Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Research Programs Brandon Stark, Director Unmanned Aircraft System Safety Center of Excellence University of California

Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety One-stop shop for all things UAS Services Answer any question about drones, regulations, safety, risk management, applications or research Files permissions and requests on behalf of faculty/staff Provide reports on UAS activity UAS Safety Management System 2

UAS Vocab UAS – Unmanned Aircraft System COA – Certificate of Authorization, applies for both Public Agencies or Commercial UAS flights Part 107 – New SUAS Regulations (Aug 29 th, 2016) Pilot Certificate – Pilot’s license Remote Pilot Certificate – New SUAS RPIC license RPIC – Remote Pilot in command UAS Registration – Each aircraft must have an FAA number (starts with N or FA) SUAS – Small UAS (under 55 lbs) Section 333 Exemption – Congressional exemption from the prohibition of commercial UAS flights VO – Visual observer 3

Where are drones being used? Drones are not just in the Engineering Department Details in a separate presentations

Two Categories of Drones in Research Drone Development Engineering departments build and develop Specific Safety Issues Testing equipment Development protocols Drone Deployment Remote Sensing, Agriculture, etc deploy drones for research projects Specific Safety Issues Drone training Robust and simple operating procedures Processes that work for development may not be suitable for deployment and vice versa

Goal An effective safety management system that is scale appropriate and encourages development while actively striving for safety

UC User Flight Workflow Flight Request To Center (UC form) File special permission with FAA Clear Airspace Where: When: Purpose: Pilot: Aircraft: Where: When: Purpose: Pilot: Aircraft: Registered Aircraft Licensed Pilot Flight Authorized Flight Report (UC form) Fly!

How does the UC get flight authorizations 8 Recreation/Education Student Recreation Student Curriculum Not for research Recreation/Education Student Recreation Student Curriculum Not for research Public Agency Operations (PAO) UC-Owned Aircraft Only for public research purposes No hard-restrictions on operations International students Public Agency Operations (PAO) UC-Owned Aircraft Only for public research purposes No hard-restrictions on operations International students Section 333 Exemption UC-Owned Aircraft Only specific UAS models allowed Requires Private Pilot’s License Used for very specific cases Section 333 Exemption UC-Owned Aircraft Only specific UAS models allowed Requires Private Pilot’s License Used for very specific cases Stop Not Legal Small UAS Regulations (Part 107) Any aircraft Requires SUAS License ($150) Up to 400 ft, Line of Sight, Daylight only For Research, Commercial, University Business, Journalism, Film and Photography Small UAS Regulations (Part 107) Any aircraft Requires SUAS License ($150) Up to 400 ft, Line of Sight, Daylight only For Research, Commercial, University Business, Journalism, Film and Photography

UAS Regulations

Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft (Part 107) The pilot must have remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. No careless or reckless operations. No carriage of hazardous materials, but other material or items may be carried. Maximum altitude of 400 ft and maximum groundspeed of 100 mph. May fly only during daylight and within visual line of sight, or close enough to see the aircraft clearly without additional vision aids. No flying over people unless they are part of the operation or are under a covered structure. Flights near airports will require prior airport authorization. A visual observer may be used however it is not required for flights. Records of all flights must be made available to the UC and the FAA. Certain provisions or restrictions may be waived on a conditional basis. Details in a separate presentations

Remote Pilot Certificate with SUAS Rating Operators must pass an Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center. Knowledge exam is $150 and is allotted for 2 hours Make available to the FAA, upon request, the small UAS for inspection or testing, and any associated documents/records required. Report an accident to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that results in injury or property damage. All flights must include a preflight inspection.

Not Allowed Does not permit flying over people or near people in a manner that puts them at risk No flying above 400 ft without additional FAA authorization No flying beyond line of sight or at night International students may not operate for commercial gain or for employment Certain research projects are allowed (see cheat sheet)

Unmanned Aircraft vs Model Aircraft Aircraft Unmanned Aircraft Small Model Aircraft Model Aircraft are legally defined as an unmanned aircraft that is flown for hobby and recreational purposes. Any law that affects the use of Unmanned Aircraft is applicable to Model Aircraft, except as noted in Sec 336 in H.R. 658 – “The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012”

Recreation/Education “Model Aircraft” A person may operate an unmanned aircraft as model aircraft for hobby or recreation at educational institutions and community-sponsored events. A student may conduct model aircraft operations in furtherance of his or her education at an accredited educational institution. This does not apply to those who are doing research or university business. Details in a separate presentations

The blurry line between recreation and non-recreation has been a challenge since the FAA was formed in 1958.

Example Scenarios Model Aircraft A student may build and fly a model aircraft for a class on Aerodynamics A student may collect aerial imagery as a class assignment in Remote Sensing A student may use a model aircraft to film for an art project for a class A student may fly a model aircraft as part of a final or senior design project Unmanned Aircraft A student that builds or flies a UAS as part of a faculty or university research is not considered model aircraft operations. A faculty member or instructor flying in connection to a course is not considered model aircraft operations.

