Cloud-based airspace tools work well when you have a connection. At a rural tower site with marginal or absent cell signal, they don’t work at all. The question of whether you’re authorized to fly at a given location needs an answer before you set up equipment — not after you’ve driven two hours and discovered the app won’t load.
FlightDeck’s Airspace Checker runs against locally stored FAA data files. It answers the authorization question with no internet connection required.
What Gets Checked
The Airspace Checker evaluates each site against five categories of FAA data.
Airspace classification uses FAA polygon data to determine whether a site falls in Class B, C, D, E, or G airspace and whether Part 107.41 authorization is required. The classification drives the authorization pathway — LAANC, DroneZone COA, or no authorization required.
UASFM grid lookup reads the FAA’s UAS Facility Map data to determine the LAANC ceiling altitude available at each site. This is the number that determines how high you can fly via instant LAANC authorization and whether your operating altitude requires Further Coordination or a manual COA.
LAANC eligibility is evaluated automatically based on the airspace class and grid altitude. Sites where LAANC is sufficient get one determination. Sites in zero-grid Class B or Class C airspace — where the LAANC ceiling is 0 feet — are flagged as requiring a manual FAA DroneZone COA.
Special Use Airspace checks identify any restricted areas, Military Operations Areas, prohibited areas, and TFR-equivalent restrictions within 0.5 nautical miles of the site. Proximity to special use airspace doesn’t automatically prevent operations, but it’s information your pre-flight risk assessment needs.
Nearest airport analysis identifies the closest airport by Haversine distance, with ICAO identifier, airport type, airspace class, and cardinal bearing. The check also flags sites where the operating altitude exceeds 400 feet AGL and is more than 400 feet above the structure, which indicates a Section 107.51(b) waiver may be required.
The Results Grid
Results are displayed in a color-coded grid. Deep green indicates LAANC-authorized — the site can be flown with standard LAANC auto-approval or 72-hour coordination. Deep red indicates a COA or waiver is required — LAANC is not sufficient. Other indicators appear for Class G sites and sites with special use airspace conflicts.
The Complete Workflow button runs all four analysis steps in sequence — Load FAA Data, Load Sites, Check All Sites, and TFR Check — without stepping through each action manually. For daily project analysis, this is the standard approach.
Keeping FAA Data Current
The offline check requires that local FAA data files be current. The built-in FAA Data Updater fetches the latest UASFM grids, class airspace boundaries, SUA polygons, and airport data on demand. Running the updater periodically — before a new project starts, or whenever the FAA publishes updates — keeps the offline database current.
The TFR check is a separate online step. TFRs are too dynamic for a static local database — they’re issued and cancelled on short notice. The Airspace Checker’s primary analysis runs offline; the TFR overlay is the one component that requires connectivity when it’s available.
PDF Export
The Airspace Checker generates a professionally formatted PDF report of results, ready for signature and submission as part of a COA application or project compliance record. The report includes the authorization determination for each site, the nearest airport data, and any special use airspace conflicts — the information that typically needs to be documented in a pre-flight record or formal authorization package.
For operators managing projects with COA requirements, having a printable authorization summary per site is the difference between a documented compliance record and a verbal account of what the app said.