US recreational drone pilots can now apply for LAANC authorizations at night using the app offered by drones services company Aloft. This feature went live today across the Aloft platform, including Aloft’s mobile apps and on the web, says the company press release.
Since August 2021, Aloft has supported LAANC at night commercial (Part 107) operators, and we are thankful that the FAA has approved this functionality for recreational pilots. Just as commercial pilots must comply with the regulations, recreational pilots must comply with their rules and regulations for nighttime LAANC authorizations, such as completing the recreational UAS safety test (TRUST) prior to flying and following the safety guidelines of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recognized community based organization. Full compliance details and links are available in the Aloft web and mobile applications as you request and manage your LAANC authorizations.
This new functionality is critical, as recreational participation with LAANC is decreasing. Whereas total FAA commercial LAANC authorizations increased 22% last year, total FAA recreational LAANC authorizations decreased 5% in 2022 from 185k authorizations to 175k. As Aloft powers the vast majority of commercial and recreational LAANC, the company continues to work with the FAA and propose new capabilities to increase LAANC usage, utility, and effectiveness. Aloft believes more needs to be done to continue serving drone pilots and their access to the airspace.
The safety of the National Airspace System (NAS) requires dedicated partners to serve the largest user base of the NAS – drone pilots – with secure tools that protect user privacy and enable equitable access to the air. Aloft holds both SOC2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications and adheres to industry and regulatory requirements to ensure data privacy and protection. Aloft will continue to share updates as they are made available and approved by the FAA for distribution.
For more information:
www.aloft.ai
