USA Airspace question

[licensed pilot]

How do we know which airports will be authorized through the app in the future. I know there are only a hand full of quick approve airports now:FAA Facilities participating in LAANC Initial Prototype Evaluation – Fall 2017

$64K question, up to the FAA wizards....perhaps next Xmas?

 

[skybandit]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. My timeline might be off but I thought the FAA UAS maps came about after 107 and since they are from the FAA themselves I figured that's the latest reference I needed to rely upon but yeah, confirming against a sectional is wise and that's what I did as I continued to dig into this matter. And I'll take the hit for brain farting on the Class B regulations. This is the first time I've had to deal with Class B so it slipped from my knowledge a while back. In any case, really glad to have this resource to turn to. Thanks again.

 

[Eshorvath]

I was told another batch to be released in February 2018.

 

[licensed pilot]

A rare view of the FAA waiver approval process:

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

That means you do NOT need a waiver if you stay UNDER 300'. I've checked this up in my area near an international airport. The class B goes well beyond the 5 miles, but at 5 miles out, the floor of the class B is at 300', then at about 6 miles out it goes to 400'.

What that map is telling you is that you can fly up to the altitude specified in each box without needing a waiver because, at that altitude you are NOT in controlled airspace.

Remember a Class B airspace is usually like an upside down wedding cake. With the middle part being from the surface up, then the next level is from x feet (usually 200 or 300 feet). Which means, unless otherwise designated, you are not within controlled airspace if you are below that floor. The reason you get the warning in app, is because of the over head class B airspace. I don't think the apps warning takes altitude into consideration, so it thinks you're in Class B.

Now the problem I've found is that this mapping system you posted isn't really accurate. But then again neither is a sectional. On a sectional you can't really tell exactly where the borders are because there aren't really good landmarks to use as a reference on a sectional. You have to go strictly by the lat./long. on the map, which means you have to have a GPS with you.

 

[licensed pilot]

The FAM maps mean nothing until the specific airport joins the LAANC program. OK, that's not quite true. The FAM maps help to inform operator requesting waivers via the portal the if they stay at or below the FAM altitude they have a better chance for approval via the portal. Once your airport is in LAANC, that "300" means UAV operators can request and get immediate approval up to the 300 feet for that square.

Controlled airspace is governed by the proper markings on each sectional, not by FAM maps. Class B "bottom" levels and top levels within each "cake layer" are labeled with the blue numbers. In the Phoenix sectional below, the bottom layer of the cake (the keyhole shape around the airport) controlled airspace starts at the surface and goes to 9,000 feet MSL. In the area to the east, controlled airspace begins at 3,400 feet MSL and goes tp 9000 feet MSL.

Any UAS operation from the surface up to 9,000 feet MSL inside the "keyhole" must have ATC approval as it's controlled airspace.

I tried (not very well) to combine both sectionals and FAM in the third pic below. For example; there's a faint "300" just to the left of 90/SFC. That square is inside the blue Class B boundary. Since PHX IS a participating LAANC I can get an immediate approval for a flight from the surface up to 300 ft via Skyward or AirMap.Any UAS flight within the 90/34 wedge requires no approval since Class B does not begin until 3400 MSL and Phoenix elevation in the area is only about 1200 feet.

 

[Dave Pitman]

That means you do NOT need a waiver if you stay UNDER 300'. I've checked this up in my area near an international airport. The class B goes well beyond the 5 miles, but at 5 miles out, the floor of the class B is at 300', then at about 6 miles out it goes to 400'.

What that map is telling you is that you can fly up to the altitude specified in each box without needing a waiver because, at that altitude you are NOT in controlled airspace.

Sorry, a common misconception.

From the FAA website directly answering the question.

UAS Facility Maps

UAS Facility Maps show the maximum altitudes around airports where the FAA may authorize part 107 UAS operations without additional safety analysis. The maps should be used to inform requests for part 107 airspace authorizations and waivers in controlled airspace.

