B4UFLY is the FAA's airspace awareness service that shows recreational drone pilots where they can and cannot fly. The original standalone B4UFLY app was retired on February 1, 2024. B4UFLY is now delivered free through a set of FAA-approved third-party providers rather than a single government app.
Type "B4UFLY" into an app store and you will still find things labeled B4UFLY, but the story behind them changed in 2024. For years, B4UFLY meant one specific FAA app you downloaded, opened, and checked before takeoff. That app is gone. The service it provided is not, and understanding the difference is the whole point of this guide.
Most articles about B4UFLY were written before the change and still describe an app that no longer exists. That leaves recreational flyers downloading dead links, wondering why the "official FAA app" vanished, and unsure whether they are even allowed to fly where they are standing. Some skip the airspace check entirely, which is exactly how a fun afternoon turns into a call from an airport tower.
This guide covers what B4UFLY actually is in 2026, what happened to the app, which approved providers deliver the service now, how to run a proper pre-flight airspace check, and how B4UFLY fits alongside LAANC and the FAA DroneZone. If you fly a drone for fun, this is the tool that keeps you legal.
Table of contents
- What is B4UFLY?
- What happened to the B4UFLY app?
- The FAA-approved B4UFLY providers compared
- What B4UFLY shows you (and what it does not)
- How to check airspace with B4UFLY before you fly
- B4UFLY vs LAANC vs FAA DroneZone
- B4UFLY for recreational vs Part 107 pilots
- Where B4UFLY stops and fleet compliance begins
- Frequently asked questions
What is B4UFLY?
B4UFLY is a free airspace awareness service from the FAA that tells recreational drone pilots whether they can legally fly at a given location. Before you launch, it answers one question: is this spot clear, restricted, or off limits right now? It maps controlled airspace, airports, national parks, special-use zones, critical infrastructure, and temporary flight restrictions onto an easy status readout.
The name is a compression of "before you fly," and that is precisely its job. B4UFLY is a pre-flight check, not a registration system, not a licensing tool, and not a way to get permission. It shows you the airspace picture so you know whether you need authorization before you take off, or whether you should not fly there at all.
The service exists because the recreational rules require it in practice. Under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations, a hobbyist must have prior authorization to fly in controlled airspace and must follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized community-based organization. You cannot follow rules about airspace you cannot see, and B4UFLY is how the FAA makes that airspace visible to someone with no aviation background.
For anyone new to the hobby, B4UFLY sits at the front of every flight, right alongside a basic drone pre-flight checklist. Check the airspace, check the aircraft, then fly.
What happened to the B4UFLY app?
The standalone FAA B4UFLY app was retired on February 1, 2024, and replaced by a multi-provider service model. For about four years, a single app operated on the FAA's behalf by Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk) was the one official B4UFLY tool. On that date, the FAA discontinued the single-app arrangement and opened the service to multiple approved companies instead.
This trips people up because the change was structural, not a shutdown. B4UFLY did not disappear. The FAA stopped putting its name on one specific app and started authorizing several vendors to deliver the same underlying airspace data through their own apps and websites. According to the FAA's B4UFLY page, recreational flyers now choose from a list of approved providers, all drawing on the same official airspace information.
Why make the switch? The FAA framed it as giving flyers more choice and letting private companies compete on features and design rather than the government maintaining one app for everyone. The FAA's announcement expanding B4UFLY services describes it as an expansion of resources for recreational flyers, not a reduction.
The practical takeaway is simple. If you are hunting for "the official FAA B4UFLY app," there isn't one anymore. There is an official FAA list of approved providers, and you pick one. Any app still branded B4UFLY in a store today is one of those approved providers, not a government-run app.
The FAA-approved B4UFLY providers compared
As of late 2024, the FAA has approved five companies to deliver B4UFLY services, and every one of them is free to use for recreational airspace checks. The initial four approved on February 1, 2024, were joined by Aloft, which won approval on November 1, 2024. Because the roster can change, the FAA B4UFLY page remains the authoritative source for the current list, but here is where things stand.
| Provider | Headquarters | Platforms | Also offers LAANC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airspace Link | Detroit, MI | iOS, Android, desktop | Yes |
| AutoPylot | Burlington, VT | iOS, Android | Yes |
| Avision | Santa Monica, CA | iOS, Android, desktop | Yes |
| UAS Sidekick | Greenville, SC | iOS, Android, desktop | Yes |
| Aloft | San Francisco, CA | iOS, Android, desktop | Yes |
A few things stand out once you line them up. Every approved provider offers both iOS and Android apps, so platform is not a deciding factor. Most also have a desktop version, which matters if you plan flights at a computer before heading out. And critically, all of them also provide LAANC, the system that grants near-instant authorization to fly in controlled airspace.
