ok so i live maybe 4-5 miles from a regional airport and ive been trying to figure out if i can legally fly in my backyard. i downloaded airspace aware and it says my area is in class D airspace but there's a green grid on the LAANC map so i assumed i could just request authorization through the app and be good to go. requested it like 3 days ago and it came back auto-approved for 100ft which honestly is fine for what im doing.

but then my neighbor who also flies told me that even with LAANC you're not actually supposed to fly within like a certain distance of the runway or something? im not near the runway at all, im residential, but now im second guessing myself. is the LAANC approval enough or do i need to do something else? i dont want to get in trouble but also the approval literally said approved so i dont know why id need more than that

LAANC approval is legitimate authorization, thats literally what it exists for. if the system auto-approved you at 100ft in that grid square youre good to fly at or below that ceiling. the FAA built LAANC specifically so people dont have to call the tower or wait weeks for a part 107 waiver for routine flights. your neighbor is probably thinking of something else or mixing up rules from a different country maybe.

the thing to know is that LAANC doesnt override temporary flight restrictions or NOTAMs so always check those before you go out, but for day to day flying in class D with an approval in hand youre fine. just dont exceed the altitude it authorized and keep your drone in visual line of sight.

yeah same situation here, i fly near a small regional airport all the time with LAANC through aloft. never had an issue. i think people get confused because before LAANC existed you actually did have to call the control tower and get a verbal clearance, so some of the older info floating around online still talks about that. that process doesnt apply anymore if your area is in the LAANC system.