Approved Airspace Authorization!

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So the FAA to date has only approved 81 airspace authorizations. I’m proud to say we’re one of those. Nearly 1,000 have been submitted yet the FAA is throwing out 90% of them!

In this quick video I show the authorization and detail the steps we took to make it happen.

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Is there any kind of notification if your request is rejected?

I submitted one for the first week of October near my local airport, but I only submitted it a few days before the time requested (and probably didn't provide enough detail) and never heard back yes or no. I'd like to submit another one, but one of the questions they ask is if you've already submitted one or if you've already had one rejected, and I'm not sure how to answer yet.
 
I'm kind of surprised that these are so hard to get. It's kind of a self-selecting group of pilots. The drone operators that actually apply for airspace authorizations are pretty much going to be be the ones most likely to fly very responsibly. My suspicion is that the process is much like any other overworked government regulatory agency....just ignore or throw out 90% of the thousands of requests that make up the pile sitting on your desk.
 
I submitted mine in early September for a period covering October and November and haven't heard anything. Mine was for operations in Class E sfc airspace. Would like to hear from anyone who has received a 'rejection' notice. At least we would know where we stand.
 
I'm kind of surprised that these are so hard to get. It's kind of a self-selecting group of pilots.

They aren't so hard to get. Gold Seal has gotten two recently. The problem is in the particular requests. If you're a mile or two off the approach end of a runway and ask for authorization to fly up to 400 feet it's reasonable to expect that your request will be denied. Keep the requests as low as possible, be precise in your location, dot all the "i"s and cross all the "t"s and you might have good luck. Most denials have been for pretty basic reasons that requestors should have been aware of.
 
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N42742,
Have you actually spoken with anyone who has received a rejection notice? How were they notified?
 
N42742,
Have you actually spoken with anyone who has received a rejection notice? How were they notified?
I have received a rejection and it was an attached PDF letter sent to the email used on the application.
 
I have received a rejection and it was an attached PDF letter sent to the email used on the application.
Sorry to hear that, when did you submit yours? Mind telling us why it was rejected?
 
Sorry to hear that, when did you submit yours? Mind telling us why it was rejected?

Yea I made a thread for it a week or 2 ago. I submitted in mid September after getting my temporary. It was for one day, one hour, less than 200' agl, and near water. (Lake Michigan). The rejected reason was "flight puts you over open water". Which doesn't make sense since I will be taking off and landing on land.
 
Yea I made a thread for it a week or 2 ago. I submitted in mid September after getting my temporary. It was for one day, one hour, less than 200' agl, and near water. (Lake Michigan). The rejected reason was "flight puts you over open water". Which doesn't make sense since I will be taking off and landing on land.
Ok, I remember now reading it. Guess I'll keep waiting. Although I plan to submit another for the same are starting in January.
 
It took over 3 weeks for the FAA to just acknowledge that I submitted the request and give me a tracking/case number. A total of 4 weeks in the system. Class C airspace at an airport, so I am waiting for it to be rejected. :)
 
Great job on the video. We also have a guide with checklists and templates to help out as well. You can find it here.
 
N42742,
Have you actually spoken with anyone who has received a rejection notice? How were they notified?
Hey Richard, we got a rejection for a night flight waiver request last week. They sent it to us via email after about a month. Here's a screenshot so you can see how it looks.
waiver denial.png
Although they're different things, I imagine both airspace authorizations and waiver request emails come from the same place, so this should show you what to expect. Hope this helps!
 
Appreciate the info. Still haven't heard anything. I suspect the since I put my request in in sept to run oct thru nov, that it got dropped because they didn't start looking at them until after my requested time frame required. Going to resubmit later today.
 
Appreciate the info. Still haven't heard anything. I suspect the since I put my request in in sept to run oct thru nov, that it got dropped because they didn't start looking at them until after my requested time frame required. Going to resubmit later today.
Good luck! I'd love to hear how it goes.
 
I've had a couple of airspace rejections. I sort of expected them. I was kind of aggressive in what I asked for to see where the limits were. They have come from a consultant working with the the FAA with an attachment that looks almost exactly like what Ethan posted.
 
I've noticed that in recent submissions (unlike what I was first getting) they now do keep you up to date. You get a receipt email when you submit it and then automated updates each step of the way. They're somewhat cryptic but help you to know that you're making progress.
Hey Richard, we got a rejection for a night flight waiver request last week. They sent it to us via email after about a month. Here's a screenshot so you can see how it looks.
View attachment 68425
Although they're different things, I imagine both airspace authorizations and waiver request emails come from the same place, so this should show you what to expect. Hope this helps!

Hey Ethan,

If you're still looking for a night waiver, I put together a fairly cheap guide on how to do it. I did a bunch of research on what others are getting approved and I've worked with other types of FAA programs for about a decade if it helps. You can find it here.
 

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