It is almost impossible not to hear weekly news reports that have something to do with drones.  Drones have become such a major part of our world’s daily activities.  Between being used by personal hobbyists to military professionals and commercial operators, drones are everywhere.  As logistics companies get closer to solidifying transportation routes, drone deliveries will soon become an actuality as well.  With drone prices dropping and DIY kits becoming easier, there is a good possibility that you or one of your neighbors will be launching a drone into the skies.

With this constant influx of drones in our environment there is also a constant influx of drone safety issues.  The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has been working tirelessly to come up with drone regulations that serve to protect the drone operator as well as civilians, public and private property, and airspace.  To start with, any commercial drone operator needs to be licensed and have their drone registered with the FAA.  This includes any drones being flown for monetary purposes.  The registration part is an easy to fill out form and the license needed is a Part 107, also a fairly easy process.

But recently, the biggest concern facing the FAA and everyone involved with drones is how to regulate drones in the air.  When completing the Part 107, the rules and regulations of where and when drones can be flown are made very clear.  It also just takes a bit of common sense to figure out that there are certain places where drones should not be flown.  Restricted air spaces includes anything over 400ft, any manned aircraft (like planes and helicopters), airports, government buildings, national parks, and over crowds of people.  There are also restrictions that can pop up in certain areas depending on what is going on at any given time.  Yet we still hear reports on the news of drones interfering in these areas, whether intentionally or not.

It is recommended that anyone looking to fly their drone for any time or location to check what the airspace conditions are first.  This can be done by logging into the FAA’s website and checking for current restrictions.  Now it is even easier than ever with the update of the free app B4ufly. B4ufly is a collaboration with the FAA and Kittyhawk to provide real time information on airspace restrictions.  Kittyhawk creates software that provides safety for drones, whether it is for a single drone or a fleet of drones.  B4ufly was first launched in 2015, but it was less than effective.  Operators still found they needed to log into the FAA website to get critical information, and mistakes often happened.

With the collaboration with Kittyhawk the app is easier and more accurate use.  All a user needs to do is turn on the app with their smart phone or tablet.  The app will instantly find the drone’s location and clearly state if they are good to go or if there is a plane or some other restriction in place.  You can also enter in a destination in advance to find out if there is a current or planned restriction.  The app is integrated with Mapbox, an open source mapping platform that relays any relevant information.

The new and improved B4ufly is set to make drone operations smoother and safer.  Jay Merkle, Executive Director of FAA’s UAS Integration Office, said “B4ufly is a hallmark of our commitment to ensuring drones are safely integrated into the NAS. Our partnership on B4UFLY with Kittyhawk represents the kind of public-private partnership that is essential to advance this growing industry. As the skies become more crowded and drone operations become more complex, basic airspace situational awareness, especially for the newest of fliers, will be essential.”  There really is no excuse not to be aware of your surroundings when flying a drone.  Just like if you are a pet owner you are responsible for cleaning up after it, if you are a drone operator you are responsible for flying safely.  With B4ufly that is now easier than ever.