LAANC Approved, Read to fly?

[Charlie81]

We were recently tasked with mapping a property we own that is extremely close to an airport. We put in a LAANC for approval through Aloft and first received the response of "Pending FAA Review". About a week later IT was "Authorized by FAA". The day of the flight we put in a NOTAM and we called for a briefing from FAA Flight Service Station. While conducting the flight we felt uncomfortable with the proximity of the landing flight path of incoming airplanes and erred on the side of caution by calling it for the day. Questions.

With an approved LAANC is there anything more that needs to be done?

Does the tower or FAA see our drone when flying? Are they watching it for safety?

Will the tower or FAA call to check in if they are concerned with actions of the flight?

Is it really on us to decide solely what could be dangerous or too close to an airplane landing flight path?

 

[adm_geomatics]

We were recently tasked with mapping a property we own that is extremely close to an airport. We put in a LAANC for approval through Aloft and first received the response of "Pending FAA Review". About a week later IT was "Authorized by FAA". The day of the flight we put in a NOTAM and we called for a briefing from FAA Flight Service Station. While conducting the flight we felt uncomfortable with the proximity of the landing flight path of incoming airplanes and erred on the side of caution by calling it for the day. Questions.

With an approved LAANC is there anything more that needs to be done?

Does the tower or FAA see our drone when flying? Are they watching it for safety?

Will the tower or FAA call to check in if they are concerned with actions of the flight?

Is it really on us to decide solely what could be dangerous or too close to an airplane landing flight path?


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Any time I have fly inside the bounds of an airport I notify ATC of take-off and landing. Many times the authorization will actually request this. I'm surprised yours doesn't.

 

[JimD]

We were recently tasked with mapping a property we own that is extremely close to an airport. We put in a LAANC for approval through Aloft and first received the response of "Pending FAA Review". About a week later IT was "Authorized by FAA". The day of the flight we put in a NOTAM and we called for a briefing from FAA Flight Service Station. While conducting the flight we felt uncomfortable with the proximity of the landing flight path of incoming airplanes and erred on the side of caution by calling it for the day. Questions.

With an approved LAANC is there anything more that needs to be done?

Does the tower or FAA see our drone when flying? Are they watching it for safety?

Will the tower or FAA call to check in if they are concerned with actions of the flight?

Is it really on us to decide solely what could be dangerous or too close to an airplane landing flight path?


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With an approved LAANC is there anything more that needs to be done? No. Beingtechnically correct what you have is a COA.

Does the tower or FAA see our drone when flying? Are they watching it for safety? Maybe but probably not. My local executive Airport has one of those DJI drones scanners but they only turn it on during Air shows that are there.

Will the tower or FAA call to check in if they are concerned with actions of the flight? I suppose they could but unlikely they will if you follow the terms of the. COA they shouldn’t need to.

Is it really on us to decide solely what could be dangerous or too close to an airplane landing flight path? Yes. as the PIC that is your job.

If your COA was for 200 feet I can assure you they have no worries about that altitude at that distance from the runway. Pilots basically get to 500 feet as quickly as they can. Flying lower than that is fraught with danger drones or not. and not because of worries about hitting something, but worries about stalling at a low altitude where you have no time to recover. It’s one of the major reasons for GA fatalities.

I once had a COA that said I was supposed to call ATC and when I did, they were like why the hell are you calling us?

 

[adm_geomatics]

I once had a COA that said I was supposed to call ATC and when I did, they were like why the hell are you calling us?

No mind. FAA trumps ATC every day so you did the right thing. That sounds like a grumpy Controller.

 

[Charlie81]

Yea our controller was beeping and showing the incoming planes in red. It was concerning.

 

[JimD]

Well, in my experience for their Airport, ATC was indeed the final authority. First of all the airport itself were the ones that defined what the LANNC zones should be.

I also know for a fact that when it’s a non-automatic approval it’s ATC that makes the call for the airport. I should’ve saved it, but I had an email from the FAA that basically told me that they were waiting on ATC to get back to them and that’s why I didn’t have my COA yet.

In the previously mention case no doubt the people that were on duty that day - they just didn’t know what was in the COA.

Long long ago in a galaxy far far away it was a call to ATC to get permission to fly in the Class airspace of their airport. now, of course you’re not even supposed to talk to them unless you’re told to. So maybe they remembered those days and thought I was asking them if I could fly.
STU is in Stuart Florida and there’s plenty of old timers here that’s for sure (including me).

 

[JimD]

Yea our controller was beeping and showing the incoming planes in red. It was concerning.

I can understand your concern, but believe me when I tell you, the FAA or ATC would not have approved it if they thought for a microsecond that it was high risk in fact, they would consider it low risk or they wouldn’t do it.

In the current atmosphere if something did go wrong, they’d be skewered.

You saw what happened after that recent DC mid air. Hundreds of FAA employees were let go that of course bore absolutely no responsibility in the case. so I don’t think they want to be anywhere near some mishap like that.

As I stated before most GA fatalities occur close to the ground so CFIs drill it into their students to get up fast to at least 1500 feet. Well, there’s always a chance of pilot error but you don’t need to be in controlled airspace on a COA for that to happen.