.nsat.sk is authoritative.

Travel check with 47 airlines

Instead of 15, the travel check now knows 47 airlines, sorted alphabetically, with all rules taken from the airlines’ own pages. New notes include drone bans for trips to Morocco or Venezuela, the Beijing rule and the checked-bag screening in Athens.

Landscape mode

Switch on “Allow landscape” in the settings and the app rotates when you hold your phone sideways, handy in a mount.

A small map in every spot

The spot view now shows on a small map where the spot is. Tap it to open flight planning.

Also

• Place search: suggestions are on two lines and easier to read, and the list ends above the keyboard.
• Rain radar: rain is drawn smoothly, with flowing transitions instead of squares.
• Flight log: the “Entry deleted” message disappears after 5 seconds and no longer piles up.
• Videos: “Hoverpoint on video” in the settings and a how-to video for waypoint routes.

Flight analysis (Pro)

Tapping the critical event jumps to that moment in the flight. Also new: flight phases, a track coloured by height, speed or signal, new charts, height above ground along the track, consumption and estimated flight time, and a rough wind estimate in your wind unit.

DJI import without duplicates

Flights already in your logbook are now recognised, including live flights and your own entries. For each flight you choose merge, overwrite or skip, and the place is filled in straight away. The year in review now uses the data from your DJI flights too.

Rain radar and weather stations

In the weather check, a section of the DWD rain radar shows where it is raining around your location right now. On the map you can switch the playback speed, and a colour legend explains the intensity. For weather stations you can set a backup station that steps in when yours reports nothing. With Pro you can share your own station with other pilots within 20 km; your keys and your name stay hidden.

Switch account

Under Settings › Account you switch between several Hoverpoint accounts with one tap, for example private and club, without signing out and back in each time. Hangar, flight log, spots, missions and permits stay with their account.

Also

• Hybrid map: roads and place names can be shown over the satellite image.
• Find pilots: search other pilots by name, place or drone and open their profile.
• Sounds and vibration work on all devices, plus a short start-up sound you can turn off.
• Photo challenge: the gallery can be sorted by newest, random or near me.
• Saved list: a whole folder can be deleted together with its spots.
• Denmark and Sweden: NOTAMs on the map now come from the NOTAM search of the US FAA.
• Fixed: sharing spots with a photo, the map tab stays open, the briefing is readable in dark mode.

Iceland

The zones come from the Icelandic Transport Authority Samgöngustofa, which has explicitly allowed us to use them. There are around 220 protected areas, mainly around police, ministries and parliament in Reykjavík. Drone flights there are only allowed with a permit. Hoverpoint refreshes the data twice a day.

Latvia

The zones come from the Latvian air navigation service LGS (Latvijas gaisa satiksme), also with permission. The dataset contains just over 400 zones: airport control zones, military areas, protected sites and temporary zones. As LGS recommends, Hoverpoint retrieves it every hour. You apply for authorisation to fly in the zones through the information system of the Latvian Civil Aviation Agency at e.caa.gov.lv.

Good to know

• Every zone shows its source and data date.
• Like the other countries, both can be saved for offline use.
• Whether the data sources are reachable right now is always shown at web.hoverpoint.info/status.

As always, the official publication is what counts: in Iceland the Samgöngustofa map, in Latvia airspace.lv/drones.

Where the data comes from

The zones come from the Czech air navigation service ŘLP ČR (AIM department), which has explicitly allowed us to use them. Hoverpoint checks every three hours whether a new edition has been published and then takes it over. Every zone shows its source and data date.

What’s included

• Control and aerodrome zones (CTR, MCTR, ATZ) with the permitted height from the official height grid
• Airfields, heliports and other airspaces
• Railways, roads, substations and extra-high-voltage lines
• Drinking water and nature protection areas
• Built-up areas and military areas

Important before you fly

In the Czech Republic almost every zone requires a permit, so Hoverpoint rates the zones as “permit required” by default. Checking the official DroneMap app before every flight is mandatory, and that is also where you register your flight. With drones under 250 g a flight plan in DroneMap is usually enough.

Good to know

• On the map in the browser the Czech zones appear once you zoom in to about city level. The zone check at a point always works.
• Offline maps are not yet available for the Czech Republic.
• You can see at any time whether the data source is reachable at web.hoverpoint.info/status.

As always, the official publication is what counts, which in the Czech Republic means DroneMap and the ŘLP ČR data.

Measured nearby

For places in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the weather check shows the current readings of the nearest weather station: wind, gusts and temperature, with distance and time of measurement. That way you compare the forecast with what is actually being measured. You choose which station is shown for each place. The nearest station is free; Pro shows the three nearest and your own Ecowitt or Weather Underground station.

Geozones for the UK and Finland

The official zones of the British air navigation service NATS, including the Isle of Man, and of the Finnish transport agency Traficom are now on the map, in the zone check and in offline regions. Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican appear as a zone with the rule from national law; for Malta and Andorra the travel check names the key rules.

Is Pro worth it for me?

The Pro calculator asks you 14 to 16 short questions about how you fly and then tells you honestly whether Free is enough or which Pro features really help you. You find it in the settings and in the Pro window.

The Hoverpoint guide

Under Settings › Help & News, the guide explains every feature of the app and every map symbol in its real colour, with a table of contents and search.

Also

• Flight analysis (Pro): new charts for battery voltage, cell voltage, battery temperature, GPS satellites and your stick inputs.
• Home location in the settings, via place search or your location.
• Camera assistant: the target altitude for the wind check is adjustable.
• Weather: new place search with history, postcodes and districts.
• Map: the VLOS circle is now violet, and the legend explains the planning point and your location.
• Support: copy messages in the chat, search in “My tickets”.
• Potensic export: the point-of-interest height arrives exactly as you set it.

