LANNC Submission Pending ATC approval in 0 grid assistance

[JDS]

Hello all!

I have a Golf Course that is very interested in my services, but they are located within a Class C airspace, near LBB International. I have submitted 4 LANNC authorizations for a 200' ceiling for mapping and turf analysis, but have gotten them denied due to the FAA not reviewing them. I have submitted 2 with a 2 week lead time and am on my second pending for 30+ days submission prior to the flight.

The first three were submitted through Airmap and my current and still pending is through Skyward.IO. The app also states to not call ATC, as it may cause delays.

What can I do to see where I am in the process? Myself and the customer are frustrated. The green area in the attached picture is the approximate location of the Golf Course.

Any input is appreciated!

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

It is very frustrating. There is no process to follow up on LAANC. If my LAANCs request are withing allowable FAM grids they are approved immediately.

Are you sure you are not in a zero grid?
Is it the Lubbock Country club? That's a -0- grid.
Hillcrest is a 100 foot grid.

ArcGIS Web Application

faa.maps.arcgis.com

 

[BigAl07]

It is very frustrating. There is no process to follow up on LAANC. If my LAANCs request are withing allowable FAM grids they are approved immediately.

Are you sure you are not in a zero grid?
Is it the Lubbock Country club? That's a -0- grid.
Hillcrest is a 100 foot grid.

ArcGIS Web Application

faa.maps.arcgis.com

It's in 0 grid (the title says so).

It's not easy to get ANY approval in a ZERO area. If you don't satisfy their sweet tooth with danger mitigation etc you're just waiting on someone to pick it up and use the DENIED stamp.

If you have other authorizations from pre-LAANC days you will have a contact name & #. You can use that to call and place an inquiry as to the status of this one. Without that information it could be sitting on any # of different decks.

 

[JDS]

It is very frustrating. There is no process to follow up on LAANC. If my LAANCs request are withing allowable FAM grids they are approved immediately.

Are you sure you are not in a zero grid?
Is it the Lubbock Country club? That's a -0- grid.
Hillcrest is a 100 foot grid.

ArcGIS Web Application

faa.maps.arcgis.com

Luis,

You are correct, it is the Lubbock Country Club.

 

[JDS]

It's in 0 grid (the title says so).

It's not easy to get ANY approval in a ZERO area. If you don't satisfy their sweet tooth with danger mitigation etc you're just waiting on someone to pick it up and use the DENIED stamp.

If you have other authorizations from pre-LAANC days you will have a contact name & #. You can use that to call and place an inquiry as to the status of this one. Without that information it could be sitting on any # of different decks.

Big Al,

I have only recently earned my certification and started my business. This is my First try at LANNC authorizations and has been the most trying. It's for sure money--but not if I can't take off!

In your experiance, will the request be delayed if I call ATC and inquire--is that even a good place to start?

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

It's in 0 grid (the title says so).

It's not easy to get ANY approval in a ZERO area. If you don't satisfy their sweet tooth with danger mitigation etc you're just waiting on someone to pick it up and use the DENIED stamp.

If you have other authorizations from pre-LAANC days you will have a contact name & #. You can use that to call and place an inquiry as to the status of this one. Without that information it could be sitting on any # of different decks.

Forgot my Reading is Fundamental skills. Otherwise, my reply would have been SOL. Been down the zero grid road too many times, passed on plenty of jobs.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Luis,

You are correct, it is the Lubbock Country Club.

Is very close to the runways, unlikely they will approve. Sometimes you get a pooch that can't be screwed. Frustrating, I know, but...

 

[JDS]

Thanks Guys! I'll keep you posted as to if I get this approval or not. I appreciate your insight!

 

[BigAl07]

Big Al,

I have only recently earned my certification and started my business. This is my First try at LANNC authorizations and has been the most trying. It's for sure money--but not if I can't take off!

In your experiance, will the request be delayed if I call ATC and inquire--is that even a good place to start?

If you didn't spend the extra time explaining (in great detail) of the methods you're planning to use to ENSURE the Safety of the NAS right at the airport I doubt you'll get anything but a DENIED. We got 100' in a ZERO but it took an act of Congress and several back-n-forth with ATC on it.

 

[AH-1G]

I was in the same spot at Sanford International Airport. A project that needed to be done within 18 hours. 0 flight area.

WE contacted the Airport Manager, and he was able to get in touch with ATC for me to call him. I gave ATC the details of my intentions.

You can see the Control tower in the background and the other pic airliner up up and away.
I was right next to the taxiway.
View attachment 1635View attachment 1636

 

[BigAl07]

I was in the same spot at Sanford International Airport. A project that needed to be done within 18 hours. 0 flight area.

WE contacted the Airport Manager, and he was able to get in touch with ATC for me to call him. I gave ATC the details of my intentions.

You can see the Control tower in the background and the other pic airliner up up and away.
I was right next to the taxiway.
View attachment 1635View attachment 1636

I think I remember those pics .... didn't you share them one time before?

 

[AH-1G]

Hmmm, I know I shared them on the Yuneec forum. I'll take a look on this forum.

 

[AH-1G]

You are correct back April 5th.

 

[spamgnome]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but for those that HAVE been successful, how did you do it (safety mitigation, etc.?) I'd like to do some low alt (<100") AT a class D airport. Would calling the tower for permission do the trick? I could even have a "buddy" standing by with a hand-held radio. I'm also a licensed airplane pilot, so wonder if this might work in my favor.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but for those that HAVE been successful, how did you do it (safety mitigation, etc.?) I'd like to do some low alt (<100") AT a class D airport. Would calling the tower for permission do the trick? I could even have a "buddy" standing by with a hand-held radio. I'm also a licensed airplane pilot, so wonder if this might work in my favor.

