What is a UAS Facility Map and how is it different from a sectional chart for drone pilots?

A UAS Facility Map (UASFM) is an FAA-published grid-based tool that shows the maximum altitudes at which the FAA has predetermined it may be able to authorize Part 107 drone operations in controlled airspace around airports, expressed in feet AGL for each grid cell. A sectional chart, by contrast, is a traditional aeronautical chart designed primarily for manned aircraft that depicts airspace classifications, terrain, obstacles, navigation aids, and airports across a broad geographic area. While sectional charts tell a remote pilot what class of airspace exists and where, the UASFM tells the pilot what ceiling the FAA has already evaluated for potential drone authorization within that controlled airspace. Remote pilots need both: the sectional chart to identify the airspace type, and the UASFM to determine the applicable authorization altitude before flying or requesting a waiver.

How do you use a UAS Facility Map to determine if you need authorization to fly your drone in controlled airspace?

Under 14 CFR Part 107, a remote pilot must obtain airspace authorization before operating in Class B, C, D, or surface Class E airspace, which can be done automatically through the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) system if the requested altitude is at or below the ceiling shown on the UASFM grid cell covering the operation area. If the UASFM shows a value of zero for a given grid cell, LAANC automatic approval is not available and the pilot must apply for a manual waiver through DroneZone. If no UASFM grid value exists for an area, this generally indicates that FAA evaluation has not established a pre-approved altitude and automatic authorization cannot be granted there. Cross-referencing the sectional chart first to confirm the airspace class is essential, because LAANC and the UASFM only apply to controlled airspace — operations in Class G airspace do not require airspace authorization under Part 107.

Why do Part 107 remote pilots still need to read sectional charts if the UAS Facility Map already shows drone altitudes?

The UASFM only addresses authorization altitudes within controlled airspace and does not display critical safety information such as temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), special use airspace, terrain elevation, towers, power lines, or other obstacles that are depicted on sectional charts. The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual and the Airman Certification Standards for the FAA Part 107 Unmanned Aircraft General — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems knowledge test emphasize that remote pilots must be able to interpret sectional chart symbology to identify these hazards and understand the full airspace environment. For example, a UASFM might show an authorization altitude of 100 feet in a grid cell, but the sectional chart could reveal a 200-foot tower or a nearby military operations area that affects flight planning. Using both tools together gives the remote pilot a complete operational picture that neither document alone can provide.

UAS Facility Map vs Sectional Chart Comparison for Part 107

One of the most important — and most misunderstood — topics for Part 107 remote pilots is the relationship between two key aeronautical planning tools: the UAS Facility Map (UASFM) and the traditional sectional aeronautical chart. A manned-aircraft pilot reads a sectional chart to understand the airspace structure around a destination airport. A remote pilot must do the same, but with an added layer of complexity: knowing whether authorization to enter controlled airspace is even possible, and at what altitude. The UASFM and the sectional chart answer complementary questions, and confusing them — or relying on only one — is a fast path to an illegal operation or a collision hazard.

This article walks through what each tool is, how to read it correctly, how they interact, and what the FAA knowledge test expects you to know about both. Mastering this comparison will serve you both on exam day and at every pre-flight planning session you conduct throughout your remote pilot career.

What Is a Sectional Aeronautical Chart?

A sectional chart is a 1:500,000-scale topographic and aeronautical map produced by the FAA's Aeronautical Information Services. It was designed originally for manned VFR flight, but it is equally essential for remote pilots because it depicts the structure of the national airspace system (NAS). Sectionals show Class B, C, D, and E airspace boundaries with their characteristic blue and magenta shading and concentric ring patterns. They indicate airports, their traffic patterns, navigational aids, obstacles (including towers that may compete with UAS operations), terrain elevation, and special-use airspace such as prohibited, restricted, warning, and military operations areas.

For a remote pilot, the sectional chart answers the fundamental question: What type of airspace exists at my planned operation location? Under 14 CFR Part 107, small UAS operations are permitted in Class G airspace without any prior authorization. However, operations in Class B, C, D, or surface-level Class E airspace require either an airspace authorization from the FAA or, if the location is eligible, the use of the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC).

Reading a sectional for UAS purposes means paying special attention to the floor and ceiling of each airspace segment. Class D airspace, for example, is depicted as a dashed blue circle around an airport with an instrument approach procedure, and its ceiling is individually tailored for each airport — commonly around 2,500 feet AGL, but the exact figure varies and must be checked on the chart rather than assumed. The floor of Class E airspace — often beginning at 700 feet AGL where the magenta vignette fades on the chart — is critical because a drone operating at, say, 350 feet AGL may still be in Class G airspace there, while the same altitude in a location where Class E begins at the surface (depicted as a dashed magenta line) puts the drone squarely inside controlled airspace requiring authorization.

What Is the UAS Facility Map?

The UAS Facility Map is a tool developed specifically for Part 107 remote pilots. It is published by the FAA and accessible through tools such as the FAA's DroneZone and the B4UFLY application. Rather than depicting the general structure of airspace, the UASFM answers a more specific operational question: If I am inside controlled airspace at this location, at what altitude (if any) can the FAA pre-authorize my UAS operation via LAANC?

