Guides

See manned aircraft with ADS-B

Last reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Requires: Platinum

With a Platinum subscription, DroneScout shows manned aircraft — planes, helicopters, gliders broadcasting ADS-B — on the same map as the drones it detects. Useful for drone pilots who need to keep clear of low-flying traffic, and for anyone watching the airspace around an incident or event.

There are two sources, and you can use both at once:

The local receiver is the main source: it works without internet and sees what's actually in the air around you. Network ADS-B is the fallback, for when the receiver isn't available or has gaps in coverage.

Option 1 — Local ADS-B receiver (GDL 90)

What you need

A portable ADS-B receiver that sends traffic over Wi-Fi with the GDL 90 protocol — the format most electronic flight bag apps use. DroneScout listens on UDP port 4000, the usual GDL 90 port. Check your receiver's manual that GDL 90 output over Wi-Fi is switched on and uses port 4000.

Set it up

1. Switch the receiver on.
2. On your phone, connect to the receiver's Wi-Fi network. The phone may warn that this network has no internet — choose to stay connected.
3. In DroneScout, tap the ⋯ menu (three horizontal dots), open Preferences and go to the ADS-B tab (shown with Platinum).
4. Under ADS-B receivers that support GDL 90, switch on Show ADS-B traffic on map.
5. Optional: switch on Show aircraft popup to see an aircraft's details when it appears.
6. Recommended: switch on Show ADS-B map icon. The map then shows an ADS-B status dot: - green — DroneScout is receiving GDL 90 data from your receiver - red — no data: not connected to the receiver's Wi-Fi, or nothing received for 20 seconds. DroneScout keeps trying to reconnect by itself.

Aircraft now appear on the map next to the drones, with their callsign or ICAO address, altitude and speed. Each aircraft reports its own position, so the receiver needs no GPS of its own; DroneScout uses your phone's location for the distance to each aircraft and for alerts.

While connected to the receiver's Wi-Fi

The receiver's Wi-Fi usually has no internet. Drone detection still works, because it uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radio directly. But map tiles, network ADS-B and sending detections to a server need mobile data. Most phones use mobile data automatically when the Wi-Fi has no internet; if yours doesn't, look for a setting like Switch to mobile data or Use mobile data when Wi-Fi has no internet. Offline maps avoid the map problem altogether.

Option 2 — Network ADS-B (fallback)

1. In Preferences → ADS-B, under Network ADS-B, switch on Show network ADS-B traffic.
2. Make sure the phone has an internet connection.

DroneScout then fetches aircraft within 25 km every 2 seconds. Network aircraft are drawn lighter and slightly transparent, so you can tell them apart from aircraft your own receiver picks up. Coverage depends on the network's ground stations: low-flying aircraft in remote areas may be missing, which is exactly where a local receiver helps.

Alerts for new aircraft

On the ADS-B tab, under New Aircraft notification, switch on A notification will be sent when a new aircraft is seen. Then limit it to the aircraft that matter to you:

• Distance range — up to 25 km from you, or no limit
• Altitude range — up to 3,000 m, or no limit

Notifications must be allowed for DroneScout on your phone.

Only while the app is open

ADS-B — local and network — works only while DroneScout is open on screen. Unlike drone detection, it doesn't continue in background mode: when you switch to another app or lock the phone, aircraft stop updating, and no new-aircraft alerts arrive until you open DroneScout again.

Troubleshooting

ADS-B shows aircraft that broadcast it. Not every aircraft does, so never rely on DroneScout alone to keep clear of manned traffic: keep looking and listening.