Can a Drone Fly Here? Checking Airspace Before a Shoot

Clients usually ask about the camera first. Will it be 4K? How high can it go? The first question a drone operator should ask is different: can a drone legally fly here, today?

Often the answer is yes. But not always, and the exceptions are easy to miss. Here is how a pre-flight airspace check works.

Controlled vs. uncontrolled airspace

The sky is divided into classes. Near busier airports, the airspace is controlled, meaning air traffic control manages it. Under the FAA's small drone rule, 14 CFR Part 107, section 107.41 says no person may operate a small drone in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, without prior authorization from air traffic control.

Outside those areas, a Part 107 pilot does not need an airspace authorization from air traffic control, as long as every other rule is followed.

The catch: controlled airspace is drawn around airports, not around how remote a place feels. Do not judge a site by the view from the driveway. Look it up.

Getting authorization with LAANC

When a site is in controlled airspace, the usual route is LAANC, the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability. The FAA's LAANC page explains how it works:

• Pilots apply through apps from FAA-approved UAS Service Suppliers.

• Requests are checked against FAA data, including UAS Facility Maps, special use airspace, airports and airspace classes, Temporary Flight Restrictions, and NOTAMs.

• If approved, the authorization can arrive in near-real time.

• For flights above the facility map's altitude ceiling, up to 400 feet, Part 107 pilots can submit a further coordination request up to 90 days in advance.

One line on that page is worth repeating: LAANC provides airspace authorizations only. Pilots must still check NOTAMs, weather conditions, and abide by all airspace restrictions.

Checking the map

Before a job, the quickest first look is an FAA-approved airspace app. The FAA's B4UFLY page explains that B4UFLY services are offered through approved companies' desktop and mobile apps. Key features include information about controlled airspace, special use airspace, critical infrastructure, airports, national parks, and military training routes, plus Temporary Flight Restrictions for special events and a status indicator showing whether it is safe to fly.

B4UFLY is aimed at recreational flyers, but the same situational awareness is useful to anyone planning a flight.

Temporary Flight Restrictions

Airspace that is open today can be closed tomorrow. Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, can close airspace for a period of time, for example around special events. The FAA publishes TFRs at tfr.faa.gov. Check it the day of the flight, not just the week before.

The Part 107 limits that apply everywhere

Even in uncontrolled airspace, Part 107 sets limits on every commercial flight. Under section 107.51:

• Ground speed may not exceed 87 knots (100 miles per hour).

• Altitude may not be higher than 400 feet above ground level, unless the drone is flown within a 400-foot radius of a structure and no higher than 400 feet above its top.

• Flight visibility must be at least 3 statute miles from the control station.

• The drone must stay at least 500 feet below clouds and 2,000 feet horizontally from them.

Section 107.31 requires the pilot or visual observer to be able to see the drone with unaided vision, other than corrective lenses, throughout the flight.

The other rules on the ground

Airspace is only part of it. The land under the drone may have its own rules. State parks, Corps of Engineers lakes, and other public land can restrict where drones can take off and land. Private landowners nearby deserve a heads-up. And flying over people has its own set of requirements.

A simple pre-flight airspace checklist

1. Look up the site in an FAA-approved airspace app.

2. If it is in controlled airspace, request authorization through LAANC.

3. Check tfr.faa.gov and NOTAMs the day of the flight.

4. Confirm weather meets visibility and cloud clearance minimums.

5. Confirm who owns or manages the launch site and the land under the flight.

6. Plan the flight to stay within visual line of sight and under 400 feet unless near a structure.

Practical takeaways

1. "Rural" does not mean "uncontrolled." Always check.

2. Controlled airspace near airports requires ATC authorization, usually through LAANC.

3. LAANC is an airspace authorization, not a weather or NOTAM check.

4. Check TFRs on the day you fly.

5. Part 107 altitude, speed, visibility, and line-of-sight limits apply everywhere.

At 48 Pegasus, flights are handled by licensed FAA Part 107 remote pilots, and this airspace check is part of planning any aerial job.

If you are planning aerial documentation for a property and want to know what the airspace looks like, contact 48 Pegasus, serving properties within 75 miles of Macon County, Tennessee, across Middle Tennessee and South Central Kentucky.

Sources

• 14 CFR Part 107, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-107

• UAS Data Exchange (LAANC) — Federal Aviation Administration — https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/laanc

• B4UFLY — Federal Aviation Administration — https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/b4ufly

• Graphic TFRs — Federal Aviation Administration — https://tfr.faa.gov/

Photos: cover by Colin Watts / Unsplash; inline by Niklas Jonasson / Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.