Kittyhawk shut down in October 2023. If you are still finding links to kittyhawk.io in your bookmarks or your company's drone operations manual, those pages are gone. The platform is no longer operational.
This guide covers what Kittyhawk did, why pilots relied on it, and what to use instead.
What Kittyhawk offered
Kittyhawk was a drone operations platform that combined several tools pilots need:
- Airspace awareness: it showed Class B, C, D airspace and could display TFRs
- LAANC authorization: for Part 107 pilots flying in controlled airspace
- Flight logging: pilots could log flights, attach notes, and export records
- Team management: enterprise operators could manage crews and aircraft fleets
UAS SkyCheck
Check your exact location: airspace class, TFRs, restricted zones, live weather, and a 0-100 safety score.
For commercial operators running recurring site inspections or managing multiple pilots, the team management features were particularly useful.
Why it shut down
Kittyhawk's closure was not widely announced. The company stopped operations and redirected its domain without public explanation. Several users reported their flight log data became inaccessible without warning.
This is the core risk of any single-vendor drone software platform: if the business closes, your data and workflow close with it.
The best Kittyhawk alternatives in 2026
For preflight checks: UAS SkyCheck
uas-skycheck.app covers everything a Part 107 pilot needs for a legal preflight check in one place.
What you get in a single check:
- Airspace class (B/C/D/E/G) with LAANC authorization status
- 11,000+ restricted zones: national parks, military MOAs, stadiums, hospitals, tribal lands, city ordinances, and more
- 14,000+ airports including uncontrolled GA strips that most tools miss
- Live weather with METAR and TAF 6-hour forecast
- Live TFR overlay with exact expiry countdown
- Solar window for Part 107.29 night classification
- GPS health via NOAA Kp geomagnetic index
- ATC tower hours and direct phone number
- 0-100 safety score with itemized penalty breakdown
No app to download. Works in any browser on any device, installs to home screen as a PWA with quick-launch shortcuts. The first check needs no account; a free sign-in gives you 5 checks per day. Captain tier ($10.99/mo) adds PDF briefings, flight logs, NOTAM access, and an Automated Advisor.
Unlike Kittyhawk, UAS SkyCheck shows exactly why your score is what it is. Every penalty is explicit and auditable. There is no black box. The score is displayed as a gauge -- a semicircle arc that fills as the result counts up -- giving you the same instrument-panel visual language you're used to.
Results are shareable. Tap Share after any check to copy a link that re-runs the check live when a client opens it. Commercial pilots send this before shoots so clients see the airspace status and safety score before arrival.
For LAANC authorization: FAA DroneZone and approved apps
For LAANC authorization specifically, the FAA approves the UAS Service Suppliers (USS) that grant it and the FAA keeps the current list at faa.gov/uas/getting_started/laanc. Aloft, Kittyhawk's successor, is on it; so are others, and the list is the thing to check rather than a name remembered from a forum post, because providers have joined and left the program.
UAS SkyCheck shows your LAANC eligibility and the ceiling altitude for your location, so you know before you open a LAANC authorization app whether authorization is available and at what altitude.
For flight logging: built-in or simple alternatives
UAS SkyCheck Captain tier includes a flight log that records the preflight result, location, date, and safety score for each check. CSV and JSON exports are available.
For operations that need more detailed logging (maintenance records, crew assignments, incident reports), dedicated platforms like Airdata UAV focus specifically on flight data rather than trying to be an all-in-one platform.
For enterprise fleet management
Kittyhawk's fleet management features do not have a direct like-for-like replacement at the same price point. Airdata UAV offers team and fleet features for larger commercial operations, and the enterprise LAANC providers on the FAA's list carry fleet tooling of their own.
What to do if you lost Kittyhawk flight log data
If your organization stored flight logs in Kittyhawk and no longer has access to that data, you have limited options. The platform did not offer a public data export window before closing.
Going forward, keep a local copy of any flight records in a format you control -- CSV, PDF, or your own spreadsheet. Any platform, including this one, can close. Your regulatory records should not depend on a third party staying in business.
The key difference from Kittyhawk
Kittyhawk was primarily an operational platform -- it helped you manage flights after your preflight decision was already made. UAS SkyCheck focuses on the preflight decision itself: is it legal and safe to fly here, right now, and why?
For most Part 107 pilots, that is the question that needs answering before every flight.
UAS SkyCheck replaces the multi-tab preflight workflow with a single 30-second check. Airspace class, TFRs, restricted zones, weather, and a safety score in one result. Try it free at uas-skycheck.app -- no account required.
Regulatory references: 14 CFR Part 107 (Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems). LAANC authorization governed by FAA UAS Data Exchange program. Always verify current FAA requirements at faa.gov/uas.