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Google's Wing releases free app to take the pain out of drone flights
- Wing has introduced an OpenSky app that aims to make drone flying easy in the US.
- You can find out where you’re allowed to fly, and request approval if you need it.
- The app is free for Android and iOS users.
You now need a license to fly drones in the US, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be a headache to take your robotic flier for a spin. DroneLife and The Verge report that Google’s (really, Alphabet’s) drone delivery company Wing has released an OpenSky app for Android and iOS to make legal flights that much easier.
Whether you’re a recreational or commercial drone pilot, the OpenSky app provides FAA airspace info that shows where you’re allowed to fly. If you do need approval (if you live close to an airport, you probably do!) you can request the required LAANC authorization in “near real-time” and track the process until you can take to the skies. You can also plan and log flights.
Read more: The best drones you can buy (on Drone Rush)
The app has already been in use for drone flights in Australia since 2019, but hadn’t been adapted for the US until now.
It may seem odd for Wing to release an app it likely won’t use. However, the company sees this as mutually beneficial. The more people use the app and fly their drones safely, the better the conditions for Wing’s drone courier operations. Not that you’ll necessarily complain. There are close to 2 million registered drones in the US, and OpenSky might just save you from colliding with one of them.