Definition
A non-governmental organization authorized by the FAA to provide additional data services to operators of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) within the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) framework. These services may include weather information, terrain and obstacle data, surveillance, and other supporting information that helps UAS operators plan and conduct safe flights in controlled airspace.
Plain English
A private company approved by the FAA to give drone operators extra useful information — like weather, terrain, or obstacle data — that supports safe flying near airports and other controlled airspace.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of cockpit information systems, flight planning tools, and services that send aviation data to pilots or aircraft systems.
Derivation
"Supplemental" means in addition to something else. The name describes the role exactly: these providers supply data on top of what the FAA itself provides, rather than replacing it.
Why Pilots Care
For UAS operators, these providers are often the practical gateway for getting airspace authorizations and supporting flight data. Knowing the term helps a pilot understand who is actually delivering the service behind the app or website they are using.
Grounding Statement
A Supplemental Data Service Provider adds useful information to the pilot’s picture; it does not control the flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “supplemental” as “unimportant” or “officially controlling.” Here it means additional information that supports the main required sources.
Example Sentence 1
The drone operator submitted her flight request through a Supplemental Data Service Provider to receive near-real-time airspace authorization.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight, the pilot verified that the electronic chart update came from an approved Supplemental Data Service Provider.