What about Section 333 or Public COAs Section 333 Exemptions and Public COAs are still available Existing authorizations are valid until they expire, typically within 2 years of authorizations Provisions are unchanged The majority of Section 333 Exemptions and Public COAs should transition to Part 107 regulations International Students may operate under a Public COA Only public research purposes allowed

UC UAS Insurance The UC has an Unmanned Aircraft Liability policy with $5M limit, including $1M Personal Injury sublimit. Automatic coverage for aircraft Under 55 lbs Flown within line of sight Flown under 400 ft For official UC activities All other operations must be reported to and approved by the underwriter in order to be covered The UC Center of Excellence on UAS Safety can handle this for faculty and researchers

UC UAS Insurance UC Insurance only covers UC-owned and registered equipment Does not automatically cover personally owned vehicles used for UC activities A personally-owned UAS intended for UC activities must be reported to and approved by the underwriter in order to be covered

UAS Safety

“Legal” ≠ “Safe” Just because you follow the letter of the law does not mean that you are guaranteed to be safe

UAS Safety Management System Safety Policies Policies establish the organizational hierarchy and responsibilities at each level. They establish oversight requirements and processes to meet safety goals Safety Risk Management Provides a workflow for a formal process to describe the system, identify hazards, assess risk, and control/minimize risk. Safety Assurance Enable the evaluation of the effectiveness of risk management strategies and ensure compliance with other oversight entities, including the FAA, the Center, and OPRM. Safety Promotion Educational outreach on UAS policies and FAA regulations, training on UAS Risk Management and Safety Assurance. Developing a safety culture at all levels of UAS operations. Details in a separate presentations

Lack of oversight puts the University at significant and unnecessary risk Details in a separate presentations

Three Steps to Provide Oversight 1.Coordinate to register all aircraft in the UC system 2.Coordinate prior to flights 3.Keep track and report flights

UC User Flight Workflow Flight Request To Center (UC form) File special permission with FAA Clear Airspace Where: When: Purpose: Pilot: Aircraft: Where: When: Purpose: Pilot: Aircraft: Registered Aircraft Licensed Pilot Flight Authorized Flight Report (UC form) Fly! This stage includes FAA mandated flight planning

Campus Point of Contact Campuses can decide on what works best for them Can handle registrations, flight requests or reporting if desired UAS Safety is building an online toolset for all three free-of-charge for all campuses. Campuses may implement their own if they would prefer

How the process works at UC Merced All UC Merced aircraft are registered upon arrival Tail Number (N, or FA) + Center’s database Project-based authorizations on a case-by- case basis Vernal Pool Research has authorization to fly on-demand provided they follow an established procedure (set by the Center) and report all flights within 24 hours. Digital Archeology Research Project must request flights two weeks in advance to vet different locations and procedures. All flights are reported within 48 hours Occasional audits of pre-flight planning material UC Merced has 20+ active drones and about 100 monthly flights, but only one research group who does the all the flying with other campus researchers.

Introducing the UC UAS Fleet Management System Coming Soon (Fall 2016) 28

UC UAS Fleet Management System Single portal system for all UAS activity 1.Enter the aircraft and pilot 2.Check airspace 3.Fly 4.Report Aircraft/Pilot/Crew hours are automatically updated Airspace, weather, air traffic and other conditions can be checked instantaneously Can automatically prepare necessary checklists and flight instructions 29 Integrated into the UC’s Safety Training System

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End-User Benefits Clear workflow guides all (new and experienced) users into the correct process Minimize processing dead-ends, missing approvals, improve planning efficiency Automatic tracking of UAS usage and crew operation Enables accurate maintenance scheduling, documented crew qualifications Enables customizable processes for improved planning Automated weather planning Automated generation of in-field checklists, planning checklists, flight logs Simple generation of usage reports Fulfills FAA reporting mandates, painless reporting to administrators Integrated into the UC’s Safety Application system Tied into system authentication – Use your own UC log-in information 31 A little bit of data analytics can go a long way What are the most common UAS platforms? Who does the majority of the flying? How many tests flights are typically taken before mission flights? What are the most common UAS issues? A little bit of data analytics can go a long way What are the most common UAS platforms? Who does the majority of the flying? How many tests flights are typically taken before mission flights? What are the most common UAS issues?

Safety Risk Management Flight Planning/Request analyzes input data for initial risk assessments Airspace considerations Weather alerts Aircraft/Crew assessments Reminds operators to be mindful of other hazards Reminds operators to take required documentation, including registrations and preflight checklists

Safety Assurance Effortless compliance with FAA regulations and UC policies Promotes effective record-keeping End-users will monitor wear on components Administrators will monitor UAS activity and safety risks Analyze trends in real-time Helps build a better understanding of UAS activity and risks

Don’t let bureaucracy get in the way of good research Make the system work for you! The NSF announced an additional $35 Mil in UAS related research funding. Use the Center as an asset to keep your grants proposals competitive.

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