California, Hawaii drone operators get shortcut to authorizations

Commercial drone operators in California and Hawaii — as well as a few areas in Nevada, Utah and Arizona — now can get quickly authorized to fly in controlled airspace, Skyward announced.

Screenshot: Skyward

Skyward is an FAA-approved airspace vendor. With Skyward, pilots can access the FAA’s LAANC (Low Altitude Airspace Notification Capability) across the five states.

This means that pilots with a Part 107 license can get permission to fly in regulated airspace in seconds compared to manual authorizations that can take months, making it significantly easier for businesses of all sizes, particularly in the construction and warehousing industries, to manage a fleet of drones to access valuable, cost-saving data.

The LAANC platform lets UAV operators take advantage of this digital timesaver. Skyward was the first provider approved by the FAA to offer LAANC, and Skyward saw quick adoption by its customers as soon as the prototype was released on Oct. 23, 2017.

This phase of Skyward’s LAANC expansion includes airspace in some of the country’s busiest metro areas, including Los Angeles, the Bay Area, San Diego, Las Vegas and more than 50 smaller air markets. It will help the full diversity of businesses in the west find new ways to use drones in their operations through LAANC capability.

Below is the full list of airspace covered in the latest rollout of LAANC (download a PDF, “The Complete Guide to the 2018 LAANC Rollout”).

Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZLA)

Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, CA

Imperial County Airport (IPL), Imperial, CA

Needles Airport (EED), Needles, CA

St. George Regional Airport (SGU), St. George, UT

Tonopah Airport (TPH), Tonopah, NV

Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM), Thermal, CA

Meadows Field (BFL), Bakersfield, CA

Chino Airport (CNO), Chino, CA

McClellan–Palomar Airport (CRQ), Carlsbad, CA

San Gabriel Valley Airport (EMT), El Monte, CA

Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN), Grand Canyon Village, AZ

Long Beach Airport (LGB), Long Beach, CA

Montgomery – Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF), San Diego, CA

Brackett Field (POC), La Verne, CA

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), Palm Springs, CA

Gillespie Field (SEE), El Cajon, CA.

Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), Santa Monica, CA

Zamperini Field (TOA), Torrance, CA

North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), Las Vegas, NV

Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Los Angeles, CA

Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Burbank, CA

Ontario International Airport (ONT), Ontario, CA

John Wayne Airport (SNA), Orange County, CA

Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, CA

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, CA

San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Diego, CA

McCarran International Airport (LAS), Paradise, NV

Camarillo Airport (CMA), Camarillo, CA

Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOA)

Eastern Sierra Regional Airport (BIH), Bishop, CA

Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), Mammoth Lakes, CA

Paso Robles Municipal Airport (PRB), Paso Robles, CA

Red Bluff Municipal Airport (RBL), Red Bluff, CA

Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL), South Lake Tahoe, CA

Ukiah Municipal Airport (UKI), Ukiah, CA

Yuba County Airport (MYV), Olivehurst, CA

Merced Regional Airport (MCE), Merced, CA

Sacramento McClellan Airport (MCC), Sacramento, CA

Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, NV (already live)

Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Fresno, CA

Visalia Municipal Airport (VIS), Visalia, CA

Napa County Airport (APC), Napa, CA

Buchanan Field Airport (CCR), Concord, CA

Hayward Executive Airport (HWD), Hayward, CA

Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK), Livermore, CA

Palo Alto Airport (PAO), Palo Alto, CA

Reid–Hillview Airport (RHV), San Jose, CA

Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK), Stockton, CA

Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS), Santa Rosa, CA

Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), Monterey, CA

Oakland International Airport (OAK), Oakland, CA

Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Sacramento, CA,

Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC), San Jose, CA (already live)

San Francisco International Airport, (SFO) San Francisco, CA

Honolulu Area Control Facility (ZHN)

Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE), Kamuela, HI

Lanai Airport (LNY), Lanai City, HI

Hilo International Airport (ITO), Hilo, HI

Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, HI

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Honolulu, HI