New app will improve the safety and reliability of drone flights across the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has partnered with Kittyhawk to redevelop B4UFLY to further its safety mission and create a new and improved mobile application to help recreational drone operators learn where they can and can’t fly.

The project is being done at no cost to the FAA.

Photo: FAA

The B4UFLY app will continue to be available to the public until the new app is deployed. The data will continue to be updated, but no new features will be added.

“We want to provide drone pilots with the best tools possible so they fly safely and responsibly,” said Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell. “As drone sales increase and our nation’s airspace becomes busier and more complex, it’s vital that we work smarter and partner with the private sector to develop innovative products that advance safety.”

The FAA and Kittyhawk’s Feb. 13  agreement will provide the public with a simple, easy-to-understand mobile application that provides situational awareness for recreational drone pilots. The FAA and Kittyhawk plan to launch the new app later this year.

Kittyhawk is an enterprise drone operations software company and has been an FAA Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) UAS service supplier since October 2018.