📖 Quick Start Guide

Option 1 — Simple: just the NOTAM file

The quickest way to use FlyBrief. Download a single file and load it into your instrument each morning.

Loading into your instrument

Which file to download?

🔴 ATZ Status & Custom ATZ Files

FlyBrief includes an ATZ Status page showing all UK military and civil ATZs — military ATZs with published hours and tap-to-call phone numbers, civil ATZs from Asselect — plus a custom ATZ file generator for your instrument. If you have a licensed aviation VHF radio you can also opt in to radio-pilot mode: NOTAM status labels (CLOSED, DEACTIVATED, ACTIVATED, HOURS CHG) are appended to each ATZ name in the downloaded file so you can see at a glance which ATZs have a NOTAM affecting them.

Paragliding pilots without a licensed aviation VHF radio must not enter any ATZ without prior permission from the aerodrome. ATZs remain active airspace regardless of published hours. Brize Norton, Fairford, Northolt and Benson are Class D ATZs — paragliding pilots cannot enter these under any circumstances. Always call the aerodrome for prior permission before flying through any ATZ.

🗺 ATZ map view

• Red circle (AC D) — shown for all ticked ATZs. Proximity alarm on your instrument. Prior permission required to enter.
• Blue circle (AC G / AC Q) — shown for unticked ATZs where you have prior permission to enter. AC G for FlySkyHigh/Oudie, AC Q for XCTrack. Visible boundary, no alarm.
• Brize Norton, Fairford, Northolt and Benson — shown as red and locked in the custom file. Cannot be unticked — paragliding pilots cannot enter these under any circumstances.

ATZ Status page

The ATZ Status page shows all UK military ATZs with published hours and tap-to-call phone numbers, and all civil ATZs. Check this page before any cross-country flight to get the phone number for each aerodrome and call ahead for permission.

Map popup — ATZ details at a tap

Tapping any ATZ circle on the interactive map shows the aerodrome name, entry guidance, and a tap-to-call phone number. All ATZs show "Prior permission required". ATZ circles are not shown on the main NOTAM map — use the ATZ Status page and its custom ATZ map to review military ATZs.

Custom ATZ file — personalise your airspace

The ATZ Status page generates a personalised ATZ file. All ATZs are ticked by default (all written as AC D). Only untick an ATZ if you have prior permission from the aerodrome to enter or fly through it. A warning popup appears when you untick any ATZ.

Merging your custom ATZ file

After generating, tap 🔀 Proceed to Build My Airspace — your custom ATZ file is automatically pre-populated in merge.php so there is nothing extra to configure. When the custom ATZ file is included, all ATZs are automatically stripped from the Asselect file before merging — both military and civil — so there are no duplicates on your instrument. The custom ATZ file provides all ATZs with the correct AC class and, for radio pilots, NOTAM status labels in the zone name.

Option 2 — Full: Build My Airspace merged file

Combines FlyBrief NOTAMs with permanent UK airspace (Asselect), your custom ATZ file, train station markers, and any other files you want — into a single file for your instrument. Best for FlySkyHigh users who want everything in one place.

Combination guide

What gets combined

• FlyBrief NOTAMs — today's or tomorrow's full file or high priority file. Optional — leave unselected for a permanent airspace file with no NOTAM zones. Note: ATZs are not included in NOTAM files — use the custom ATZ file option below.
• Tim's Asselect file — tick Use Tim's latest Asselect file for Tim Pentreath's UK permanent airspace (CTAs, ATZs, MATZs, danger areas). Updated automatically — the date shown on the checkbox confirms which version is cached. Click the ⓘ button to see Tim's exact settings, altitude overlay, airfield types, and local agreements included (Bath Gap, Dunstable, Westbury, Halesland and others). You can also download Tim's file directly using the button below the checkbox. Or upload your own from asselect.uk.
• Custom ATZ file — if you've generated a custom ATZ file on the ATZ Status page, a checkbox appears: Include my FlyBrief custom ATZ file. Your file is identified automatically using the session token stored in your browser. When included alongside any Asselect file (Tim's cached version or your own uploaded file), all ATZs are automatically stripped from the Asselect — both military and civil — to avoid duplicates. The custom ATZ file provides all ATZs with correct radio status (🔴 ATC on frequency / ⛔ No radio comms) and your permission selections (ticked = AC D alarm, unticked = AC G/Q boundary only).
• 📋 Club Local Agreements (LoAs) — opt-in section listing UK paragliding/hang gliding LoAs (Bath Gap, Halesland, Ubley, Westbury, Dunstable). Tick only the LoAs you have permission to use through your club membership. Ticked LoAs change the matching airspace from AC D/R (proximity alarm) to AC G (visible boundary, no alarm). Selections reset every page load — pilots must consciously tick each session. Always follow the LoA's activation procedures (calls, frequencies, conditions). Each LoA has a 📄 doc link to the official document.
  