The UASFM divides controlled airspace around airports into a grid of cells, each labeled with a maximum altitude in feet AGL at which LAANC auto-authorization is available. A cell labeled 0 does not mean flight is prohibited; it means the FAA has determined that LAANC auto-approval is not appropriate there, and the remote pilot must instead submit a standard Part 107 airspace authorization request through DroneZone for manual FAA review. Cells labeled 50, 100, 200, or 400 indicate the ceiling to which LAANC can automatically approve an operation. A Part 107 operator must not exceed that ceiling without a separately issued authorization, even if their drone is technically capable of flying higher.

It is critically important to understand that the UASFM only applies inside controlled airspace. If the sectional chart shows that your location is in Class G airspace, the UASFM is irrelevant to that area — no authorization is needed at all (subject to all other Part 107 operating rules, such as the 400-foot AGL ceiling in Class G, visual line of sight, and daylight requirements).

How the Two Tools Work Together

Think of the sectional chart as Step One and the UASFM as Step Two in a two-part airspace evaluation workflow.

Step 1 — Identify the airspace class (sectional chart): Determine whether your proposed operating area falls inside Class B, C, D, or E controlled airspace, or in Class G. If it is Class G, no airspace authorization is needed; proceed to evaluate all other Part 107 requirements.
Step 2 — Determine authorization availability (UASFM): If you are in controlled airspace, consult the UASFM to find the grid cell covering your location. The number in that cell is the LAANC auto-authorization ceiling. If it shows 0, you must apply for a manual waiver. If it shows a positive altitude, you may use a LAANC-capable app to obtain immediate authorization up to that ceiling.

Neither tool alone is sufficient. The UASFM does not tell you what class of airspace you are in; it assumes you already know. The sectional chart tells you the class but does not tell you what authorization altitude LAANC will approve. Using both in sequence gives you a complete legal picture before the first motor spins.

Key Differences at a Glance

Purpose: Sectional charts show airspace structure for all aviation users; the UASFM shows LAANC authorization ceilings specifically for UAS in controlled airspace.
Scale and detail: Sectionals cover broad geographic regions at 1:500,000 scale; the UASFM uses small grid cells (often 0.5 nautical miles across) to provide location-specific authorization data at fine resolution.
Altitude information: Sectionals show the floors and ceilings of airspace classes; the UASFM shows the maximum altitude available for LAANC auto-authorization within those classes.
Who it serves: Sectionals serve all pilots, manned and unmanned; the UASFM is designed exclusively for UAS operators.
Dynamic vs. static: Sectionals are updated on a 56-day aeronautical information cycle; the UASFM can be updated more frequently as airport operations change, and LAANC availability can be temporarily suspended by a NOTAM.

Key Numbers and Rules

Under 14 CFR §107.51, a small UAS may not exceed 400 feet AGL in Class G airspace — or, if within 400 feet of a structure, up to 400 feet above the structure's immediate uppermost limit.
LAANC auto-approval is available up to the altitude shown in the UASFM cell — this can be as low as 0 feet (requiring manual authorization) or as high as 400 feet AGL.
Class D airspace is typically depicted as a dashed blue circle on the sectional, with a ceiling individually tailored per airport (commonly around 2,500 feet AGL — check the MSL figure in brackets on the chart for the exact ceiling).
Surface-level Class E airspace — which also requires authorization — is depicted by a dashed magenta line on the sectional.
Class E airspace beginning at 700 feet AGL is depicted by a fading magenta vignette; this is controlled airspace only above 700 feet, so UAS operations below that altitude in such areas are in Class G.
NOTAMs can temporarily alter LAANC availability — always check current NOTAMs as part of pre-flight planning per §107.49.

Common Test Traps

Confusing the UASFM altitude with the Part 107 altitude limit: If a UASFM cell shows 200 feet, you are authorized up to 200 feet AGL in that controlled airspace — not 400 feet. The UASFM ceiling overrides the general 400-foot rule in controlled airspace.
Assuming a UASFM cell showing 0 means flight is prohibited: A 0-foot cell means LAANC auto-authorization is unavailable, not that flight can never occur. A manual DroneZone authorization may still be granted.
Ignoring surface-level Class E: Many candidates forget that dashed magenta lines on sectionals indicate Class E starting at the surface, which requires authorization — this is not just a Class D concern.
Reading the sectional for authorization altitude instead of airspace class: The sectional tells you the airspace class; it does not tell you the LAANC ceiling. Test questions often describe a location where students mistake the Class D ceiling altitude (e.g., 2,700 MSL) as the drone's authorized altitude.
Forgetting NOTAMs and TFRs: Even if both the sectional and UASFM show your operation is feasible, a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) or NOTAM may make it illegal on the day of the operation. Neither chart tool reflects real-time temporary restrictions.

Mastering the interplay between the UAS Facility Map and the sectional aeronautical chart is foundational to legal and safe Part 107 operations. The sectional establishes the airspace terrain you are flying through; the UASFM opens the gate when that terrain is controlled. Use them together, every time, before every flight.