Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. In a wireless communications system, a base station may transmit an indication of a pre-compensation timing value for transmission of a random access message by an aerial user equipment (UE), the random access message part of a random access procedure between the base station and the aerial UE when the aerial UE is in a connected state. The pre-compensation timing value may be based on a location of the aerial UE. In some examples, the base station may monitor a set of random access resources associated with the pre-compensation timing value and the aerial UE for the random access message, and the aerial UE may transmit the random access message using a first random access resource of a set of random access resources associated with the pre-compensation timing value and the aerial UE.