ok so i live maybe 4 miles from a small regional airport, not like a major hub just one of those places with prop planes and the occasional charter flight. i downloaded the B4UFLY app and it says i need authorization but then someone told me to use LAANC instead and i honestly dont know what the difference is or if i need both or what.

ive been flying my mini 3 for about 6 months now and never really flew anywhere near the airport before but theres this really nice field nearby and i want to get some shots there. the grid on the map shows it's in like a class D or E area i think, hard to tell honestly. do i just submit through LAANC and wait or is there something else i need to do first? been putting this off for weeks because the whole thing is confusing

LAANC is basically the automated system that handles authorization requests for a lot of controlled airspace ? it goes through apps like Aloft or even the DJI fly app itself depending on your setup. B4UFLY is more of a reference tool to check what the airspace situation is, it doesn't actually give you authorization. so you'd use B4UFLY or a sectional chart to figure out what you're dealing with, then submit the actual LAANC request through one of the approved UAS service suppliers.

class D around a small regional should be straightforward, a lot of those have LAANC coverage and you can get instant approval up to a certain altitude. just make sure the airport actually has LAANC enabled ? not all of the smaller ones do, and if it doesn't you'd have to go through the FAA's DrCOE process which takes a lot longer. check the FAA UAS data map to confirm coverage before you bother submitting anything.

had the same exact confusion when i started. honestly the easiest thing for me was just using the Aloft app (used to be called Kittyhawk i think?) because it kind of walks you through whether LAANC is available and lets you submit right there. took me like 3 minutes first time and i got the approval almost instantly. just double check your max altitude before you fly because the authorization is only for whatever ceiling you requested