so im pretty new to this, got my mini 4 pro a few months ago and ive been flying in my backyard and local parks no problem. but theres this really cool shot i want to get near the river and i just realized its like maybe 3 or 4 miles from the regional airport. my friend said i need some kind of authorization but he wasnt sure either. do i just... not fly there? or is there an app or something i have to use. i dont want to get in trouble or anything im just trying to get some footage for fun

yeah you'll need LAANC authorization before you fly there, assuming the airspace is covered. basically you pull up an app like Aloft or even the DJI fly app has it built in now, and you request authorization for the grid square you want to fly in. it's usually instant if you're staying under whatever the ceiling is for that zone. sometimes it's 0 feet which means you can't get auto-approval and have to do a manual waiver request which takes way longer, like days or weeks. definitely check B4UFLY or the FAA DroneZone site to figure out what class airspace you're in before you just show up. 3-4 miles from a regional airport is almost certainly controlled airspace but the altitude limits vary a lot depending on the exact location.

also just to add ? even if the LAANC comes back approved dont forget you still have to follow all the other rules, line of sight, daylight, all that. people sometimes think getting the authorization is like a free pass but it just means the airspace part is covered. had a buddy get his drone confiscated because he had LAANC but was flying over people which is a whole seperate thing. the river shot sounds sick though hope you get it