  Dunstable (HG/PG) — enhanced LoA zones: When ticked, FlyBrief replaces the aggregated Dunstable zone and the overlapping Luton CTR with a detailed set of zones derived from the DHPC Airspace Brief:
  • CRSA (SFC–1500ft) and CRSA Extension (SFC–2500ft) — always available during daylight
  • LGC exclusion zones (Green Area SFC–2500ft, Yellow SFC–1300ft, Orange SFC–800ft HG/PG exclusion, Bottom Landings SFC–1300ft) — prohibited overflight of London Gliding Club operations
  • Whipsnade Zoo (SFC–1500ft) — no landing
  • Luton CTR — carved to exclude CRSA at appropriate altitudes
  This geometry was contributed by Will Rice (former DHPC Technical Officer) and matches the official NATS↔LGC↔DHPC↔RAFGSA LoA + DHPC Airspace Brief. DHPC members must have an official signed-off Airspace Briefing and sign in via the club website before accessing Area 1.
• UK Train Stations — FlySkyHigh & XCTrack — 2,563 stations as bow markers with today's or tomorrow's train times embedded. Also available as a standalone bows file.
• UK Train Stations — Oudie / SeeYou Mobile (.cup) — download the UK_train_stations.cup file from the Build My Airspace page. Contains all 2,600 stations with CRS codes. Load separately in SeeYou Mobile via Settings → Active Collections → Add Waypoints File.
• Your own files — upload any additional OpenAir .txt file. Must be valid OpenAir format and under 5 MB.

Automatic filtering on merge

FlyBrief automatically cleans any Asselect or uploaded file before merging:

• Duplicate NOTAM zones removed — temporary zones already covered by FlyBrief (Fairford TMZ, Coningsby RA(T), Odiham RA(T), Silverstone RA(T) and others) are stripped to avoid showing the same zone twice at different accuracies.
• (NOTAM) zones removed — any zone with "(NOTAM)" in its name is stripped.
• High-level zones removed — zones with a floor at FL110 or above are stripped. Irrelevant at paraglider altitudes.

How often to update

• Every flying day — regenerate FlyBrief and build a new merged file to pick up the latest NOTAMs.
• Tim's Asselect file — updates automatically on FlyBrief (checked daily). No action needed.
• Your own Asselect file — download a fresh copy from asselect.uk every 28 days (AIRAC cycle) and rebuild.

Using the interactive map

The map gives a visual overview of active NOTAMs before heading out. Access it via the View map link on the main page, or via the View on map button after building a merged file. Note: ATZ circles are not shown on the main NOTAM map — use the ATZ Status page and its custom ATZ map to review ATZs.

📋 NOTAMs panel

The map has an NOTAMs panel listing all active airspace zones as scrollable cards. Tap 📋 NOTAMs in the toolbar to open it. Cards are colour-coded by category and show the zone name, altitude band, and description. Tap any card to zoom the map to that zone. The panel has tabs for Today, Today HP, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow HP — switching tabs updates both the cards and the map.

• On desktop — the panel auto-opens from the right after a short delay, defaulting to Today. Clicking a category filter button (Danger, TDA, UAS, etc.) filters the cards to match.
• On mobile — the panel rises as a bottom sheet when tapped. Select a category on the map first, then open the panel to see only that category's cards. Tap a card to zoom; the sheet closes automatically so you can see the map.

📋 ATZ NOTAMs panel

The ATZ map view has a dedicated ATZ NOTAMs panel showing any ATZs with an active NOTAM (closed, deactivated, activated, or hours change). Tap 📋 ATZ NOTAMs in the toolbar to open it. Cards are grouped into Military and Civil tabs. Tap any card to zoom the map to that aerodrome.