Weather icons like on the web

The hourly and daily forecast now show sun, clouds, rain, showers, snow and thunderstorms as clear icons, with a moon at night. “Weather icons” above the hourly strip explains every icon.

Place search with your country first

When you search for places and postcodes, results from your country now come first. In the settings under “Display & Controls”, choose “Automatic” (the country you are in right now) or a fixed country. You can still find places in other countries.

Nicknames for your drones

In the hangar you can give each drone its own name. It is then shown instead of the model name and is included in your backup.

Clear cache

Under “Backup & Privacy” you can see how much space cached map tiles and file copies take up, and clear them. Offline maps, documents, flights, drones and settings are kept.

Also

• Weather check: “Measured nearby” and “Flight windows” can be collapsed, and Hoverpoint remembers your choice.
• Your own weather station: the section now explains what a private station means.
• Hangar: the insurance offer suggests checking your personal liability insurance first.
• “Open on start” is now at the top of “Display & Controls”.
• Travel check: for older drones in the hangar, the battery capacity (Wh) is taken from the drone catalogue.
• Waypoint routes: files over 25 MB are skipped with a notice instead of crashing the app on Android.

United Kingdom with Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man

The zones come from the official “UAS Flight Restrictions” dataset of NATS AIS and are updated with every AIRAC cycle. That is around 1,070 zones, including the restricted areas around specially protected sites in force since February 2026 (Prohibited Places). The Isle of Man is included, the Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey are not.

Finland

For Finland, Hoverpoint reads the daily updated dataset of the transport agency Traficom, including the Åland Islands.

Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican

There are no geozone files for these three microstates. Hoverpoint therefore shows the whole country as a zone, with the rule from national law: in Monaco and San Marino flying requires a permit, and over the Vatican flying without a permit is a criminal offence. That is why these three do not count among the 18 countries with official zones.

Also

• Portugal: the aviation authority ANAC changed the location and file names of its dataset. Hoverpoint reads the new file.
• Malta and Andorra: as long as there is no zone data, Hoverpoint shows a note on the rules. In Malta, for example, the whole island lies in controlled airspace and every flight needs a permit.
• Whether all data sources are currently reachable, you can see at any time at web.hoverpoint.info/status.

As always: the official publication of each country is authoritative. Hoverpoint shows the source and data date for every zone.

Proof QR for checks

During a check you show a QR code that is valid for 15 or 60 minutes. Whoever scans it sees, without logging in, exactly the details you release: name, operator ID, competency certificates with validity, insurance and, if you like, your drone. “End sharing” makes the code invalid immediately. It does not replace the documents you have to carry. Free.

Flight windows

In the weather check, Hoverpoint shows the best daylight time windows, rated with the same traffic light as the weather check and with your drone’s limits. There is also a line “Now at home: Go / With limits / No-Go”. Free for one place and the next 12 hours; with Pro for up to five places from your saved spots and three days ahead.

Flight replay

In the flight analysis you play back imported flights on the map, up to 64 times faster. The info box shows flight time, altitude, speed, distance from the start and battery. A marker in the chart shows the position, and a tap on the chart jumps there.

Also new

• Batteries in the hangar: charge cycles now count automatically from the flight log and the DJI log. In the flight log you pick the batteries of a flight, and you set the “Check battery” limit yourself.
• Deadlines and certificates as PDF: pilot, competency certificates, insurance, drones and all deadlines with status in one document for clients or authorities. Free.
• Geo zones for Portugal and Bulgaria: the official zones from ANAC Portugal and CAA Bulgaria on the map, in the zone check and in the offline package. That makes 16 countries.
• Waypoint routes: under “At the end of the route” you choose return to the start point, fly to the first waypoint, land or hover. In the web editor the waypoint window now docks at the map edge and can be moved.
• Start view: in the settings you decide what Hoverpoint opens with.
• Support and Drohnie’s spot search have been improved.

Version 7.17 is available for Android and iPhone.

Follow pilots and message them

On a pilot’s spot page you follow them with one tap. Their new spots then appear together under “New from pilots you follow”, and you get a push for every new spot. Nobody but you sees whom you follow.

With pilot radio you write to a pilot directly via “Message”. You decide who may write to you: everyone, only pilots you follow, or nobody. Chats can be muted, senders blocked and messages reported. Pilot radio is 18+.

Clear view

Under Settings › Appearance you can hide Drohnie, the feature of the day, tips and playful extras. Texts such as the zone explanations become short and factual. Made for everyone who uses Hoverpoint purely for work. Clear view is free.

UTMREF/MGRS and guide reader

The map search now understands UTMREF references like “32U PB 45109 44311”, and under “Map export & briefing” you can copy the position as UTMREF. Handy for emergency services.

The drone guide now opens right in the app, on the page where you stopped. With bookmarks, “Go to page …” and “Open in another app”.

Also new

• Drohnie’s spot search: an AI looks for striking motifs such as dams, bridges or palace gardens on official aerial images. You rate the suggestions like all others.
• Protected areas outside Germany have their own switch and are explained in the legend.
• Briefing: instead of “Legally permitted” it now says “No geo zone at this point”, plus the new “Zones nearby” tile.
• Insurance in the hangar: without proof of insurance, Hangar › Documents shows an offer from the DMO for drone liability insurance (in Germany).
• Low flying areas: the notice lists the public hotline of the Bundeswehr aviation office.
• Spots: a note explains that an approved spot is not a flight permit, and “Legal” is now “No geo zone”.
• Settings and weather open instantly; on tablets the settings start with an overview.

Version 7.16 is available for Android and iPhone.