LAANC Explained: Free Airspace Authorization for Drones

LAANC stands for Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability. It is the automated system that connects drone apps to FAA airspace data so a pilot can get permission to fly in controlled airspace without phoning a control tower. Before LAANC, that permission took weeks of paperwork. Today, in most of the country, it takes about as long as ordering a coffee.

How LAANC actually works

Every piece of controlled airspace is broken into grid squares, and each square carries a published ceiling: 400, 300, 200, 100 or 0 feet. That number comes from the FAA's UAS Facility Maps, which the local air traffic facility maintains based on approach paths and traffic patterns.

When you submit a request through an approved app, the app sends your location, requested altitude and time window to the FAA. If your altitude is at or below the published ceiling, the system returns an automatic approval almost instantly along with an authorization number. Air traffic control receives a notification about your flight at the same time — you are not sneaking past anyone, you are being logged.

Which apps provide LAANC

Only FAA-approved UAS Service Suppliers can issue LAANC authorizations. The list changes occasionally, but the commonly used options are:

• Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk) — free, supports both recreational and Part 107 requests, widely considered the default choice.
• Autopylot — clean mobile interface, quick immediate authorizations.
• Airspace Link (AirHub) — strong at planning and adds local ground-risk data.
• UASidekick — detailed pre-flight briefings alongside authorization.
• Avision and Skyward — used more by commercial teams and fleets.

Manufacturer apps such as DJI Fly are not LAANC providers. Unlocking a geofence in a manufacturer app is a software permission from the manufacturer, not an FAA authorization, and the two are completely unrelated in law.

Recreational versus Part 107 access

Both groups use the same system, but the rules attached differ in ways that surprise people.

The practical takeaway: a recreational flyer whose local park sits in a 0-foot grid has no path to legal flight there. A Part 107 pilot has two — further coordination, or a manual DroneZone application.

Requesting an authorization step by step

Authorizations are time-boxed, commonly up to 12 hours. If your flight runs past the window you need a new request. If your plans change, cancel the authorization in the app so the facility is not expecting a drone that never arrives.

What to do when LAANC will not approve

Two situations produce a refusal. The first is a zero-foot grid: the FAA has decided no automatic drone operations are appropriate there, typically directly under a runway approach. The second is a temporary flight restriction layered over otherwise fine airspace — a stadium event, a presidential visit, a wildfire.

Your options, in order of practicality:

1. Move. Walking a few hundred yards is often enough to reach a grid with a published ceiling. This is the answer almost every time.
2. Wait. Temporary restrictions expire. Stadium restrictions end one hour after the event.
3. Submit a further coordination request. Part 107 only, at least 24 hours ahead. A human at the facility reviews it and may approve, modify or deny it. There is no appeal, and no obligation on the FAA to respond in your favor.
4. Apply manually through DroneZone. Part 107 only, for facilities outside LAANC or requests LAANC cannot handle. Allow weeks, not days.

Keep your paperwork together

Carry three things on every controlled-airspace flight: your Certificate of Registration, your LAANC authorization number, and — as a recreational flyer — your TRUST completion certificate. All three can live as PDFs on your phone. If your registration is not sorted yet, we handle the filing for you; if you want to check whether you need it at all, start with the registration checker.