The FAA produces the Digital Obstacle File (DOF) product that includes existing obstacles that may be hazardous to safe flight navigation.  The FAA receives obstacle information from a variety of sources both inside and outside the FAA. The FAA then evaluates the obstacle data based on its analysis of supporting documentation and assigns an accuracy code.

These include many obstacles of interest to aviation users, including obstructions above or below 200 feet AGL, mainly near airports. Thanks in part to a new automated process, low-level obstacles can be added to this database more quickly making it a valuable resource for agricultural aviators, and as a result a backlog of 75,000 obstructions below 200 feet spread throughout the country were added in January (even if they are not in the vicinity of an airport).

Both the Daily Digital Obstacle File (published every business day) and the Digital Obstacle File (published every eight weeks) can provide you information about potential obstacles in your flight path before you even take off. To access the Daily Digital Obstacle File, click here to download in a text or comma delimited (csv) format for ease in importing into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, i.e., ESRI ArcGIS and agricultural aviation applications.

To access the Digital Obstacle File, which contains the last eight weeks of obstacle data, click here and then click the latest “DOF” (Digital Obstacle File) under “Product.” That will download a folder containing all the obstacle data. That folder contains abbreviations for all 50 states.

You can scroll down the list to find the city or cities that you’ll be flying in, and then find the exact latitude and longitude for each potential obstacle (towers, stacks, poles, fences, etc.). The FAA verifies the location of each structure using satellite or other aerial imaging. The FAA also verifies a structure no longer exists when the owner files a notice of dismantlement or abandonment or when the FAA is notified by aviators.

However, all structures below 200 feet not near airports are only submitted to this database voluntarily. The tower marking requirements for communications towers under 200 feet in rural areas that were supposed to be promulgated by July 2017 would make this database far more robust.

The FAA’s Obstacle Data Team (ODT) is dedicated to providing its customers with accurate and timely obstacle data critical for a safe and efficient National Airspace System. The Obstacle Data Team wants to hear from NAAA about suggested improvements to data quality. It is also working on new techniques to improve the accuracy of obstacle data accessible to the public.

The FAA is interested in learning about obstacles (include the coordinates and height if known) that are not in the DOF but of interest for flight safety. If an obstacle is listed as existing in the database when that is not the case, please notify the FAA’s ODT office by completing its online form.