> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.flitegrid.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.flitegrid.io/introduction/what-is-flitegrid.md). # What is FliteGrid?
FliteGrid is a community-hosted drone tracking network built to provide real-time airspace awareness across the United States and eventually the world. Governments in the US, EU, and Japan have all adopted Remote ID regulations requiring drones to broadcast identifying information during flight. Think of it as license plates for the sky. But here's the problem: while the rules require drones to *broadcast*, nobody built the infrastructure to *receive* that data at scale. The result is a massive blind spot in our national airspace, right at the moment when drone adoption is accelerating faster than anyone predicted. Closing that blind spot requires sensors on rooftops in specific places all over the country. That's where you come in. ## How It Works FliteGrid pays you to host a drone tracking sensor. 1. **Claim a hex.** Browse the FliteGrid coverage map, find an eligible hex near you, and claim it. Claims are first come, first served, and each hex belongs to exactly one deployer. 2. **Pay a $100 refundable deposit.** SkySafe provides the sensor. You never buy hardware. The deposit is fully refunded when you return the sensor. 3. **Deploy it.** Mount the sensor with a clear view of the sky and plug it in. Connectivity is built in over LTE, so all you provide is power and a good spot. 4. **Get paid.** Earn **$50 per month** for keeping your sensor online in an eligible hex. That's $600 a year for hosting a device that runs itself. Your sensor picks up Remote ID broadcasts from passing drones and feeds that data into SkySafe's cloud platform, where it's processed, analyzed, and provided to the government and enterprise customers who need airspace awareness. You provide the rooftop. SkySafe handles everything else. For details, see [Claim Your Hex](/host-a-sensor/claim-your-hex.md) and [Getting Paid](/host-a-sensor/getting-paid.md). ## Built on a Decade of Real Work FliteGrid is built by [SkySafe](/introduction/skysafe.md), an airspace intelligence company founded in 2015 and backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Founder Collective, SVAngel, and others, with nearly $50M raised. SkySafe has spent nearly a decade building the technology behind FliteGrid: fully validated receiver software for every Remote ID protocol, and a large-scale cloud platform for ingesting, analyzing, and distributing drone tracking data to paying customers. As of 2025, the SkySafe network has tracked over **1 million flights**. The technology works. The customers are real. What SkySafe needs now is coverage: sensors deployed across the specific airspace its customers care about, in far more places than any centralized rollout could reach efficiently. Community hosting solves that. SkySafe funds the hardware and pays for placement, and deployers provide the locations. That's also why the payment model is simple. You're not betting on a network finding customers someday. SkySafe already sells this data. Your hex is eligible for payment because a real customer need exists for coverage there, and your $50 a month reflects that. ## Get Started Sensor deployment is US only for now. Claim your hex at [flitegrid.io](https://flitegrid.io), and your sensor ships when production units are available in 2026.