ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½

All ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ and third‑party RPICs must:

• Hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
• Be age 19+
• Pass TSA vetting (FAA requirement)
• Be physically & mentally fit to fly
• Know ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ airspace constraints

All drones used for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ operations must:

• Be registered in FAA DroneZone:
• Display FAA registration number
• Be airworthy and maintained
• Have documentation available (logs, manuals, firmware)
• Be listed in the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ internal drone registry [add details for how this is done]

Autonomous or autopilot missions require prior approval (default = prohibited).

ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ is adjacent to San José International Airport (SJC) Class C airspace. Therefore:

• LAANC authorization is required when available.
• DroneZone airspace authorization is required when:
• LAANC is not available, OR
• Flight altitude exceeds LAANC grid limits.

Proof of airspace authorization must be uploaded with the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Flight Request - fliers will be asked for this in the Request Form. Reference the SJC Airspace Map for allowable altitudes. All flights must comply with the FAA-published grid for the exact ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ location.

FAA Part 107 Requirements

Pilots must:

• Maintain visual line of sight (VLOS)
• Yield to crewed aircraft
• Fly only within FAA-approved altitude limits for the specific location
• Perform a pre-flight inspection
• Not fly from a moving vehicle

ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Additional Rules

Unless expressly authorized by ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in advance, flights may not occur:

• Over residence halls, classrooms, administrative buildings
• Over ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ events, athletics areas, or crowds 
• In interior courtyards 
• Over private property adjacent to campus, including University housing, and surrounding neighborhoods

• In surveillance of or recording in spaces or areas in which there is a reasonable expectation of privacy (e.g. restrooms, residence halls, locker rooms, medical areas)
• Near areas with minors present Without an approved flight plan
• For any use that violates federal, state, or local laws or ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ policy

Environmental rules:

• Daylight only
• No strong winds, rain, smoke, or unsafe weather
• RPIC must have battery and lost‑link plans

A simple safety plan must be in place and include:

• Map/diagram of flight area
• Flight path + altitude
• Airspace classification and required FAA authorization
• RPIC + Visual Observer information
• Battery and emergency procedures
• Crowd control and weather assessment

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• RPIC briefs all participants
• Campus Safety notified per form instructions
• Approved authorization available at site

Immediately, and in no event longer than 24 hours from the flight, report any accident, near‑miss, flyaway, damage, or FAA‑reportable event to:

• Risk Management
• Robotics Engineering
• Campus Safety

FAA reporting thresholds apply for serious injury or $500+ property damage.

Before operating on campus, third parties, working with a sponsoring department, must 

1. Enter into an appropriate agreement for the approved flight, which shall include indemnification and other appropriate provisions.  For more information, please contact ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½’s Office of General Counsel. Work with the Risk Management Department to 
   1. Ensure all requirements are met via the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Flight Request Form, including
      • FAA Part 107 RPIC certification
      • FAA DroneZone registration for each aircraft 
   2. Meet ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ insurance requirements, including:
      • Aviation liability insurance: minimum $1M per occurrence
      • Workers’ compensation (if applicable)
      • Additional insured endorsement naming “ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½, its trustees, officers, employees, and agents”
      • Drone-specific coverage (hull, UAS liability) strongly preferred. Risk Management reserves the right to increase limits for higher-risk operations.
2. Third-party operators may not self-deploy and must be escorted by the sponsoring ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ department.

Drone operations conducted off campus for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½-sponsored academic, research, or operational purposes are not subject to ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ flight approval requirements.

However, such operations must:

• Be conducted in compliance with all applicable FAA regulations and local laws
• Be operated by an FAA Part 107-certified Remote Pilot in Command when conducted on behalf of ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½
• Follow the safety principles outlined in this Policy

Departments and faculty are responsible for ensuring appropriate oversight of off-campus operations.

ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ reserves the right to require review or documentation for higher-risk off-campus operations (e.g., operations over people, public events, or complex environments).