SwarmATC
A drone flight-notification system connecting pilots with air traffic control towers
Visit project website
Rollout planned in South Africa, Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries
7 Go microservices, spatial data in PostGIS
Compliant with SACAA Part 101, CAAZ, ICAO Doc 10019 and ASTM F3411 (Remote ID)
Challenge
In Southern Africa, notifying a control tower about a drone flight can take up to 48 hours — PDF forms, emails and phone calls, with no map showing where flying is allowed.
Solution
The pilot draws the flight area in an offline-first app and submits a plan; the controller approves it with one click on a situational map. The system also accepts VHF radio and SMS notifications from pilots without a smartphone.
Technology & facts
- Website in 4 languages, including Afrikaans and Shona
- Launch announced for Q4 2026