All that information can help. Highlight the fact you will be using a visual observer. If you can monitor the tower frequency it would help as a mitigating factor. Is this a LAANC airport? If not you must use the portal.

 

[BigAl07]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but for those that HAVE been successful, how did you do it (safety mitigation, etc.?) I'd like to do some low alt (<100") AT a class D airport. Would calling the tower for permission do the trick? I could even have a "buddy" standing by with a hand-held radio. I'm also a licensed airplane pilot, so wonder if this might work in my favor.

Calling the tower probably won't work unless you already have a relationship with them. It can't hurt but don't bet the farm on it.

Being a Manned Pilot definitely helps and it's something I always "mention".

 

[Drbobk]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but for those that HAVE been successful, how did you do it (safety mitigation, etc.?) I'd like to do some low alt (<100") AT a class D airport. Would calling the tower for permission do the trick? I could even have a "buddy" standing by with a hand-held radio. I'm also a licensed airplane pilot, so wonder if this might work in my favor.

I got approval to 100’ in a zero grid, but not through LAANC. I requested an airspace authorization for the area over the golf club where I live. It was approved over a weekend, and is good until May 2020 (the date I requested). I mentioned that I have a private pilot license, that I’m thus familiar with traffic patterns, etc., and that I’d immediately call the tower by cell phone or announce on tower frequency with a handheld air band radio if I had a flyaway into the traffic area. Also mention that the drone has a robust RTH function. I did all this before LAANC was rolled out, but my airport doesn’t have LAANC yet. Even with the COA, I always called the tower to let them know I was flying and where. The response depends on who answers the phone. I’ve had people simply say thank you for the heads up and ask me to let them know when I was back down on the ground, one asked for my COA number, and one berated me for calling and bothering him while he was dealing with “real airplanes”.

Good luck. The advantage of the COA is that it can be valid for an extended period so you don’t have to start over if you get rained out.

 

[PatR]

Considering the location is smack in the middle of the “Base/West Departure legs for two runways in the airport traffic pattern you might consider revising your flight altitude downwards to provide more separation and submit your request again.

Since your a full scale pilot you could consult climb/nautical mile and glide slope profile charts to illustrate the intended separation between manned and unmanned aircraft for the area of flight. The LAANC people prolly will not look any deeper than the sector grid altitude before making a decision. Info that would demonstrate your understanding and cause them to look deeper could be helpful.

 

[Mike Flys]

Hello all!

I have a Golf Course that is very interested in my services, but they are located within a Class C airspace, near LBB International. I have submitted 4 LANNC authorizations for a 200' ceiling for mapping and turf analysis, but have gotten them denied due to the FAA not reviewing them. I have submitted 2 with a 2 week lead time and am on my second pending for 30+ days submission prior to the flight.

The first three were submitted through Airmap and my current and still pending is through Skyward.IO. The app also states to not call ATC, as it may cause delays.

What can I do to see where I am in the process? Myself and the customer are frustrated. The green area in the attached picture is the approximate location of the Golf Course.

Any input is appreciated!

I have gotten several approvals in 0 grids using AirMap. depending on location it generally takes a day or two to a week.
As close as that is to the airport you may not get authorized for 200 feet. Try 100 foot.

I think part of it is reputation. I have received several authorizations over the last couple of years via FAA website and LANNC. (Being a local airplane pilot helps some). Try getting a few authorizations and flying non-0 grids to help establish yourself.

Good luck with it.

 

[Free2Fly]

Sorry I'm late to the party here. Here is an excerpt from one I filed (and successfully got) through the Drone Zone. It took ~3 1/2 weeks to get approval, but I did get it. This not only had the approach end of a runway, but a prison, jail and detainee facility to deal with. Here is how i phrased it:

"We will be using 2 visual observers in addition to the pilot, all equipped with city-wide radios. Pilot will have the mic/speaker extension clipped to his collar to keep him hands-free but able to hear and respond to steering commands. VO's 1 and 2 will be stationed at opposite ends of the flight areas to maximize positioning to maintain VLOS, and to monitor ground and sky quadrants for incursion traffic. One of the VO's will always be within normal speaking voice distance to the RPIC in the event of radio failure. An alternate landing area will be designated within easy visual distance of the RPIC from each launch point at the furthest common distance from any likely traffic or incursion area in the event of an emergency or cautionary landing need. An emergency kit containing a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher will be stationed by the VO closest to the pilot. A radio capable of monitoring (removed for anonymity, but it was the the local airport in question's CT/CTAF) will be stationed with the VO closest to the pilot. The VO at the far end from the pilot will periodically monitor (name of flight app, name removed to adhere to this site's ToS) for air traffic. All 3 personnel will be scanning the sky for incursions or obstacles, while the VO's will maintain the ground check for vehicular or pedestrian incursions. Flight planning software will geofence the area containing the prison to prevent accidental incursion over prohibited airspace, and the pilot will stay ready to fly manually in case of software failure to prevent such an incursion. The prison and jail facilities will be informed of our surveys by phone prior to the start of the survey dates to make them aware of close proximity activity.The flight lines of the DJI Phantom 4 will be constructed to stay within the corridors defined by the survey boundaries and will not encroach either the prison or jail facilities. Each flight will be performed only after a flight briefing is held to go over points of concern with the RPIC and VO's, and an alternate landing site will be designated each time as above."

Hope this helps you formulate your request. LAANC is not how you need to file. This is Drone Zone stuff since you are requesting Airspace Authorization that falls outside of the ArcGIS limitation height.