FAQs For FlightReady LAANC

If your question is not answered below, please contact us.

How do I change an operation that has already been submitted?

If the time, altitude, or other parameter has changed, you must cancel the first operation, then submit a new authorization with the updated information.

What does LAANC Not Available mean?

After Validate is tapped, the operation is checked to ensure it conforms to all LAANC rules. The LAANC Not Available stauts means the operation cannot be submitted for the reason(s) listed, which may include:

• The controlled airspace is not active for the selected time (it is uncontrolled).
• The area for the operation encroaches on Restricted Airspace.
• LAANC is not available for the selected operation type (e.g., Part 107 Further Coordination).

A status of LAANC Not Available simply means that the FAA is not accepting authorization requests via LAANC. You may still be able to obtain authorization for your operation at FAA Drone Zone. Another alternative is to modify the operation so that it can be approved via LAANC.

Also note that if LAANC is not available because the airspace is not controlled at that time, then you do not need ATC authorization. Simply ensure that your flight takes place entirely during the time the control tower is closed.

How do I request deletion of my account?

Tap Account, then tap Delete Account. Please note that account deletion is permanent, and affects all FlightReady apps and services. Once your account is deleted, you will immediately lose access to all of apps and services, including paid apps and services.

I submitted a Further Coordination request, but have not heard back.

Further Coordination requests are routed to the local ATC facility for review and approval. Approval depends on ATC workload and other factors. Not all requests are approved, and a request may expire before ATC has a chance to review it. You should not attempt to contact the ATC facility or submit additional requests. Doing so will result in rejection of all pending requests.

Why do all my Further Coordination requests get denied?

The decision to approve or deny an operation rests with the FAA, specifically the personnel working at the local control tower. On average, around half of all requests are approved, but this may range from zero to 100% at individual facilities.

The reasons why a request may be denied include workload, safety considerations (e.g., operation is too close to traffic pattern or instrument approaches, high traffic volume at time of the operation), and lack of safety justifications (the pilot did not identify how any risks will be mitigated).

If a request keeps getting denied, we suggest lowering the altitude or moving the time of the operation to a time of day where there is less aicraft traffic. Airports served by airlines are generally busiest in early morning and early evening. However, if the location of the flight is directly under the traffic pattern it may be impossible to obtain authorization via LAANC. The best alternative would be to try submitting via FAA Drone Zone.

Your app states authorization is not required, but my drone is locked.

LAANC is a service to obtain ATC approval to operate a drone within controlled airspace. Most drone manufacturers have locked their drones to prohibit operations not only within controlled airspace, but also near airports and sensitive locations such as prisons.

When near an uncontrolled airport, for example, your drone will be locked even though LAANC authorization is not required or available. In such cases, it is your responsibility to evaluate the proposed flight location and ensure that drone operations can be safely conducted. Once you make that determination you would need to follow the drone manufacturer's instructions to unlock your drone for that flight.

Your app says the no authorization is required, but the city prohibits drone operations at my local park.

LAANC is a service to obtain FAA approval to operate in controlled airspace. The pilot remains responsible for complying with all other federal, state, and local laws and regulations that may restrict or prohibit drone operations in the proposed flight area. In this scenario, you may not operate your drone even if ATC authorized you to operate within the controlled airspace overlying the park.

How do I unlock my DJI drone?

Please see the following DJI support article for information on unlocking your drone after obtain FAA approval to operate in controlled airspace.

How to Unlock Geofencing on Your DJI Drone

Some apps appear to display different airspace information for the same parameters.

We field several of these types of inquiries a week, where users flag apparent inconsistencies in the airspace information across various LAANC apps. These inconsistencies do not mean that any of these apps are incorrect, and in every case all of the apps provided correct information. These perceived differences are generally due to (1) display of optional information unrelated to LAANC, (2) minor changes in date, time, and location, and (3) some apps enforcing stricter blocking than required by the FAA.

