FAA Launches Updated Drone App

In partnership with drone software management company Kittyhawk, the FAA has relaunched its B4UFLY mobile app for drone pilots. According to the FAA, B4UFLY was designed as a situational awareness tool for recreational drone users to help them figure out where they can and cannot fly in the national airspace system (NAS). The updated app is available for free via the iOS App Store and Android Google Play store.

“As we continue our efforts to safely integrate drones into the NAS, working with our industry partners to provide innovative technology is critical,” said FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell. “The B4UFLY app is another tool the FAA can provide recreational drone flyers to help them fly safely and responsibly.”

As previously reported by AVweb, the FAA announced last February that it would be updating the app with the help of Kittyhawk, which has been an FAA Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) UAS Service Supplier since October 2018. B4UFLY features include a "status" indicator that informs the operator whether it is safe to fly or not, interactive maps with filtering options, airspace information, location search, and links to FAA drone resources and regulatory information. It also provides a link to LAANC, through which users can request authorization to fly in controlled airspace.