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AirMap and LAANC - Not ready for Prime Time

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My home is located in Glass G airspace (below Class B, which doesn't start until 3,000 MSL). As an experiment, I used AirMap to try to plan a flight within a 1,000' radius at an altitude of no more than 400' right above my home. Since I am in Class G, Airmap basically told me that authorization isn't available (presumably, because it's not controlled airspace). Wouldn't it be better if AirMap instead notified the pilot that authorization is not NEEDED (vs. "not available")?

Further testing AirMap, I tried to plan a flight that is just inside controlled airspace that is a few miles to my west. AirMap shows a maximum altitude of 200' in that airspace. I set up a flight plan of only a 25' radius and no more than 100'. That is basically straight above the spot a picked and there's NO WAY the drone would be out of visual line of sight. Yet, before I get to the final submission stage, AirMap gives me a flight rejected notice because I'm not keeping the aircraft within visual range. [Comment removed by Admin]

Is AirMap assuming that I'm trying to fly to that location from my present location? Is that why it's rejecting the flight plan out of hand?

I watched the AirMap demo via the FAA webinar. I'm doing exactly what the AirMap employee was doing (setting up a future flight plan). But inside any of the controlled airspaces in my area, I can't even get to the spot to submit the plan because it is rejected immediately for not keeping the flight within visual line of sight. And, yes, all of the airports in my area are participating in the LAANC program.

In addition, AirMap keeps timing out when attempting to start the flight plan process. I get the spinning wheel of death followed (a minute or two later) by a timed out warning.

I sure hope we get a better tool than AirMap.

Mark
 
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I feel your frustration. I have not experienced any of the problems you’ve had.

regarding the spinning beachball... I believe it comes from your computer and not AirMap... what device or computer are you working with?
 
If I'm not mistaken, it asks you several questions including if you will be flying VLOS. Did you perhaps not answer or answer no?
 
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I feel your frustration. I have not experienced any of the problems you’ve had.

regarding the spinning beachball... I believe it comes from your computer and not AirMap... what device or computer are you working with?

I am using the AirMap app on my iPhone.

If I'm not mistaken, it asks you several questions including if you will be flying VLOS. Did you perhaps not answer or answer no?

THANK YOU! That is what I was missing. The sales pitch for Insurance is located above the questions about VLOS and weight of drone. I am accustomed to seeing ads (which the insurance question looks like to me) at the bottom of a page. Thus, I didn't scroll up.

So, in this case, it was pilot error in not fully understanding the full interface of the AirMap app.

FWIW, I'm still getting an excessive amount of spinning beachball (more like a spinning clock face).

Mark
 
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