My First FAA Airspace Authorization

baddog · Jun 22, 2018

To All,

I put in a request to fly in class E airspace back in Feb. 2018. I received approval today. I originally asked for a window of 2 weeks, they gave me 90 days.

So even though it, was a long process, I am excited. I just wanted to let you all know, it actually does work.

Link to FAA Site for requests

If interested I can share the document.

MadSquid · Jun 25, 2018

Almost 4 months, huh? Dang it. I'm on day 83 of 90 (or so I thought). *Sigh.* Guess I better keep finding locations outside the KGJT bubble for now. Thanks for sharing! Good to know.

MadSquid · Jun 25, 2018

I just discovered that other nearby airports took part in wave 2 of LAANC. My airport isn't even on wave 3, but if this all goes as well as it sounds to have gone, maybe the delay is due to imminent implementation of LAANC here? Have you checked to see if LAANC is available in your airspace?

AerialViewSolutions · Jul 7, 2018

I'd be interested in seeing your request if you're willing to share it. I've been denied 3 times. One of them being due to lack of organization in their system.

jmorse62 · Jul 11, 2018

Please share your document. All these rules are ridiculous, I can't fly a 2 pound drone but planes can do flips and rolls over my house?

baddog · Jul 15, 2018

AerialViewSolutions said:
I'd be interested in seeing your request if you're willing to share it. I've been denied 3 times. One of them being due to lack of organization in their system.

Sorry I have been super busy. I will post the request later tonight

baddog · Jul 18, 2018

AerialViewSolutions said:
I'd be interested in seeing your request if you're willing to share it. I've been denied 3 times. One of them being due to lack of organization in their system.

Okay, so I did not get this out when I said I would but here it is...

The Airspace Waiver Request

Approval document

JustinR · Jul 18, 2018

I tried a while back and got denied (no reason given) only to have LAANC go active in my area and got instant approval.....LAANC is the way forward at this point...... if you have it.

baddog · Jul 19, 2018

LAANC does not go live in my area until September of this year. And then is is only a beta test of the system. I really hope it works out though and becomes main stream. I will admit the application process was long getting authorization but the results were positive.

I am still not sure what the proper procedures is going forward, to actually go out and fly in this class E airspace. I am going to err on the side of caution and call the airport control tower and give them a heads up on the exact date and time of when I plan to fly my route, i.e. this Saturday.

jedpause · Aug 16, 2018

baddog said:
Okay, so I did not get this out when I said I would but here it is...

The Airspace Waiver Request

Approval document

@baddog Might want to change the file behind the link to the Approval Document

baddog · Aug 16, 2018

Wow....thanks...doh!

baddog · Aug 16, 2018

jedpause said:
@baddog Might want to change the file behind the link to the Approval Document

Wow, thanks...This has been corrected.

I actually, finally, got out there to fly yesterday. Way too crowded though but just wanted to test drone in the gorge for signal strength. Not too stable and windy in gorge...

MadSquid · Aug 27, 2018

AerialViewSolutions said:
I'd be interested in seeing your request if you're willing to share it. I've been denied 3 times. One of them being due to lack of organization in their system.

Was that for the OP or for me?

baddog · Aug 28, 2018

OP ???

baddog · Aug 28, 2018

MadSquid said:
Was that for the OP or for me?

I suck at acronyms...sorry

MadSquid · Aug 28, 2018

baddog said:
OP ???

Original Poster

baddog · Aug 28, 2018

that was for jedpause. He pointed out that my link was pointing to an incorrect PDF

jeffcutler · Aug 30, 2018

Today - seriously four hours ago - I got an email from the FAA about an airspace authorization EXTENSION request I put in back in July (I have/had authorization through Sept. 8 for the area I requested).

I quickly logged on to Drone Zone and saw that my request was CANCELLED!!! What?! I immediately tried to figure out why and then I saw another email in my box. It was from the FSDO near me with a note from an FAA guy I've spoken to in the past. In the email he said my request had been cancelled, but the reason was that the area I requested JUST NOW became live in LAANC.

So, ten minutes after reading the letter and panicking and fretting, I found info on LAANC and the roll-out. I never use AirMap, so it was a surprise to see that app as the 'instant authorization' portal instead of B4UFly. Nevertheless, I logged in, requested a flight right in the zone where I had been looking for a blanket authorization, and in less than 45 seconds it was approved. *It was probably faster, but I was in a bad cell area.

As long as the system doesn't start saying no in an area where I had prior authorization for 120 days, then I'm good with it.

****One last thought...do you think the AirMap app and the approval engine will take into account the number of missions you fly using AirMap and use that info to approve or deny future requests?

MadSquid · Sep 2, 2018

jeffcutler said:
Today - seriously four hours ago - I got an email from the FAA about an airspace authorization EXTENSION request I put in back in July (I have/had authorization through Sept. 8 for the area I requested).

I quickly logged on to Drone Zone and saw that my request was CANCELLED!!! What?! I immediately tried to figure out why and then I saw another email in my box. It was from the FSDO near me with a note from an FAA guy I've spoken to in the past. In the email he said my request had been cancelled, but the reason was that the area I requested JUST NOW became live in LAANC.

So, ten minutes after reading the letter and panicking and fretting, I found info on LAANC and the roll-out. I never use AirMap, so it was a surprise to see that app as the 'instant authorization' portal instead of B4UFly. Nevertheless, I logged in, requested a flight right in the zone where I had been looking for a blanket authorization, and in less than 45 seconds it was approved. *It was probably faster, but I was in a bad cell area.

As long as the system doesn't start saying no in an area where I had prior authorization for 120 days, then I'm good with it.

****One last thought...do you think the AirMap app and the approval engine will take into account the number of missions you fly using AirMap and use that info to approve or deny future requests?

Be careful! I was flying with FAA authorization via LAANC through AirMap in a 50ft ceiling box in Aspen Colorado. Apparently the DJI app is clueless about authorizations, because it 1) reset it's gps homeport mid-flight without any input from me, then claimed that I was flying in a NO FLY ZONE (I had FAA authorization) and AUTO-LANDED my Mavic Air in a creek. Then their customer service had the gall to tell me it was my fault, and that I should check my airspace before flying. LAANC is slick, and nice, and fast, but it IS NOT a get out of jail free card. You can be doing EVERYTHING right, and still lose your drone or be pestered by the FAA, or possibly worse, a local ATC with a chip on his shoulder.

I made a video about this with screenshots in the app. It's long though, because it covers another topic as well. Still, if you want to see and hear the whole story, you can check it out here:

CNYdronepilot · Mar 11, 2019

baddog said:
To All,

I put in a request to fly in class E airspace back in Feb. 2018. I received approval today. I originally asked for a window of 2 weeks, they gave me 90 days.

So even though it, was a long process, I am excited. I just wanted to let you all know, it actually does work.

Link to FAA Site for requests

If interested I can share the document.

baddog, I just stumbled across this post, doing a search on OP as I wasn't familiar with the acronym either. Looking at your approval docs, did you notice that you weren't approved for 90 days - you were approved for a year and 3 months. Expiration on both attachments says September 30, 2019. Go get more footage if you like!