• On desktop — the panel auto-opens from the right after a short delay. When you click an ATZ circle on the map that has a NOTAM, the panel highlights the matching card automatically.
• On mobile — the panel rises as a bottom sheet. Tap a card to zoom to the aerodrome; the sheet closes automatically so you can see the map.

Filter buttons

🎨 CTA altitude colour banding (online map only)

On merged file maps, CTA sectors (Bristol, Cardiff, etc.) are colour-coded by their lower altitude limit so you can clearly see the stepped inner boundaries:

• 🔴 1500ft — red (innermost, lowest base)
• 🟠 2000ft — orange
• 🟡 2500ft — amber
• 🟢 3000ft — green
• 🔵 3500ft–4000ft — blue
• 🟣 5000ft+ — purple (outermost, highest base)

🗺 Accurate airspace geometry (online map only)

The FlyBrief online map renders all OpenAir arc geometry (CTA curves around airports, glider blocks, danger area sectors) with high-resolution geodesic arcs matching the official AIP. A long-standing parser bug affecting how 81 UK zones were drawn on the online map was fixed in April 2026 thanks to Tim Pentreath spotting that Bristol CTA appeared to extend over Glastonbury — which was a visual artefact, not real airspace.

🪂 Event briefing maps

For competitions, aerotow events, fly-ins and XC meets, FlyBrief can generate an event-specific airspace briefing map. Organisers share a single link that:

• Centres the map on the event venue with an automatic radius circle
• Filters NOTAMs and airspace to only those within that radius
• Auto-opens a popup with event name, dates, site, description and optional event logo
• Works on mobile and desktop — pilots can plan routes, check airspace, find train stations for retrieves, all on the same map

Example URL format:

map.html?event=GBAR%202026¢re=52.386,0.061&radius=100&dates=22-24%20May%202026&site=Sutton%20Meadows&desc=...&logo=events/gbar2026.png

Or use a short-link: e.php?id=gbar2026. If your club runs an event that would benefit from a dedicated briefing link, message Steve on the FlyBrief Telegram to get it added.

Oudie / SeeYou Mobile — train stations

Oudie uses .cup waypoint files for navigation points. On the Build My Airspace page, select Oudie / SeeYou Mobile as your instrument and click ⬇ UK Train Stations (.cup) to download the static waypoints file. This contains all 2,600 UK train stations with CRS codes — e.g. Bath Spa (BTH). Download to your device, then open SeeYou Mobile → Settings → Active Collections → Add Waypoints File → select the .cup file.

📱 XCTrack Widget

The FlyBrief map can be used as an XCTrack widget — a live moving map showing today's NOTAMs, train stations, and your GPS position, embedded directly in XCTrack.

Suggested URL

With larger zoom buttons for gloved hands:

URL parameters

Tips

• Always regenerate on the morning of your flying day — NOTAMs can be issued overnight
• Check the ATZ Status page before any cross-country flight — see which military ATZs are active today (including any NOTAM overrides), get the phone number to call ahead, and generate a custom ATZ file for your instrument
• Use the 📍 My location button on the map to zoom to your current position — useful on mobile after landing out to quickly see nearby NOTAMs and train stations
• Use the 🚂 Stations button on the map to see train station dots. Green = open today, amber = closed today but open tomorrow, red = no service. Tap any station for live departure times — useful for planning a retrieval route after landing out
• Check the Deactivated danger areas viewer — if a normally active area is stood down, you'll see it there
• The high priority file (uk_notams_high_priority_today_YYYYMMDD.txt) contains AC R (restricted), AC Q (dangerous advisory), and AC TMZ zones — everything operationally significant for paragliders. Merge with your custom ATZ file via Build My Airspace for the complete picture.
• FlyBrief is not an official aviation briefing service — always cross-check with official sources before flying in controlled or restricted airspace
• Set your instrument's lower altitude filter to match the day's cloud base, plus 1,000 ft safety margin. This ensures you see all airspace relevant to the day without being swamped by high-level zones you will never reach.
• All times are in local UK time (BST in summer, GMT in winter) — no need to add or subtract an hour. The date/time on a zone label is its expiry, not its start time. For same-day NOTAMs, both start and end times are shown — e.g. 01/04 0900-1600 Tempo Reserved Area
• Some NOTAMs have no schedule in any data source — for these, check notaminfo.com