A crucial part of mission planning is clearly defining the airspace you intend to operate in. Using flyzones and their associated buffers allows you to create a comprehensive and compliant operational plan, enhancing safety and situational awareness for everyone involved.

• Flyzone (Operational Volume): This is the primary area where the drone operation will take place. Defining this volume is essential for planning flight paths and ensuring the drone remains within the intended boundaries.

• Contingency Volume: This is a safety buffer zone immediately surrounding your flyzone. It's the area the drone might need to enter if a contingency procedure (like an emergency return-to-home) is activated. This area should be assessed for obstacles.

• Ground Risk Buffer: This is an additional safety buffer extending outwards from the contingency volume. It defines the total area on the ground that could potentially be affected in a worst-case scenario. This is a key component for conducting a risk assessment (like a SORA) for people and property on the ground.

1. How to Draw a Flyzone

1. Open an existing Mission or create a new one from the sidebar.

2. Navigate to your intended flight location by scrolling on the map or by entering a location in the search bar at the top right of the map.

3. In the action bar located in the header above the map, click the draw flyzone icon.

4. You can choose to draw a Polygon or a Circle.

5. Click on the map to begin drawing. For a polygon, click to place each point and double-click the final point to close the shape. For a circle, click to set the center and drag outwards to set the radius.

Once drawn, your flyzone will appear on the map and will also be listed in the Flyzone tab in the mission planner.

2. How to Configure Buffers and Settings

After drawing your flyzone, you must configure its safety buffers and other properties.

1. In the mission planner sidebar, click on the Flyzone tab.

2. Click on the flyzone you just created (e.g., "Flyzone 1") to open its settings panel.

3. Here, you can:

   • Give the flyzone a descriptive Name (e.g., "Main Operational Area").

   • Enter the size of the Contingency Volume in meters.

   • Enter the size of the Ground Risk Buffer in meters.

By defining these volumes, you have clearly established the planned operational area and safety buffers for your mission, which is a critical part of any professional flight plan.