FAA Part 107 controls drone flights near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Pilots must request near-real-time LAANC authorization for flights in controlled Class C airspace surrounding AUS. Texas Government Code Chapter 423 adds state-level no-fly zones around critical infrastructure.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) sits inside Class C controlled airspace, so any drone flight beneath the published ceiling requires Federal Aviation Administration authorization. Recreational and Part 107 commercial pilots use the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) through approved apps such as Aloft or AirMap to obtain near-real-time clearance up to grid-square ceilings. Flights over 400 feet AGL or outside published grids require a Part 107 waiver. Texas Government Code Chapter 423 separately criminalizes capture of images over critical infrastructure and certain correctional facilities. Austin Police and AUS airport police coordinate enforcement, and TFRs around presidential or large-event movements supersede LAANC clearances temporarily.
Unauthorized drone flight in AUS controlled airspace can trigger FAA civil penalties up to thirty-two thousand six hundred sixty-six dollars per violation, criminal charges under federal law, and Texas Class B misdemeanor exposure for protected-facility imaging.
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