That last column is the reason most flyers only need one app. If you check airspace on a provider that also does LAANC, you can see a restriction and request authorization to clear it inside the same tool. Pick any provider on the list, confirm it covers your phone, and you are set. The underlying airspace data is identical because it all comes from the FAA.
What B4UFLY shows you (and what it does not)
B4UFLY shows you the airspace status at a location and the specific restrictions that create it, using color-coded indicators that translate aviation rules into plain signals. Green-type indicators generally mean you are clear to fly under recreational rules; other colors flag controlled airspace, restrictions, or hard no-fly areas that require authorization or prohibit flight outright.
The layers B4UFLY maps include:
- Controlled airspace around airports, where recreational flight requires authorization. Our breakdown of the types of airspace explains why Class B, C, D, and E surface areas matter.
- Airports and heliports, including smaller fields that a beginner would never know were there.
- Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), which pop up around events, wildfires, VIP movement, and disasters.
- Special-use and security-sensitive areas, national parks, and critical infrastructure where flight is limited or banned.
What B4UFLY does not do is just as important. It does not register your drone; that happens on the FAA DroneZone and is a separate legal requirement for any drone over 250 grams. It does not grant authorization by itself; seeing a restriction is not the same as clearing it. It does not administer the TRUST recreational safety test, which you take through an FAA-approved test administrator. And it does not track your flights, your maintenance, or your currency over time.
Treat B4UFLY as a map, not a permission slip. It tells you the state of the sky. Acting on what it shows is still on you, which is why it belongs inside a broader habit around no-fly zones and restricted areas.
How to check airspace with B4UFLY before you fly
Running a B4UFLY airspace check takes under a minute and should happen before every flight, not just the first one. TFRs and conditions change day to day, so a spot that was clear last weekend can be restricted today. Here is the workflow.
- Open your chosen B4UFLY provider app and let it find your location, or drop a pin on where you plan to fly.
- Read the status indicator. A clear status under recreational rules means you can fly, subject to the standard limits. Any other status means restrictions apply at that location.
- Tap into the details. The app lists exactly what is causing a restriction: controlled airspace near an airport, a TFR, a national park boundary, or a security zone.
- Check the altitude ceiling. In controlled airspace, the UAS Facility Maps set a maximum altitude at which authorization can be granted for that grid square. Note it.
- Request authorization if needed. If you are in controlled airspace and your provider also offers LAANC, request authorization right there. Approval is often near-instant.
- Confirm no active TFRs. Even a location that is otherwise fine can be closed by a temporary restriction. If one is active, do not fly.
Two habits separate careful flyers from lucky ones. First, re-check on the day, at the place, because the airspace picture is live. Second, build the check into a routine so you never skip it, the same way commercial pilots fold it into their drone flight planning. Thirty seconds of checking beats a violation that can carry serious FAA penalties.
B4UFLY vs LAANC vs FAA DroneZone
B4UFLY, LAANC, and the FAA DroneZone are three separate systems that flyers constantly confuse, and each answers a different question. B4UFLY asks "can I fly here?" LAANC asks "may I have permission, right now?" DroneZone asks "is my paperwork filed?" Mixing them up is how people end up flying without the authorization or registration they legally need.
| System | What it does | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| B4UFLY | Shows where you can and cannot fly | Before every flight, to check airspace |
| LAANC | Grants near-instant authorization for controlled airspace | When B4UFLY shows you need authorization |
| FAA DroneZone | Registers drones, handles waivers and manual authorization | Once, to register; and for waivers or non-LAANC requests |
The three fit together in sequence. You register on DroneZone before you ever fly. You check B4UFLY before each specific flight. If B4UFLY shows controlled airspace, you use LAANC to get cleared, or the manual DroneZone path if LAANC does not cover that airport. B4UFLY is the awareness layer, LAANC is the fast authorization layer, and DroneZone is the records layer.
Because most B4UFLY providers also run LAANC, the awareness and authorization steps often happen in one app. Registration, waivers, and the manual 60-day authorization path stay on the FAA DroneZone, which is the only official government portal for that paperwork.
