FAA Changes How Drone Flights Near Airports Are Approved October 31. What Orange County Property Owners Should Know

The FAA issued Order JO 7200.23E, Processing of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Requests, on October 1, 2026, and it takes effect October 31. It replaces the prior version, JO 7200.23D, dated April 6, 2023. The order is final and in effect from that date, but it is guidance to FAA staff and air traffic facilities. It does not amend Part 107, the federal rule commercial drone pilots fly under. What it changes is how the FAA handles the drone airspace authorization requests pilots file to fly near airports.

This post is for owners and managers who rely on aerial records near airports: commercial owners and property managers, HOAs and master planned communities, and cities and fire agencies across Orange County.

Why drone airspace authorization matters near Orange County airports

Under federal rule 14 CFR 107.41, a commercial drone pilot may not fly in Class B, C, or D airspace, or within the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, without prior authorization from air traffic control. John Wayne Airport tells drone operators that controlled airspace extends 5 miles from the airport and that commercial and recreational flights there require FAA authorization.

Pilots usually request that authorization one of two ways. LAANC, the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, gives near real-time approvals through FAA-approved service suppliers for flights in controlled airspace at or below 400 feet, checked against the FAA's UAS Facility Maps. Requests that do not fit LAANC go through the FAA's FAADroneZone portal for manual review. The facility maps themselves are not permission to fly; the FAA states they are informational only.

What JO 7200.23E changes

The order is long, and most of it covers FAA internal workflow. These are the parts most likely to touch a property owner's documentation schedule.

Authorizations are generally one day at a time

For airspace managed by a LAANC-enabled air traffic facility, the order tells FAA staff they may issue an airspace authorization for one day. If a pilot asks for several days, the authorization normally covers only the first day of the proposed operation. Multi-day approvals at standard facility map altitudes are reserved for first responders, and only when a multi-day approval provides a benefit, such as less processing time, workload, or paperwork. Requests above the facility map altitudes can receive multiple days only with specific approval from the facility's air traffic manager.

A weather buffer, with conditions

When a multi-day authorization above facility map altitudes is approved, FAA staff may add up to 14 days as a buffer for flights canceled or delayed by weather, but only with the air traffic facility's approval.

Wide-area requests are denied

The order directs FAA staff to deny wide-area authorization requests, using all of a Class D airspace as its example, unless the request is tied to an operational waiver or meets narrow criteria. A provider cannot ask for blanket permission over a large area near an airport and reuse it across many properties.

Higher altitudes and complex jobs take longer

Flights above the facility map altitude go through further coordination with the air traffic facility. The FAA's LAANC page says these requests can be filed up to 90 days ahead, and the order states that requests covering multiple or excessively large areas will exceed standard processing times, and the FAA may ask the pilot to split one request into several parts. In Class E surface areas that have no FAA facility map, the order allows operations only when there is at least a 1,000-foot ceiling.

Waivers and their expiration dates

The order says operational waivers are submitted through the FAA's Aviation Safety Hub, although some FAA web pages still point to FAADroneZone. An airspace authorization issued alongside a waiver expires within 24 months or when the waiver expires, whichever comes first.

Approval near an airport is not approval everywhere

FAA guidance to air traffic facilities notes that a LAANC authorization may not satisfy every requirement. Pilots must still follow any NOTAM or temporary flight restriction (TFR). Our post on California's new drone laws covers the state penalties for interfering with wildfire response that take effect January 1, 2027.

What it means for your property or program

If your property sits outside controlled airspace, little changes. If it sits near an airport, expect three practical effects.

First, recurring flights are authorized day by day. A monthly or quarterly documentation program near an airport needs an authorization for each flight day, so ask how your provider handles that in its schedule.

Second, weather reschedules can take a new request. When fog or wind moves a flight, the original one-day authorization may not carry over, which can add days to a capture.

Third, large or high flights need lead time. Campus-wide captures, city programs that cross airspace boundaries, or flights above the facility map altitude should be scheduled well ahead, and may be split into smaller areas.

None of this changes your own legal obligations as an owner. If you have questions about how FAA rules apply to a specific site or contract, confirm the details with your own counsel.

Questions to ask your drone provider

• Is the pilot certified under Part 107, and is the operation insured?
• Is my property inside controlled airspace, and what altitude does the FAA facility map allow there?
• Will you obtain an FAA airspace authorization for each flight day, and can I see a copy?
• How far ahead do you file, and what happens if weather moves the flight?
• Does any part of the job need further coordination or a waiver, and how does that affect timing?
• How do you check NOTAMs and temporary flight restrictions before each flight?

How FlyCRE fits

FlyCRE documents properties across Orange County, then California and the Western U.S. Our pilots are Part 107 certified, every operation is insured, and flights near airports are planned around the FAA authorization process, including each flight day near controlled airspace. We fly at high altitude within FAA limits and do not capture data of private residences or private property we are not hired to document.

Every flight captures all sensors, orthomosaic, thermal, asset visibility, and multispectral, and delivers a dated record for your team, carrier, and counsel. See how the Real Estate and Insurance division works with insurers and brokers and owners, or contact FlyCRE about a flight schedule near your airport. Documented Today, Defensible Tomorrow.