Anyone wishing to operate drones (also known as small unmanned aircraft systems or sUAS) on university property or as part of a university-sponsored activity must go through the proper channels to request approval. Indoor and outdoor flights must go through the approval process. This includes, but is not limited to: flight connected to research, teaching, and marketing, as well as recreational purposes and student activities. sUAS operations are not permitted until approval is granted by UAS Operations Manager (Br. Marius Strom, TOR | mstrom@francis.edu | 814-472-3934).

The Process for Preflight Notification

Here are a few steps on how to get started. For more in-depth instructions, review the  UAS Operations Manual,  Post-Mishap Plan,  Restricted Areas Map, and the  SFU UAS Policy. All flights conducted in restricted areas (see Restricted Areas Map) must have completed an  SFU Restricted Flight Planning document.  This document must be submitted as part of the preflight notification process.

Step 1: Register 

Register your sUAS with the university here: https://forms.gle/nfV5SZpT1WKDnkUP9. After your registration is processed, you will receive a registration number to place on your aircraft in an externally visible location. If your aircraft is over 0.55 lb, it must also be registered with the FAA (https://faadronezone.faa.gov/). Third parties should follow their own company rules on registering their sUAS and follow the Part 107 regulations concerning registration. Third parties should be in communication with the University Business Office to coordinate flight activities, insurance coverage, etc.

Step 2: Train (SFU Students/Faculty/Staff only)

Complete the UAS Compliance Quiz at the following link:  https://forms.gle/opFqN5WcXR2nrXsY8.  Be sure to review the UAS Operations Manual, UAS Policy, Post-Mishap Plan, and Restricted Area Map prior to completing the quiz.  No flight operations are permitted prior to successful completion of the Compliance Quiz. The quiz is graded pass/fail, where only a perfect score is considered to be passing. 

NOTICE: The FAA has specific concerning the recreational use of UAS, which can be found here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/. This requires recreational users to pass a free, online, FAA-approved approved knowledge test known as The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), which is available from a number of approved providers. A list of these providers is given by the FAA here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/knowledge_test_updates/. Please note that this is separate from the compliance quiz required by SFU, which must be successfully completed by all faculty, staff, and students desiring to fly UAS at SFU.

Step 3: Collect 

Collecting other documents that will be needed for the sUAS flight approval process, before submitting a flight notification (as described in Step 4).  All flights conducted in restricted areas (see Restricted Areas Map) or conducted by third parties must have an associated  SFU Restricted Flight Planning document completed prior to takeoff.  This document must be submitted as part of the preflight notification process.

If you are not flying for recreational purposes (as defined by 49 USC 44809(a)), you must be in possession of a valid license for sUAS operations as defined by 14 CFR 107. If you are flying for purely recreational purposes, you must have successfully completed the FAA TRUST and an electronic copy of your completion certification on hand.  Also be sure that you are in compliance with 49 USC 44809 by flying in accordance with a community-based organization's set of safety guidelines (e.g., the AMA's Safety Guide).

Step 4: Submit

After checking for inclement weather and flight restrictions (use of the B4UFLY app is strongly encouraged: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/where_can_i_fly/b4ufly/), submit a flight notification here: https://forms.gle/KU44HL43aMGqjmsp7. This notification must be sent prior to any on/off-campus flight activity and instantly notifies Campus Police and the UAS Operations Manager of a given flight activity. Once a valid notification is submitted, you may commence with flight operations unless permission is revoked by Campus Police or the UAS Operations Manager.