--- title: Search url: 'http://www.mlat.uk/guide/search' markdown: 'http://www.mlat.uk/guide/search.md' date: '2026-10-22' description: ".mlat-guide { --u: clamp(16px, 15.2px + 0.2vw, 16.8px); --g-accent: #0A74C4; --g-accent-dark: #0A5FA0; --g-bg: #ffffff; --g-bg-alt: #F5F7FA; --g-text: #14181D; --g-soft: #5B6772; --g-border: #D6DEE6; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'SF Pro Text'…" --- [User Guide](http://www.mlat.uk/guide) › Search # Search - [First visit](#first) - [Searching](#basics) - [Combining terms](#terms) - [Airports and routes](#airports) - [Show all on the map](#show-all) - [Picking several](#pick) - [What's nearby](#nearby) - [Clearing](#clear) The search box at the top searches every object on the map - not just the ones in view, but the whole world - and updates as you type. ## First visit The first time you open the map it downloads the airport, aircraft and satellite catalogues in the background. While it does, the search box shows **Loading Data…** with a progress bar that fills from left to right, and search is switched off until it finishes (usually a few seconds). After that the catalogues are kept on your device, later visits only fetch what has changed, and search is ready straight away. ## Searching ![Results for an airport code, with routes shown under each flight](http://www.mlat.uk/user/pages/08.guide/02.search/search-results.jpg)Results for an airport code, with routes shown under each flight Click the search box (or press /) and type at least **two characters**. Results appear straight away, five at a time in a scrolling list of up to 100. Each result shows the same summary as the details panel: flag and name, type, altitude, speed and squawk, and the route. You can search by: - **Callsign or name** - `BAW171`, `EZY`, a vessel's name or callsign, a satellite's name (`ISS`, `Hubble`). - **Registration** - `G-EZWA`, `D-AIMB`. - **ICAO hex, MMSI or NORAD number** - `3c65a2`, `235012345`, `25544`. - **Type** - type code (`A388`) or description (`dreamliner`, `tug`). - **Country** - the two-letter code of an aircraft's country of registration (`gb`, `ie`). - **Airports and cities** on an aircraft's route - see below. Click or tap a result to select it: the map moves to it and its details open. ## Combining terms - A **space** means *and*: `BAW A35K` finds British Airways A350-1000s. - A **comma** means *or*: `NCL, LBA` finds flights to or from Newcastle or Leeds Bradford. - Both together work too: `BAW A35K, VIR A35K` finds A350-1000s flown by British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. ## Airports and routes Type a three-letter (IATA) or four-letter (ICAO) airport code - `LHR` or `EGLL` - to find flights flying to or from it. The search looks up routes as you type, so a few more results can appear a moment later. City names on a route (`London`, `New York`) work as well. ## Show all on the map The first row of the results, **Show all N on the map**, hides everything else and zooms the map to fit every match. You can also just press Enter. An **On map** tag appears in the search box while this filter is on. ## Picking several ![Two results picked: the top row now reads "Show 2 selected on the map"](http://www.mlat.uk/user/pages/08.guide/02.search/search-multi.jpg)Two results picked: the top row now reads "Show 2 selected on the map" To narrow the results to a few you care about, **long-press** a result on a phone or **right-click** it on a computer. It gets a tick and the map zooms to fit your picks. Pick as many as you like; do it again to remove one. The top row changes to **Show N selected on the map** and the box shows an **N selected** tag. Choose it to hide everything except your picks. ## What's nearby ![A dropped pin with a 25 km circle: only objects inside it stay on the map](http://www.mlat.uk/user/pages/08.guide/02.search/whats-nearby.jpg)A dropped pin with a 25 km circle: only objects inside it stay on the map **Long-press** the map on a phone, or **right-click** it on a computer, to drop a pin. A circle is drawn around it, the map shows only what is inside, and the search box fills with the point and radius, for example `54.7699, -1.1084, 25 km`. ![The "Within" slider and the results, nearest first, with their distance](http://www.mlat.uk/user/pages/08.guide/02.search/whats-nearby-results.jpg)The "Within" slider and the results, nearest first, with their distance The results list everything inside the circle, nearest first, with its distance. Drag the **Within** slider to change the radius from 5 km to 250 km. You can also type a point yourself in the same form: `latitude, longitude, radius km`. ## Clearing Clear the box with its **×** button, the **Cancel** button on a phone, or Esc. That removes any map filter, picks and pin, and everything shows again. **Tip:** searches are part of the page's link. Share it (see [Sharing & links](http://www.mlat.uk/guide/sharing)) and the other person sees the same search and filter. --- ## Navigation - Parent: [User Guide](http://www.mlat.uk/guide.md) - Previous: [The map](http://www.mlat.uk/guide/map.md) - Next: [Objects & the object list](http://www.mlat.uk/guide/objects.md)