Understanding Airspace
Certification of Authorization for Part 107 (107.41) requires that you have an authorization from Air Traffic Control prior to operating in Class B, C, D, or the surface area of Class E airspace.LAANC.Certificates of Authorizations can take up to 90 days to be issued. Business can be easily lost filing certificates of authorization. I have found an area where I want to practice and that has given me a good opportunity to file a certificate of authorization. The certificate of authorization can be for a time period of a day to a year. I suggest that if you are going to solicit business in areas near airports where permission is necessary then getting permission may be a good way of being able to solicit business.Certificate of Authorization, COA application, they will send you email notifications of the progress of each stage, beginning with submitted. You will first start out with an administration review check to make sure the application has been filled out properly and then it will go to an Air Traffic Control Facility for coordination review. Once it has passed this stage, it will go into a completion stage where you will be given permission to fly within the airspace.If you have been given a Certificate of Authorization to conduct operations in Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace, you will need to file a Notice to Airman, also known as a NOTAM. It’s also good practices to check for NOTAM on the Flight Service website. The website has a link to the FAA NOTAMS. You need to check for NOTAMs before each flight to obtain information about airspace restrictions. Drone flights are prohibited in areas of Temporary Flight Restrictions, such as firefighting or disaster relief efforts. Because a TFR may be issued with little advance notice, it is always good to check before your flight. To file a NOTAM is easy. Don’t let calling the proper authorities to get permission to fly your drone scare you. This is important to ensure the safety of your flights. Only file a NOTAM if the airport has a control tower, otherwise, you may need to contact a city or county official if you are within five miles of the airport. If you feel you can’t make the phone call, then stop right here and sell your drone. I don’t want you flying if you can’t be responsible enough to ensure my airspace is safe.
It is easy to contact the NOTAM Flight Service Station. The number is 1-877-4-US-NTMS or (1-877-487- 6867). They will direct you to the proper region for you to file your flight plan. Try to give at least eight hours’ notification prior to the operation. It is suggested that 24 to 72 hours is preferred but sometimes scheduling and weather conditions limit the amount of advanced notice that you can give.
No matter who you call, the issuing agency will require four items. The items include the remote pilot in command’s name and phone number, the location, altitude, and operating area, the time and nature of the operation, and the number of drones to be flown. The name and phone number is critical because it gives emergency access to the remote pilot in command if critical information were to be relayed from the air traffic controller.
FAA grants waivers as an authorized way of being able to operate your drone outside of the operational rules. A waiver is an official document issued by the FAA that allows you to fly an aircraft outside the limitations of an operational rule, but under conditions ensuring an equivalent level of safety. It is not the same as an airspace authorization. The FAA may approve an application for a waiver under the provisions in Part 107 only when it has been determined that the proposed operation can be safely conducted under the terms in the certificate of waiver.
