---
title: Create a flight plan
description: "WingtraAPP guides you through building a flight plan step by step. Build a flight plan: place a home point, draw one or more survey areas, configure GSD and image overlap, then lock the plan before flying."
---

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3. [Flight planning basics](https://knowledge.wingtra.com/en/plan-fly?hsLang=en#flight-planning-basics)

# Create a flight plan

 

Overview

WingtraAPP guides you through building a flight plan step by step: set a home point for takeoff and landing, draw one or more survey areas, and configure the ground sampling distance (GSD) and image overlap to match your project. When the plan is ready, lock it to prevent accidental changes before you fly.

 

Before you begin

Flight plans can be created in WingtraAPP (the Android tablet app used in the field) or in WingtraCLOUD (accessed through a web browser). The flight planning interface is identical on both — use whichever is convenient for your workflow.

- **WingtraAPP**: works offline if you have downloaded maps for your survey area beforehand. Best for planning on-site.
- **WingtraCLOUD**: requires an active internet connection. Best for planning in the office before a field day.

In both cases, sign in to your WingtraCLOUD account before starting. WingtraRAY is not required to build or save a flight plan, but is required to fly it.

 

Create a new flight plan

| 1 | Go to **Flight Plans** and tap **New**. The flight plan wizard opens. |
| --- | --- |
| 2 | Enter a descriptive name for the flight plan. The current date and time are pre-filled — edit them to something meaningful for your project. |
| 3 | Select the camera payload for this flight plan, then select **Next**. The map view opens with the flight planning tools. |

\[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER\]

Fig 1: WingtraAPP flight plan wizard showing the name field with default date/time pre-filled and the camera selector

 

Set the home point

| 4 | Select the **Home** icon to place the home point. - If WingtraRAY is powered on and connected to the tablet, the home point is placed at WingtraRAY's current position automatically. - If you are planning in advance, drag the home point to your intended takeoff location. It updates to WingtraRAY's actual position when you connect in the field. |
| --- | --- |
| 5 | Set the **Transition height** and **Transition direction** to ensure WingtraRAY clears any obstacles near the takeoff location. WingtraRAY takes off vertically, rises to the transition height above the home point, transitions to forward flight, and flies to a loiter circle near the survey area. From there, it climbs to area height, collects data, and returns to the loiter circle. It then descends to the transition height, flies back to the home point, and lands. The transition height must clear all obstacles in this vertical corridor above the home point. **Warning:** Confirm your takeoff location meets all of the following before flying: - At least 5 m from people and obstacles when wind speed is 5 m/s or below; at least 15 m when wind speed is higher. - On even ground with a slope of less than 15°. - On firm, dry ground — avoid mud. Keep surrounding grass short. |

\[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER\]

Fig 2: Map view with home point placed and transition height/direction controls visible on the right panel

 

Add a survey area

| 6 | Select the **Area** icon to add a survey area. |
| --- | --- |
| 7 | Drag the corners of the area outline to cover the region you want to map. - To add a corner: tap between any two existing corners. - To remove a corner: tap on it. - To delete the area: tap the **×** in the top right of the area panel. |
| 8 | Set the imaging parameters for the area: - **GSD**: defines the size of a pixel on the ground. GSD is linked directly to flight height — adjusting one updates the other automatically. - **Flight direction**: adjust to align sweeps with the shape of your survey area for more efficient coverage. - **Front overlap** and **Side overlap**: higher overlaps improve map quality; lower side overlap reduces flight time. Minimum recommended values depend on your camera payload — see Camera payload specifications for your sensor. |

\[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER\]

Fig 3: Map view with a drawn survey area showing corner handles and the area parameter panel with GSD, overlap, and flight direction settings

 

Add more areas (optional)

| 9 | Repeat steps 6–8 for each additional survey area. WingtraRAY transitions directly from the last sweep of one area to the first sweep of the next, always flying at the height of the higher of the two areas. If an obstacle lies between areas, add a loiter waypoint to create a safer transition path — see Loiter waypoints in WingtraAPP. **Tip:** To map a linear feature such as a road or railway, add a corridor instead of an area — see Corridor mapping in WingtraAPP. |
| --- | --- |

 

Lock your flight plan

| 10 | Select the **lock** icon next to the **Save** icon. The lock icon turns orange. The flight plan is now protected against accidental changes. While locked, you cannot add, move, delete, or reorder flight items, or modify flight or safety parameters. You can still pan and zoom the map, and import KML files as visual layers — but KML layers cannot be converted to flight areas until the plan is unlocked. To make changes, select the **lock** icon again to unlock. The flight plan also locks automatically when WingtraRAY is armed, when a mission finishes, or when elevation inspection mode is enabled. |
| --- | --- |

\[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER\]

Fig 4: Locked flight plan with orange lock icon visible in toolbar

 

What's next

→ Terrain following in WingtraAPP → Corridor mapping in WingtraAPP → Loiter waypoints in WingtraAPP → Geobarrier setup in WingtraAPP

 

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