Class E Airspace DroneZone Authorization

[xp115]

Hi everyone. I just got the Mavic Air 2 a few days ago so I'm still trying to get used to it as well as the rules regarding airspace. I've been trying to get approval in Class E airspace which starts from the surface. I've attached a picture of the area on a sectional chart.

LAANC is not available for the airspace so I tried going through FAA DroneZone, however my request keeps getting cancelled by the FAA, reading "Application was canceled - Class G Airspace".

I am pretty sure this is not Class G airspace.

 

[brett8883]

Hi everyone. I just got the Mavic Air 2 a few days ago so I'm still trying to get used to it as well as the rules regarding airspace. I've been trying to get approval in Class E airspace which starts from the surface. I've attached a picture of the area on a sectional chart.

LAANC is not available for the airspace so I tried going through FAA DroneZone, however my request keeps getting cancelled by the FAA, reading "Application was canceled - Class G Airspace".

I am pretty sure this is not Class G airspace.

There are several types of E airspace and not all of them require authorization What you are looking at is a surface extension of a Class D airport which does not require authorization, it’s effectively Class G airspace to you.

If the FAA tells you that you don’t need authorization it’s a pretty good bet you don’t need authorization there.

 

[akdrone]

Hi everyone. I just got the Mavic Air 2 a few days ago so I'm still trying to get used to it as well as the rules regarding airspace. I've been trying to get approval in Class E airspace which starts from the surface. I've attached a picture of the area on a sectional chart.

LAANC is not available for the airspace so I tried going through FAA DroneZone, however my request keeps getting cancelled by the FAA, reading "Application was canceled - Class G Airspace".

I am pretty sure this is not Class G airspace.

Class E starts something like 700feet up so not sure why you're getting this alert but try this - log in here , ask for a new unlock request, choose Zone unlocking, find the area you want to fly in. If it is red you are prob out of luck. If it's blue you can request an unlock. Choose your pilot name (click on the area to put in a name and your name should be in a dropdown menu), your controller (again, it should fill in automatically if you used your DJI email), and drone etc. Tell it Recreation for reason to fly. It will hopefully give you an OK. Your DJI fly App will then have it available when you start up your drone and controller. You will need to go to Settings (?) and ask to Unlock a zone, and Import it to your drone. I don't have all the steps memorized but I live in an authorization zone and do it regularly. DJI FlySafe

 

[akdrone]

Hi everyone. I just got the Mavic Air 2 a few days ago so I'm still trying to get used to it as well as the rules regarding airspace. I've been trying to get approval in Class E airspace which starts from the surface. I've attached a picture of the area on a sectional chart.

LAANC is not available for the airspace so I tried going through FAA DroneZone, however my request keeps getting cancelled by the FAA, reading "Application was canceled - Class G Airspace".

I am pretty sure this is not Class G airspace.

maybe you can just fire up the drone and fly...

 

[brett8883]

Class E starts something like 700feet up so not sure why you're getting this alert

There are different kinds of class E and some do in fact start at the ground.

The thing to remember is DJI doesn’t go off of the FAA rules for their GeoZone system so you have instances where DJI will say it’s ok to fly but you in reality still need FAA authorization and there are other times DJI may require you to do an unlock but you don’t need FAA authorization. That’s the major issue with the DJI system. It tells you absolutely nothing about if you need FAA authorization or not so you always have to check Aloft, AirMap, or if you are proficient at reading them the aeronautical charts.

 

[xp115]

Class E starts something like 700feet up so not sure why you're getting this alert but try this - log in here , ask for a new unlock request, choose Zone unlocking, find the area you want to fly in. If it is red you are prob out of luck. If it's blue you can request an unlock. Choose your pilot name (click on the area to put in a name and your name should be in a dropdown menu), your controller (again, it should fill in automatically if you used your DJI email), and drone etc. Tell it Recreation for reason to fly. It will hopefully give you an OK. Your DJI fly App will then have it available when you start up your drone and controller. You will need to go to Settings (?) and ask to Unlock a zone, and Import it to your drone. I don't have all the steps memorized but I live in an authorization zone and do it regularly. DJI FlySafe

I've already unlocked the zone and everything, just figured I get authorization just in case since it is controlled airspace.

 

[xp115]

There are several types of E airspace and not all of them require authorization What you are looking at is a surface extension of a Class D airport which does not require authorization, it’s effectively Class G airspace to you.

If the FAA tells you that you don’t need authorization it’s a pretty good bet you don’t need authorization there.

You were correct, I emailed them and they said since it is an extension of Class D airspace, no authorization is needed. I was just confused since the Aloft App said it is controlled airspace that needs authorization.

 

[brett8883]

You were correct, I emailed them and they said since it is an extension of Class D airspace, no authorization is needed. I was just confused since the Aloft App said it is controlled airspace that needs authorization.

Yea you see how the dashed magenta lines go into the dashed blue lines for the Class D and the magenta lines do not fully complete their shape? That’s how you know it’s an extension on the Class D. If the magenta lines completed their shape around an airport that’s how you’d know it’s surface Class E which does require authorization. Those will usually be a circle of dashed magenta lines but they always fully enclose the airport like below.

 

[JoelP]

I am now a bit confused. Doesn't a Class E from 700 have to have the shaded magenta as your Watertown example shows? That would be Class G at the surface. If it doesn’t have this shading and is an extension if a Class D airport it would seem to be Class E to the surface, as the IP said, requiring authorization. I don’t quite understand why you say it doesn’t fully complete its shape and recall nothing in my Part 107 training about such a criteria.

 

[brett8883]

I am now a bit confused. Doesn't a Class E from 700 have to have the shaded magenta as your Watertown example shows? That would be Class G at the surface. If it doesn’t have this shading and is an extension if a Class D airport it would seem to be Class E to the surface, as the IP said, requiring authorization. I don’t quite understand why you say it doesn’t fully complete its shape and recall nothing in my Part 107 training about such a criteria.

Here’s a more complete guide to class E airspace for you.

The OP’s example would count as Class E4 which doesn’t require authorization. My example is Class E2 which does require authorization

https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/events_calendar/archive/2019_uas_symposium/media/How_To_Understand_and_Operate_in_Class_E.pdf

 

[sar104]

I am now a bit confused. Doesn't a Class E from 700 have to have the shaded magenta as your Watertown example shows? That would be Class G at the surface. If it doesn’t have this shading and is an extension if a Class D airport it would seem to be Class E to the surface, as the IP said, requiring authorization. I don’t quite understand why you say it doesn’t fully complete its shape and recall nothing in my Part 107 training about such a criteria.

The FAA presentation linked above explains all the subtleties of Class E, but to apply those to the examples in question is pretty simple. In the case of your location the airport is surface Class D (dashed blue) but there is a surface Class E extension (dashed magenta) to the Class D airspace:



Class E extension:



The point made above is that the Class E extension is not a complete boundary - on the airport side it is closed by the Class D dashed blue circle. That's one simple way to determine that it is an extension (Class E4 in this case) rather than regular surface Class E (E2). You only need authorization in Class E2.

In the other example (ATY) the surface Class E is a full circle around the airport (inside the larger 700 ft Class E region), which tells you that it is regular Class E2.