AirMap Shows Operators Where They Can Fly Drones
Photo: AirMap.
Yesterday, the website AirMap launched, where users can determine airspace restrictions in the area they’d like to fly an unmanned aircraft. Cofounded by entrepreneur Ben Marcus and drone legal scholar Dr. Gregory McNeal, the website allows the user to make selections, like distance from an airport, class of airspace and temporary flight restrictions.
The site culls multiple sources to provide a single picture of the allowable areas of operation in a region. The current beta version, available at airmap.io, is live in the United States, and an international version is going to launch soon. It focuses on airspace below 500 feet.
"As UAS use continues to expand, the airspace in which operators are flying is also growing more complex. With this in mind, we've launched AirMap, which will serve as a resource for drone operators to immediately fly safely and in compliance with legal requirements. We want to make safe flying easy," says Marcus.
"As a drone operator, I found it hard to know what the airspace rules were in the places where I wanted to fly,” says McNeal. “There were no accurate visuals or reliable electronic tools that could tell me and other operators where we can and cannot fly. AirMap solves this problem and helps to educate operators about this complex regulatory environment. The demand for AirMap is clear, as it is the most thorough resource for drone operators to ensure safe, legal and hassle-free flight."