NOTE: These maps DO NOT authorize operations in these areas at the depicted altitudes – they are for informational purposes ONLY. Requests to operate in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, or surface area E) must still be submitted through the FAA's Online Waiver Portal.


source: UAS Facility Maps

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Sorry, a common misconception.

From the FAA website directly answering the question.

UAS Facility Maps

UAS Facility Maps show the maximum altitudes around airports where the FAA may authorize part 107 UAS operations without additional safety analysis. The maps should be used to inform requests for part 107 airspace authorizations and waivers in controlled airspace.

NOTE: These maps DO NOT authorize operations in these areas at the depicted altitudes – they are for informational purposes ONLY. Requests to operate in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, or surface area E) must still be submitted through the FAA's Online Waiver Portal.


source: UAS Facility Maps

You're right. I incorrectly assumed that these maps were showing the floor values of the related controlled airspace.

My statement about controlled airspace floors still applies, but don't use these maps as the indicator of that. The sectional will show the floors for controlled airspace. But it's still a pain to precisely determine the exact boundaries from Sectionals..

 

[licensed pilot]

"But it's still a pain to precisely determine the exact boundaries from Sectionals.. "

Steve, I stumble into this trick purely by accident. Go to Flight Service
and create a new account if you don't have one. Go to UAS >PLANNING and follow the attached hints. First I use Google Earth to get the coordinates of the location I'm flying at. The Lockheed site will show it on a sectional. I love this.

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

oh, that's cool!!! That will help a ton because I get a lot of requests right near a border class B area and usually have to turn them down. I'm looking at 3 jobs I correctly turned down and another half dozen that I didn't have to.

Great tip!

 

[licensed pilot]

oh, that's cool!!! That will help a ton because I get a lot of requests right near a border class B area and usually have to turn them down. I'm looking at 3 jobs I correctly turned down and another half dozen that I didn't have to.

Great tip!

My pleasure! I stumble across this in 2016 and was going to post it but figured it was common knowledge. Glad it helps you make more $$$.

 

[Eshorvath]

"But it's still a pain to precisely determine the exact boundaries from Sectionals.. "

Steve, I stumble into this trick purely by accident. Go to Flight Service
and create a new account if you don't have one. Go to UAS >PLANNING and follow the attached hints. First I use Google Earth to get the coordinates of the location I'm flying at. The Lockheed site will show it on a sectional. I love this.

What does this do?

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Once you enter an address (or centerpoint) and click on the map, then click on 'Sectional', it will show you that location on the sectional so you can see exactly where the location is on the actual Sectional chart. This will tell you whether you're in controlled airspace or not with no guessing or some tool that could be wrong.

 

[Dave Pitman]

If you are a Google Earth user, you can get free sectional overlays. Enter and address or lat/long and the pin will drop on the map right on the overlay, simple.

Over time, I've outlined the controlled airspace depicted in the sectional overlay right onto google earth so that I can easily see the boarders without the sectional raster in the way.

 

[licensed pilot]

Great. U wanna share how?

 

[Dave Pitman]

Great. U wanna share how?

Getting the sectional layer into google earth?

Download this .kml and it will probably open in Google Earth Pro if you have it installed. Or you can import the .kml manually after download.

 

[licensed pilot]

Outstanding. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing. This post should be a sticky.

 

[Eshorvath]

If you are a Google Earth user, you can get free sectional overlays. Enter and address or lat/long and the pin will drop on the map right on the overlay, simple.

Over time, I've outlined the controlled airspace depicted in the sectional overlay right onto google earth so that I can easily see the boarders without the sectional raster in the way.

View attachment 17649

Where did you find the kml? When I uploaded the image to Google earth, it overlayed the actual sectional and cannot see the aerial image under.

 

[licensed pilot]

Look at the left side, if you remove the check mark from SECTIONAL CHARTS that layer will disappear.