First some background on what LAANC is and how it works. LAANC is a collaboration between the FAA and FAA-approved UAS Service Providers (USSs) like FlightReady, which allows drone pilots to request authorization to operate in controlled airspace. The role of the USS is solely to transmit your information to the FAA, and then relay the approval or denial back to the pilot. The actual decision is made by the FAA not by the USS or an app. If you received an approval or denial via any app, it came from the FAA.

The FAA only has jurisdiction over controlled, restricted, and prohibited airspace, and cannot authorize operations within airspace that is restricted at state, city, county, or local level. The FAA also cannot authorize operations within areas that are within the jurisdiction of other federal agencies, such as the National Park Service or the Department of Defense. Nor can it authorize operations over private property. Drone pilots are responsible for checking for these kinds of restrictions, and no app can guarantee that none of these restrictions exist at all locations.

The FAA requires that USS’s provide certain minimum airspace data, that it be obtained directly from the FAA, and that it be current. The data that it requires is limited to controlled, restricted, and prohibited airspace, national security areas, and stadium areas. Some USSs, including our company, choose to go beyond that, which may be a reason for the inconsistencies you observed across apps.

With respect to the airspace that must be displayed, the FAA ensures the accuracy of the data by conducting random audits and validating each submission. Failure to provide accurate airspace data can result in termination of the USS. We take this requirement seriously. We update our airspace data daily, and have our own internal QC process to ensure accuracy of all data.

The concern by most pilots is that they request and obtain FAA approval, but the approval was based on invalid airspace data. This is not possible because it is the FAA (not the USS) that approves operations, and also because the FAA validates all submissions to ensure that the airspace data is current.

For each submission, the USS must submit the airspace data that it presented to the user, and the FAA checks it to ensure that it matches the current data. If it does not, the FAA will not accept the submission, and this will be displayed as an error in our app. If you did not receive an error, and the submission resulted in an actual approval or denial, then the airspace data is correct.

With respect to the core LAANC services, it would be extremely unlikely that any app offering LAANC services is displaying invalid airspace information, but there are differences in the level of services provided that may prompt pilots to question the data.

Some USSs go further than the FAA requires, by providing information about airspace that is restricted at state, city, county, or local level, or restrictions by other federal agencies such as national parks. For example, one user contacted us to let us know that another app stated that operations within a park in California were prohibited, which is correct. California, like most states, prohibits the operation of drones within parks. The reason we do not include such restrictions is that there is no nationwide database of those types of restrictions (or even a nationwide geo-referenced database of all parks).

We believe it would be irresponsible to include a limited amount of data about a specific type of restriction (e.g., parks) because the absence of data at a particular park suggests that there is no restriction, when it only means that no data is available. This other app, for example, did not include any park restrictions in Arizona where we are based, however, that would net the drone pilot a hefty fine.

Our app does include National Park areas, which some other USSs also include. Even though the FAA does not currently require these to be displayed, this information is disseminated at the federal level and is kept current. Moreover, the FAA may require USSs to provide this information in the future. Currently we block LAANC submissions in these areas, while one other USS permits LAANC submissions in these areas. However, this does not mean the airspace data is incorrect (or even different).

A third reason is that the submissions are not identical. In some cases, the time and pin location varied enough to provide a different (and correct) result. Or it was the same location and time, but different day where the airspace schedule changed.

Another reason is that USSs have some latitude in certain scenarios whether to block an entire operation or submit it in part. For example, if someone creates a flight that requires further coordination in part and can be auto-approved in part, the USS may flag the entire operation as further coordination. Again, this does not mean the airspace data is invalid or different.

USSs may also process restricted area schedules and only flag them when active. However, we do not feel that the data is not yet reliable enough to be able to guarantee its accuracy.

These are just some examples. As a rule, we only provide data that is (1) required as part of the LAANC service by the FAA, (2) optional, but reliable enough to be included as an additional service to drone pilots.

What information is collected by the app?

Our privacy policy details the information collected when you use our apps and services, including information collected to provide LAANC services.

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