B4UFLY for recreational vs Part 107 pilots
B4UFLY is aimed squarely at recreational flyers, but the airspace data underneath it is identical for everyone, so Part 107 pilots benefit from the same providers. The FAA built and branded B4UFLY for hobbyists flying under the recreational exception. That is who the plain-language status indicators are designed for.
Recreational pilots use B4UFLY to confirm they can fly under the recreational exception and to obtain authorization for controlled airspace through the provider's LAANC feature. There is no separate authorization category for hobbyists; the same LAANC system serves both recreational and commercial flyers, just with recreational-specific ceilings on the facility maps.
Part 107 pilots, meaning anyone flying commercially, generally live inside the same apps but lean harder on the LAANC and planning features than on the B4UFLY status readout. A licensed pilot already understands airspace classes, so the value shifts from "am I allowed here" to "authorize me fast and log the operation." If you are unsure which category you fall into, our overview of the Part 107 rule and how drone registration differs by pilot type will place you correctly.
The line matters because the obligations differ. A recreational flyer needs one registration covering all their drones, must pass TRUST, and follows recreational airspace ceilings. A commercial operator registers each aircraft, holds a remote pilot certificate, and answers to the full weight of Part 107. B4UFLY looks the same to both, but what sits behind each flight does not.
Where B4UFLY stops and fleet compliance begins
B4UFLY is a single-flight tool. It answers whether you can fly here, now, and then it forgets you were ever there. For a hobbyist with one drone and a Sunday afternoon, that is exactly right. For anyone running drones as a business, it is where the real record-keeping starts, and B4UFLY was never built to carry it.
The moment flying becomes commercial, the questions multiply. Which aircraft is registered and when does that registration renew? Which pilot flew which job, in which airspace, under which authorization? Was a LAANC approval logged for the site? Did the TFR get checked and documented? B4UFLY shows the airspace, but it holds none of that history together, and neither do the individual provider apps once the flight ends.
This is the gap an operations platform fills. In DroneBundle, each aircraft carries its FAA registration and renewal date, each pilot profile tracks certification and currency, and airspace intelligence ties into how you plan and record jobs. Instead of checking a phone app per flight and hoping someone wrote it down, a growing operation sees registrations, authorizations, and pilot status in one place, which is the backbone of real drone compliance. For anyone scaling past a single drone, that shift from per-flight check to managed flight planning and airspace is what keeps the operation audit-ready.
None of this replaces B4UFLY. You still check the airspace before you fly. What changes is that the check stops being a throwaway moment and becomes part of a documented, defensible operation.
Frequently asked questions
Is B4UFLY still available?
Yes. B4UFLY is still available, but not as the single FAA app it once was. The standalone app was retired on February 1, 2024, and the service is now delivered through several FAA-approved providers, including Airspace Link, AutoPylot, Avision, UAS Sidekick, and Aloft. You download one of their apps rather than a government-run B4UFLY app. The airspace data is the same across all of them because it comes from the FAA.
Is B4UFLY free?
Yes. B4UFLY airspace checks are free to use across all FAA-approved providers. The FAA does not charge for airspace awareness, and neither do the approved apps for the core B4UFLY function. Some providers offer paid tiers with extra features for commercial operators, but checking whether you can fly at a location, and requesting basic LAANC authorization, is free.
What is the difference between B4UFLY and LAANC?
B4UFLY shows you where you can and cannot fly, while LAANC grants actual authorization to fly in controlled airspace. B4UFLY is the awareness step: it flags that a location sits in controlled airspace. LAANC is the permission step: it clears you to fly there, often within seconds. Most B4UFLY providers also offer LAANC, so both happen in one app.
Do I still need to register my drone if I use B4UFLY?
Yes. B4UFLY has nothing to do with registration. Any drone over 0.55 pounds (250 grams) must be registered with the FAA through the DroneZone portal, whether you fly recreationally or commercially. B4UFLY tells you where you can fly; registration is a separate legal requirement handled on faadronezone-access.faa.gov.
Keep every flight, authorization, and registration in one place
B4UFLY answers one question well: can I fly here, right now? Once you are flying drones for work, that single-flight check is only the start. You still have to track which aircraft are registered, when they renew, which pilot flew where, and whether each controlled-airspace job was authorized and logged.
DroneBundle keeps registrations, pilot certifications, airspace requirements, and flight records together, and flags what is coming due before it lapses. The airspace check stays fast; the paperwork stops falling through the cracks.
Start your free trial today and see your whole operation's compliance status at a glance. No credit card required.
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