JO 7210.3 Facility Operation and AdministrationJO 7210.3EE · Change 3 · Effective 7/9/2026
Chapter 19 · Section 6
14 CFR Part 107, sUAS Operations
4 Paragraphs19-6-1–19-6-4
19-6-1 GENERAL
No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Proponents requesting to operate under 14 CFR part 107.41 within these classes of airspace must request an authorization through either the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) or DroneZone.
LAANC Operations: https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/laanc.
DroneZone: https://faadronezone.faa.gov/.
Letters of Agreement (LOA) may be used in conjunction with part 107 airspace authorizations/waivers when the Air Traffic Manager (ATM) deems it necessary; they cannot be used in lieu of airspace authorization/waivers.
In the event a part 107 operator contacts an ATC facility directly for authorization, the facility must not issue the authorization. The facility must direct the operator to the LAANC or DroneZone site.
14 CFR part 107.41 waiver applications can only be submitted through DroneZone.
For all operations occurring on‐airport, follow procedures in FAA Order JO 7200.23, Processing of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Requests, Chapter 3, Processing of 14 CFR Part 107.41 Airspace Authorization Request.
19-6-2 LOW ALTITUDE AUTHORIZATION AND NOTIFICATION CAPABILITY (LAANC)
Automates part 107 sUAS operator requests for access to airspace and to receive authorizations from UAS Service Suppliers.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7210.3, Chapter 12, Section 10, UAS Facility Maps (UASFM).
ATC authorization granted through LAANC may not satisfy all of the requirements for UAS operations. Proponents requesting to operate in airspace requiring authorization under 14 CFR 107.41, must also meet the requirements set by any governing Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) or Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR).
19-6-3 MANUAL AIRSPACE AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES (VIA FAA DRONEZONE)
Headquarters/Service Centers will use the facility approved UASFM to evaluate part 107 requests.
ATC facility coordination is not required, if the request:
Complies with the UASFM altitudes.
Does not incorporate a 14 CFR part 107 operational waiver under § 107.37(a), Right‐of‐way rules, or § 107.51(b), Operating limitations for small unmanned aircraft.
Does not include operations at a public‐use airport.
Does not comply with the UASFM altitudes but involves an sUAS visual line of sight operation conducting inspections of vertical structures, while meeting the criteria listed below:
Remains within a 100‐foot radius of the structure and no more than 100 feet above the upper‐most portion of the vertical structure.
Does not operate within 2 NM of any landing surface of an aerodrome, heliport, seaplane base, or vertiport except as otherwise authorized under a separate COA.
The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the control station must be no less than 3 SM.
Remains no less than 500 feet below the clouds and 2,000 feet horizontally from the clouds.
If the processor is unable to authorize the request in accordance with the above, they must coordinate with the facility.
If there is a facility approved UASFM for Class E airspace areas designated as a surface area for an airport, requests will be processed in accordance with the UASFM. If there is no facility approved UASFM, the Class E surface area designated for airport requests will be processed at Headquarters/Service Centers using the following criteria. Any requests outside of these parameters must be coordinated directly with the controlling facility prior to approval:
Operations conducted from 0 to 2 nautical miles (NM) from the Airport Reference Point (ARP) will not be authorized by Headquarters/Service Center without prior coordination with the facility.
Operations conducted from beyond 2 NM and up to 3 NM from the ARP will be authorized to operate at or below 100 feet above ground level (AGL).
Operations conducted from beyond 3 NM and up to 4 NM from the ARP will be authorized to operate at or below 200 feet AGL.
Operations conducted from beyond 4 nautical miles from the ARP will be authorized to operate at or below 400 feet AGL.
A weather minimum of a 1000‐foot ceiling.
All authorization for Class C and D surface areas that revert to Class E surface area designated for an airport will be evaluated utilizing UASFM for the Class “C and D” surface area.
NOTE
1. Headquarters/Service Centers are responsible for issuing waivers to the proponent. In instances where the authorization requires a waiver to 14 CFR part 107.31 (Visual line of sight), 14 CFR part 107.35 (Operations of multiple sUAS), 14 CFR part 107.41 (Operation in certain airspace), 14 CFR part 107.37 (Operation near aircraft; right of way rules), or 14 CFR part 107.51(b) (Operating limitations for sUAS – altitude), pending waivers must be included with the authorization request and coordination will take place with the facility. 2. The responsible person for the operation and their contact information will be listed in the authorization or waiver. 3. With regards to Class E airspace, only airspace within the lateral boundaries of the surface area designated for an airport (Class E2) requires a part 107 authorization or waiver.
An automated message will be forwarded to the facility and the proponent of the approval, which will contain:
Waivers if applicable.
Description of the operational area.
Contact information for communication/recall.
Times of operation.
If 14 CFR part 107 operations cannot be authorized using the UASFM, ATC facilities will be contacted by Headquarters/Service Centers for coordination.
If after coordinating with the ATC facility, the operation cannot be authorized, an automated message will be forwarded notifying the facility and the proponent of the denial.
Special Governmental Interest (SGI), part 107 authorizations/waivers will be managed by System Operations Security, AJR-2.
19-6-4 HEADQUARTERS/SERVICE CENTER AIRSPACE WAIVER PROCESS
Applications for waivers are submitted to the Headquarters/Service Center through DroneZone.
UnderHeadquarters/Service Center waiver process, ATO approval is required for the following waivers and will coordinate with Flight Standards Service (AFS), if needed:
Yielding the right of way (§ 107.37a).
Operations in Certain Airspace (§ 107.41).
Maximum altitude (§ 107.51b).
UnderHeadquarters/Service Center waiver process, AFS may approve waivers requested for the following items and will coordinate with ATO, if needed:
Operations from a moving vehicle or aircraft (§ 107.25).
Daylight operation (§ 107.29).
Visual line of sight (§ 107.31).
Visual observer (§ 107.33).
Operations of multiple UASs (§ 107.35).
Operation over people (§ 107.39).
Maximum ground speed (§ 107.51a).
Minimum flight visibility (§ 107.51c).
Cloud minimum (§ 107.51d).
Headquarters/Service Center will evaluate the waiver(s) for justification, including supporting data and documentation, as necessary, which establishes the proposed operation can be safely conducted under the terms of a certificate of waiver. Headquarters/Service Center will coordinate all waivers to 14 CFR part 107.29, 14 CFR part 107.31, 14 CFR part 107.35, 14 CFR part 107.37, 14 CFR part 107.41, and 14 CFR part 107.51(b) (except those covered below in subparagraph e), with the affected facility to evaluate if the proposed operation can be safely conducted based on the proposed mitigation(s) and, if needed, apply any additional mitigations/limitations.
Waivers in Class E surface areas and Class G airspace (excluding those waivers that take the aircraft into all other classes of airspace that are not in compliance with UASFMs) will be approved by Headquarters/Service Center. This approval authority does not preclude the facility from being coordinated with if Headquarters believes additional input from the facility is beneficial to the safety of the operation.