Drone Operations - FlySafe

Drone pilot silhouette with aircraft.

Flying Your Drone Safely

Texas A&M University Corpus Christi - Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation (LSUASC) supports the safe, respectful, and legal use of drones in our community as a source of recreation and economic development.

To enable students, residents, and businesses to FlySafe, Lone Star UAS provides live data on areas of potential risk, advisories for local events or emergencies, and other flight planning features in the AirHub Launch application – a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved, Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) UAS Service Supplier (USS). Pilots can access sophisticated pre-flight risk assessments, local weather reports, and automated near real-time LAANC approvals to fly in local controlled airspace (under 400’) in just two clicks.


What is LAANC and the FlySafe program

LAANC is a partnership between the FAA and private industry (like Airspace Link) to safely integrate small drones into the national airspace. Flying within the national airspace is strictly regulated by the FAA. All FAA TRUST Certified Recreational and FAA Certified Commercial (Part 107) drone pilots require FAA LAANC authorization before operating in controlled airspace. The good news is now drone pilots can receive LAANC authorization for most operations in just a few seconds! Additionally, commercial pilots can request further coordination with the FAA for those operations that LAANC cannot automatically approve. LAANC is now available at over 541 air traffic facilities and 732 airports nationwide.

Get Started Now

Step 1: Confirm Your Certifications

  • Confirm that your FAA Recreational Drone Pilot TRUST Certificate or Commercial Drone Pilot Certificate is valid.

Step 2: FAA Drone Registration

  • All drones must be registered, except those than weigh 0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams).

Step 3: Create a New Pilot Account

  • Register as a UAS drone pilot using a valid email address in the AirHub Launch application. Once registered, you’ll have access to the most up-to-date airspace information, be able to create new LAANC operation submissions, and receive near real-time automated approvals from participating air traffic facilities and airports nationwide.

Step 4: Find Your Operation Location OR Click “Fly Now!”

  • After logging in, locate where you will be operating your drone using either an address, a known location name, the geographic coordinates, or manually navigate using the interactive map.
  • Alternatively, you can also create an operation by clicking the “Fly Now!” button. This feature allows you to quickly create a flight by pre-populating your information and automatically creating a circular flight boundary of your current location.

Step 5: Define Operation Parameters

  • The basics of an operation consist of an Operation Name, a Start Time (and Duration), the Operation Altitude, and the area you intend to fly. AirHub Launch will ensure you stay on track as you input your data.

Step 6: Request Authorization From the FAA

  • The final step is to request authorization from the FAA (if necessary) by clicking “Save Operation.” Sometimes, the operation is divided up into multiple areas if we need to submit to different Air Traffic Control facilities – AirHub Launch will handle that too.

FAA Resources

If you have not already done so, please confirm your certifications and register your drone with the FAA.

Confirm Your Certifications

Confirm that your FAA Recreational Drone Pilot TRUST Certificate or Commercial Drone Pilot Certificate is valid.

FAA Drone Registration

All drones must be registered, except those that weigh 0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams).

Know the Rules

Understanding the FAA’s drone pilot rules of the sky is the best way to start your flight.

Advanced Drone Operations

For drone delivery, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations, and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure, or support in the region, contact: