new» Also check out my aviation weather display for GoogleEarth: WX2KML

Temporary Flight Restrictions are somewhat hard to visualize when just listening to the coordinates in a standard FAA briefing, or from reading the raw NOTAM text. To make it easier to understand the affected area, the graphical displays at the FAA TFR website are very helpful, and other flight planning software can show this data as well. Since GoogleEarth is a quite useful tool in initial flight planning, I thought it might be quite helpful to see TFRs there as well.

:: Download

Open this KML file in GoogleEarth to display TFRs

:: Updates

The displayed TFR data is queried from the official Jeppesen/FAA database of TFRs on every request, eg when you open GoogleEarth, or right-click the Refresh option on the placemark. Note the time slider that will show up at the top of the display window. Some TFRs are only active at a certain time in the future, or have a pre-determined expiration date. So make sure to set the correct time range, eg start and end of a potential flight.

The TFR data can be used even better in combination with the permanent airspace data from Lloyd Bailey.

Even though this data can be helpful in flight planning, do NOT rely on the displayed data to be accurate and usable for navigational purposes!
Neither the original database information is fully reliable, nor this visualization is free of programming errors.
ALWAYS get official TFR information from a briefer or other certified data sources, and plot them on current, official charts before a flight.

To say it clearly, I'd really hate it, if anyone gets hurt from using the little script I wrote. In Legalese this reads like this:
The software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.

For further information contact: Lutz Latta (llatta at 2ld.de)

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<Last update: 7 September 2008>