Is air traffic control ATC permission required for drone flights?


Is air traffic control ATC permission required for drone flights? For flight near airports in controlled airspace, drone operators must receive an airspace authorization prior to operation. Airspace authorizations come with altitude limitations and may include other operational provisions.


Does the FAA know if you fly above 400 feet?

There is no existing mechanism for the FAA to monitor if there are drone pilots, licensed or otherwise, who will fly above this altitude limit. That is well and fine until you get into a close encounter with a manned aircraft, for which you could be facing heavy penalties if the FAA can identify you as the drone pilot.


How high can a drone fly without FAA authorization?

Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. Note: Anyone flying a drone in the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) is responsible for flying within the FAA guidelines and regulations.


Can I be an air traffic controller after 31?

And then there's the issue of age: In the US, air traffic controllers are required to retire at the age of 56, and the FAA won't hire anyone older than age 31, because they want candidates to have at least a 25-year career path. “We have 1,200 fewer air traffic controllers today than we had 10 years ago,” says Freeman.


What disqualifies you from being an air traffic controller?

The applicant must have no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following: (1) A psychosis; (2) A neurosis; (3) Any personality disorder or mental disorder that the Federal Air Surgeon determines clearly indicates a potential hazard to safety in the Air Traffic Control System.


Do air traffic controllers work for the FAA?

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration has hired 1,500 air traffic controllers and met its 2023 goal needed to continue rebuilding its training pipeline. The agency also announced that it now has approximately 2,600 controllers being trained at facilities across the country.