The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) created Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), a free service, to automate approvals, in real-time, for both commercial and recreational drone pilots looking to operate in controlled airspace. The program started out as a prototype in 2017 and subsequently became available on top airspace management apps including Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk), UASidekick, Airmap, and the FAA’s own B4UFly. This is the first time LAANC has been down and unavailable.
Urgent message for drone pilots: The FAA is experiencing a nationwide outage of the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability. Airspace authorizations are currently ONLY available through the FAADroneZone until further notice. https://t.co/3wyVSIxV9s #LAANC pic.twitter.com/XVEllFo4z7
— FAA Drone Zone (@FAADroneZone) June 21, 2021
DroneDJ first reported the service was temporarily down almost 24 hours ago, as of this writing. Quite frankly, we believed the issue would be resolved by now. Since launching in beta, over 320,000 LAANC approvals have been granted according to data shared by Aloft last year. More than one-third of those requests were made in the first six months of 2020, especially during the start of the pandemic.
LAANC is a critical service for Air Traffic Controllers as well. Having awareness of where and when drones are in their airspace is crucial for safety in regards to both manned and unmanned aircraft. While there still isn’t any word from the FAA on when the service will be up again, Aloft has continued to reach out to the government agency for updates and is posting them here.
For now, those looking to acquire LAANC authorization will need to visit the FAADroneZone portal.
Sigma’s 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a designed-for-mirrorless reimagining of the company’s very first ‘Art’ lens that was released all the way back in 2012 for DSLR cameras. It’s got some big shoes to fill, so check out how it fares in our review.We’ve just completed our studio scene analysis of Sigma’s diminutive fp L high-resolution mirrorless camera – take a look at how its 61 megapixel sensor performs against other mirrorless options in both Raw and JPEG, at high and low ISO values.There are so many Thunderbolt Docks on the market at the moment that it can be overwhelming to find the right one for you. We took a look at five different options to see how they might fit into your workflow.Nik Collection from DxO is a suite of eight image processing tools that can be used either as standalone apps or plug-ins for third-party software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. We’ve taken a look at the latest version – click through to read our overview of Nik Collection 4.The Panasonic GH5M2 is a refresh, rather than complete reworking, of the company’s image-stabilized, video focused GH5. A new processor boosts its capabilities. We lookat whether this is enough to keep it competitive.
If you’re looking for a high-quality camera, you don’t need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we’ve selected some cameras that might be a bit older but still offer a lot of bang for the buck.What’s the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we’ve rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.What’s the best camera for less than $1000? The best cameras for under $1000 should have good ergonomics and controls, great image quality and be capture high-quality video. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing under $1000 and recommended the best.Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we’ve chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.What’s the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.