Faculty Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
While faculty may not commonly be the primary operator of an Unmanned Aircraft System, they are responsible for adhering to both Federal Law and UC Policies regarding their usage.
Typical Minimum Requirements:
- UAS Registration (Non-Recreational)
- FAA Remote PIlot Certificate
Research Projects
Research projects, including student dissertation or thesis work, are not considered recreational and thus must comply with FAA regulations for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (14 CFR 107 - https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/part_107/). As per the UC Policy (link), the operator must submit a UAS Flight Request Form (or use our UC Drone Web App). The flight request will be reviewed to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations, and meets UC UAS safety standards.
Flight approvals for recurring, blanket or other forms of authorizations are available. Please coordinate with the Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety or your Designated Local Authority.
Public Purpose Research Projects
For public agencies with public aircraft for specific public purposes, an alternative authorization process known as a Public Agency COA is available. This process is the most flexible as applicants are able to petition for any operation, regardless of location, flight altitude or other considerations. However, it is restricted to "aeronautical research or biological or geological resource management" (49 U.S. Code § 401259(a)(2) ). Operations under this special authorization require coordination with the Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety.
Courses in which UASs may be used
Unmanned Aircraft Systems may be used in conjunction with coursework or a senior project. However the faculy and teaching assistants may only provide minimal assistance in the flying of the actual vehicles. This is limited to assistance to vehicle control and launch/recovery operations.
