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Any individual or group wishing to operate (i.e., fly) a UAV on the property of º£½ÇÉçÇø Channel Islands must obtain prior written approval from the campus UAS Board. All employees wanting to operate University-owned UAVs off-campus must also be cleared to do so by the UAS Board.

This page provides information that guides the work of this Board. It also contains information that will help individuals and groups operate UAVs safely and properly on University property.

Requesting Permission to Fly

University policy requires all UAS operators to get permission from the UAS Board prior to flying UAS on University property. This includes students, faculty, employees, visitors to the campus, contractors, etc. Permission to fly requires an operator's UAV to be registered with the FAA , that an operator has the proper pilot certifications (e.g., Section 333 and waivers, Part 107 certification, or Certificate of Authorization), and that the operator has the property waiver for flying in the airspace (which is Class D) above campus. (Holders of a Part 107 certification can request some a waiver through the online process here: .) Proof of insurance may also be required.

To start the process of requesting permission to fly a UAV on University property, fill out the UAS Board's . Please allow 10 business days for review of a request, which may include additional follow-up questions.

When a request is approved, the UAS Board will issue of letter of permission to the applicant. This letter should be available on-site during UAV operations.

Registering UAS

Flying a UAS for University-related work requires that the UAS be registered with the FAA and the University. Instructions for how to register your UAS can be found here.

As of March 2017, employees have registered eight (8) UAVs with the University: 2 in computer science and 6 in ESRM.

Procedures for Operation of UAS on the CI campus

The UAS Board has created and approved a set of standard operating procedures for UAS. Employees and students are expected to follow these procedures when operating University-owned UAS on- and off-campus.

At present, the procedures are written for Iris+, manufactured by 3DRobotics. If employees or students use another platform, they should adopt these procedures accordingly. The procedures are also written for operations at CI Park, which is the preferred locale for UAS operations on campus. If operations at other locations are approved by the UAS Board, the standard operating procedures should be adapted accordingly.

Official standard operating procedures can be downloaded here:

Standard Operating procedures for UAS at º£½ÇÉçÇø Channel Islands (PDF, 2.8MB)

Policies and Procedures for UAS

CI Policies

(AA.01.005)
The policy that governs the use of UAS by CI faculty. This policy predates memos from the Chancellor's Office (below) and will be revised in Fall 2015. The revision will cover all CI employees.

Chancellor's Office Memos on UAS

Memo on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (aka Drones), 17 December, 2014 (PDF, 51K)
Clarifies national regulations on the use of UAVs. Campuses should not be operating UAVs in any capacity unless they have a COA.

Memo on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (aka Drones) - Update No. 1, 25 February 2015 (PDF, 136K)
Clarification on the process for obtaining a COA. The special role played by the Office of General Counsel when a º£½ÇÉçÇø employee wants to apply for a COA.

Campus Guidelines for Applying for a Certificate of Authorization (COA) From the FAA, 19 May 2015 (PDF, 438K)
Guidance from the Chancellor's Office on best practices for campus management of UAS activity. Describes a "COA Evaluation Board" a campus should establish. Note: at CI, this board is called the Unmanned Systems Board.

Guidelines Educational Use Memo - AZM, 12 May 2016 (PDF, 52.5K)
Initial interpretation of the 4 May 2016 memo on the FAA's reinterpretation of students as "hobbyist and recreational" users of UAS in an educational context.

Instructive FAA Memos on UAS

UAS Operations by Public Universities for Aeronautical Research, 13 June 2014 (PDF, 220K)
Memo clarifies provisions on commercial purpose and governmental function. Notes that UAS research can be grant funded as long as the results belong to the state and the research does not 'carry the property' of another including the sponsor.

Clarification of June 13, 2014 Interpretation on Research Using UAS, July 3, 2014 (PDF, 597K)
Emphasizes that there are a breadth of governmental functions that allow the public use of a UAS, and warns against manipulating those functions.

Operation of UAS as Public Aircraft for Educational Purposes, July 3, 2014 (PDF, 190K)
The determination that "education is not a valid governmental function that supports the operation of an aircraft, whether manned or unmanned." Includes the list of governmental functions from statues.

Educational Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), May 4, 2016 (PDF, 425KB)
FAA interpretation of "hobby and recreational" use (Section 336) in the context of students at accredited educational institutions. Allow de minimus faculty operation in the context of a course, otherwise faculty need a Section 333 exemption. Addresses the allowability of demonstrations.